Behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in sliced, vacuum-packaged raw milk cheese stored at two different temperatures and time periods. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bellio, Alberto; Astegiano, Sara; Traversa, Amaranta; Bianchi, Daniela Manila; Gallina, Silvia; Vitale, Nicoletta; Zuccon, Fabio; Decastelli, Lucia
• Is Part Of: International dairy journal. Volume 57(2016:Jun.)
• Page Start: 15
• Page End: 19
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: Dairying -- Periodicals; Industrie laitière -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 338.1762142
• DOI: 10.1016/j.idairyj.2016.02.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0958-6946

Abstract

Abstract: The behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk cheese slices packaged under vacuum was evaluated. Artificially contaminated 80-day ripened cheese was portioned, vacuum packaged, and then stored for 28 days at 4 °C and for 56 days at 10 °C. Bacterial counts were obtained before vacuum packaging and then weekly during storage. At the end of ripening, the initial L . monocytogenes count was 4.46 ± 0.89 log cfu g −1 ; weekly bacterial counts remained substantially unchanged in the samples stored at 4 °C but decreased to 3.54 ± 1.54 log cfu g −1 in those stored at 10 °C. The initial S . aureus count before vacuum packaging was 3.60 ± 0.78 log cfu g −1 ; it then gradually decreased to 2.60 ± 1.32 log cfu g −1 in the samples stored at 4 °C and to about 1.9 log cfu g −1 in those stored at 10 °C.