Microbiological quality of smear-ripened cheeses stored in different temperature regimes

The purpose of this work was to study smear-ripened cheese, especially its microbiological quality. Samples were stored in different temperature conditions. The first group (A) of samples was stored in a refrigerator at 6 °C. The second group (B) of samples was stored at 6 °C for 21 days, next at -18 °C for 7 days and 7 days at 6 °C. The third group (C) of samples was stored at 6 °C before the date of minimum durability, next 7 weeks at -18 °C and after that at 6 °C for 7 days. I have observed lactic acid bacteria, Brevibacterium linens, coliforms, psychrotrophic organisms, Escherichia coli, moulds, and yeast. The number of Brevibacterium linens was higher (p < 0.05) at cooling/freezing for 1 week (log CFU.g) than cooling (log CFU.g) and cooling/freezing for 7 weeks after 35 days. A higher (p < 0.05) number of psychrotrophic microorganisms was recorded at the end of the monitoring in samples stored in a refrigerator (A/49) in comparison with cheeses stored using cooling/freezing regime for one week (B/49). Among the samples stored at these temperature regimes, there were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in the numbers of LAB, coliforms, E. coli, moulds and yeast, neither at the end of the DMD nor at storage for 49 or 91 days, respectively.