Cheese Production Process Research Articles

Investigation of physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of traditional mongolian cheese

The traditional technology of Mongolian cheese is almost the same in different parts of the country, it differs from other types of cheeses, there is no microbiological process in it. Within the framework of this study, physico-chemical and microbiological parameters were determined in order to assess the quality and safety of Mongolian cheese sold on the market in Ulanbaatar. The article is devoted to the traditional Mongolian cheese, which belongs to the group of fresh fermented milk cheeses produced by thermal acid coagulation of milk. The main stages of its production include pasteurization of milk, coagulation, molding and pressing of cheese mass. Unlike other types of cheese, the production process of Mongolian cheese does not include clot processing, salting and maturation, which limits its shelf life. However, this cheese is an important source of casein and whey proteins for the Mongolian population. The method of cheese production is based on thermic acid coagulation, which uses high temperature. Mongolian cheese, like other cheeses of this group, is absorbed by the body by 96-98%, being an important source of calcium, phosphorus and amino acids. Milk proteins in such cheeses are not decomposed by microorganisms, which reduces the content of soluble proteins. Studies of the microflora of Mongolian cheese have shown the presence of various microorganisms, mainly lactic acid bacteria, and the absence of pathogenic bacteria when properly stored. The addition of preservatives such as nisin and natamycin can extend the shelf life of cheese up to 15 days.

The use of cheese whey powder in the cultivation of protein-rich filamentous fungal biomass for sustainable food production

Cheese whey is an industrial by-product that is generated in excess during the cheese production process in the dairy industry. Despite the potential utility of whey, it continues to pose environmental threats in the industry. This study comprehensively evaluates the utilization of two fermentation techniques (solid-state fermentation and submerged fermentation) for producing fungal biomass from cheese whey powder, employing Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oryzae, and Neurospora intermedia for sustainable food production. It has been observed that submerged fermentation is more effective in increasing the protein content of whey powder compared to solid-state fermentation. The highest biomass yield was achieved with A. oryzae (5.29 g/L, 0.176 g biomass/g substrate), followed by N. intermedia (3.63 g/L, 0.121 g biomass/g substrate), and R. oryzae (1.9 g/L, 0.063 g biomass/g substrate). In the bubble column reactor, the protein content of the substrate (78.65 g/kg) increased by 165.54 and 176.69% with A. oryzae (208.85 g/kg) and N. intermedia (217.62 g/kg), respectively. This study has demonstrated that whey powder can be converted into protein-rich biomass through fungal bioconversion. The obtained biomass has the potential to be developed as an alternative food and feed source, contributing to waste management and sustainable food production.

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin producers, isolated from the production chain of artisanal Coalho cheese

This study aimed to evaluate the presence of Staphylococcus aureus from the production chain of artisanal Coalho cheese, and to analyse the phenotypic profile of the strains, virulence factors and antimicrobial susceptibility profile. From the 52 samples collected, typical colonies of Staphylococcus spp. were isolated. From these positive S. aureus isolates, the genes encoding for enterotoxin production and antibiotic resistance were characterised. Additionally, agr locus typing was also performed. A significant presence of the sea enterotoxin producing gene, a higher incidence of the mecA gene and agr III group was identified. There was multiple resistance to penicillin, oxacillin, erythromycin and clindamycin in 79% of isolates. These results indicate that the artisanal Coalho cheese production process is associated with high contamination levels and significant potential for the isolated strains to produce enterotoxins. Therefore, there is cause for concern regarding the quality of the artisanal Coalho cheese produced.

Understanding cheese ripeness: An artificial intelligence-based approach for hierarchical classification

Within the contemporary dairy industry, the effective monitoring of cheese ripeness constitutes a critical yet challenging task. This paper proposes the first public dataset encompassing images of cheese wheels that depict various products at distinct stages of ripening and introduces an innovative hybrid approach, integrating machine learning and computer vision techniques to automate the detection of cheese ripeness. By leveraging deep learning and shallow learning techniques, the proposed method endeavors to overcome the limitations associated with conventional assessment methodologies. It aims to provide automation, precision, and consistency in the evaluation of cheese ripeness, delving into a hierarchical classification for the simultaneous classification of distinct cheese types and ripeness levels and presenting a comprehensive solution to enhance the efficiency of the cheese production process. By employing a lightweight hierarchical feature aggregation methodology, this investigation navigates the intricate landscape of preprocessing steps, feature selection, and diverse classifiers. We report a noteworthy achievement, attaining a best F-measure score of 0.991 through the merging of features extracted from EfficientNet and DarkNet-53, opening the field to concretely address the complexity inherent in cheese quality assessment.

Cleaner production in the dairy industry: good practices in a dairy plant in the municipality of Valença – Rio and Janeiro, Brazil

The Brazilian dairy sector has great economic importance and is ranked fourth among world producers. The search for less environmental impact has led to good sustainability practices and the adoption of environmental management instruments, products, and processes with an emphasis on cleaner production (CP). In this sense, this article presents CP adoption in the dairy industry. A case study aiming to propose alternatives associated with CP good practices in the dairy industry was conducted in the municipality of Valença, Rio de Janeiro. Data collection was performed with the help of a form and direct observation. The good practices and CP opportunities previously adopted by the industry were identified. Then, five CP measures were proposed and implemented to improve the sustainability of the Minas Frescal cheese production process. Minas cheese was selected for the study due to its higher sales volume and the best profit margin. Other opportunities for improvement should be considered to continue the proposed actions, which include reduction of raw materials and energy and water consumption during production, increase in the company’s profit margin and competitiveness in the national and international markets, access to new market niches, and reduction of environmental-, social-, and health-related impacts.

TRADITIONAL CHEESE PRODUCED IN FOGO ISLAND - CAPE VERDE: PHYSICO-CHEMICAL, SENSORY, HYGIENIC AND SAFETY CHARACTERISTICS

Cheese is a nutritionally rich product, distinguished by its unique sensorial qualities. Processing technology for cheeses in different countries is still handmade, thus, the microbial community structure is complex and the cheese flavour fluctuates wildly. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the sensory acceptance, microbiological and physical-chemical properties of traditional cheese produced in Fogo Island – Cape Verde. Coalho cheese is the most produced and consumed cheese in Cape Verde and is frequently made according to traditional or artisanal procedures. Regarding to physical-chemical analyses, parameters such as fat, moisture, pH, titratable acidity, protein, and ash were studied. Microbiological parameters such as Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, salmonella and coliforms were studied. A Sensory acceptance test was carried out by 23 panellists, where all evaluated attributes obtained an acceptability index greater than 70%. According to the Cape Verdean standard for cheese, the cheeses were classified as fresh and low-fat cheese. Regarding moisture content, the obtained results allow to classify cheese A as semi-soft cheese and B and C as soft cheese. Concerning pH and titratable acidity, the values ranged from 5.68 to 6.19 and 6.4 to 11.1 mLNaOH1N/100g, respectively. Salmonella and L. monocytogenes were not detected, E. Coli was lower than the maximum accepted value established by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1441/2007. In contrast, faecal coliforms in cheeses B and C were higher than those established by the Commission Regulation (EC). Overall, the results from this study may contribute to improving the production process and quality control of coalho cheese.

Unveiling ochratoxin A and ochratoxigenic fungi in Brazilian artisanal Cheeses: Insights from production to consumption

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a toxin produced by several Aspergillus species, mainly those belonging to section Circumdati and section Nigri. The presence of OTA in cheese has been reported recently in cave cheese in Italy. As artisanal cheese production in Brazil has increased, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of ochratoxin A and related fungi in artisanal cheese consumed in Brazil.A total of 130 samples of artisanal cheeses with natural moldy rind at different periods of maturation were collected. Of this total, 79 samples were collected from 6 producers from Canastra region in the state of Minas Gerais, since this is the largest artisanal cheese producer region; 13 samples from one producer in the Amparo region in the state of São Paulo and 36 samples from markets located in these 2 states. Aspergillus section Circumdati occurred in samples of three producers and some samples from the markets. A. section Circumdati colony counts varied from 102 to 106 CFU/g. Molecular analysis revealed Aspergillus westerdijkiae (67 %) as the most frequent species, followed by Aspergillus ostianus (22 %), and Aspergillus steynii (11 %). All of these isolates of A. section Circumdati were able to produce OTA in Yeast Extract Sucrose Agar (YESA) at 25 °C/7 days. OTA was found in 22 % of the artisanal cheese samples, ranging from 1.0 to above 1000 µg/kg, but only five samples had OTA higher than 1000 µg/kg. These findings emphasize the significance of ongoing monitoring and quality control in the artisanal cheese production process to minimize potential health risks linked to OTA contamination.

Revealing the dynamics and mechanisms of bacterial interactions in cheese production with metabolic modelling

Cheese taste and flavour properties result from complex metabolic processes occurring in microbial communities. A deeper understanding of such mechanisms makes it possible to improve both industrial production processes and end-product quality through the design of microbial consortia. In this work, we caracterise the metabolism of a three-species community consisting of Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium freudenreichii during a seven-week cheese production process. Using genome-scale metabolic models and omics data integration, we modeled and calibrated individual dynamics using monoculture experiments, and coupled these models to capture the metabolism of the community. This model accurately predicts the dynamics of the community, enlightening the contribution of each microbial species to organoleptic compound production. Further metabolic exploration revealed additional possible interactions between the bacterial species. This work provides a methodological framework for the prediction of community-wide metabolism and highlights the added value of dynamic metabolic modeling for the comprehension of fermented food processes.

Cheese whey and dairy manure anaerobic co-digestion at psychrophilic conditions: Technical and environmental evaluation

Cheese whey (CW) and dairy manure (DM) are the main residues from the dairy industry, both of which can led to significant negative environment impacts if not properly managed. However, their combined anaerobic digestion represents an opportunity to obtain bioenergy and a stabilised material as a soil improver on the farm. Biochemical potential of methane (BMP) assays were carried out at psychrophilic conditions (20 °C) to analyse the influence on biomethane production of different CW:DM mixtures (% w/w) at different of inoculum-to-substrate ratios (ISR). Based on the BMP results, a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the cheese manufacturing process was carried out considering two scenarios (i) considering the current process, where propane gas and electricity are used for cheese production (ii) the incorporation of the biogas generated in the cheese production process in the company. BMP results showed that the best mixture between CW and DM was 65:35 (weight basis) at an organic load of 0.6 gVS/L (ISR of X). The LCA showed that CW and DM anaerobic digestion allowed to reduce the cheese manufacturing carbon footprint from through the substitution of propane by the biogas produced, changing from 5.5 to 3.1 kg CO2-eq/kg cheese produced, which indicates that according to the monthly production (633.6 kg) it would stop emitting about 1519 kg CO2-eq, i.e. a saving in terms of emissions of approximately 43,6% of the total currently generated.

Few case studies as ideas for zero-waste from food production and processing

Globally, the amount of agricultural waste is huge but not properly utilized yet. Precisely, about one billion tons of food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. This wastage global economy costs are estimated at US$ 1 trillion on annual level. The definition of food waste varies globally depending on where food waste occurs in the food supply and consumption chain, how it is generated, and what it covers. This review is a compilation of few different approaches in the context of zero waste from food production and processing. Soybean hull exploitation due to mass production of tofu, soymilk, edamame, tofu sausages and burgers, soy breads, soy pasta and soymilk yoghurts and cheeses, animal feed leads to a formation of high waste load. There are several available ways for soybean hull valorization: as a biofertilizer, as a substrate for microbial growth, as an adsorbent, for extraction of antioxidants and in our case for extraction of enzymes. The global consumption of coffee is approximately 10 million tons, resulting in a substantial production of spent coffee grounds (SCG) worldwide. However, this by-product has recently gained attention as a valuable source of usable compounds, particularly in our case for essential oils. During the cheese production process, the whey obtained as a by-product can be used as a raw material for development of new dairy products and in the same time to prevent the potential pollution of natural watercourses. The valorisation of the waste whey obtained in the cheese production by using it in the development of new products also contributes in the environment protection. In N. Macedonia, about 1000 tons of blood waste from industrial slaughterhouses flow into natural watercourses every year and it can find application in various industries. These are just a few examples that show that the possibilities for the implementation of the zero-waste concept are unlimited.

Efects of Pasteurized Sheep's Milk Use on Production and Ripening of Siirt Herby Cheese

Siirt herby cheese is a varietty of local cheeses, and raw sheep’s and goat’s milk are used in its production. The curds obtained by curdling the milk obtained in the highlands is sold in the city centre during the day or the next day. Siirt herby cheese is produced from the retail curds. Three different cheese samples form retail curd, raw sheep’s and pasteurized sheep’s milks were made. The samples were ripened at 4°C for 120 d. Hygienic quality of raw milk supplied from a farm and raw milk curd bought from local retailers did not have adequate hygiene. Coagulase positive staphylococci were 3.11±0.6 log10 CFU/ml in raw milk, then it increased to 6.6±0.5 log10 CFU/g in the curd before salting. Pasteurization of milk was decreased the total count of the coagulase positive staphylococci below the maximum permissible value (103 CFU/g) in the regulation on Microbiological Criteria of the Turkish Food Codex. These samples were only contained >103 CFU/g coagulase positive staphylococci at the 120th d of ripening. The pasteurization of milk allowed to obtain cheese that meets the desired hygienic criteria. In addition, sufficient acidity and pH development were observed in pasteurized dairy cheeses even though starter culture was not used. It was found that the traditional cheese production using both retail curd and raw milk may not be suitable for producing cheese in accordance with the official standards and regulations. It was concluded that in the case of the production of these cheeses, it is not appropriate to offer them for sale before the completion of the legal ripening period of 120 d. It was deemed necessary to conduct further research in order to draw up a production diagram including the parameters of the Siirt herby cheese production process.

Histamine and Tyramine in Chihuahua Cheeses during Shelf Life: Association with the Presence of tdc and hdc Genes.

Cheese is a product of animal origin with a high nutritional value, and it is one of the most consumed dairy foods in Mexico. In addition, Chihuahua cheese is the most consumed matured cheese in Mexico. In the production process of Chihuahua cheese, maturation is carried out by adding acid lactic microorganisms, mainly of the Lactococcus genus and, in some cases, also the Streptococcus and Lactobacillus genus. As part of the metabolism of fermenting microorganisms, biogenic amines can develop in matured foods, which result from the activity of amino decarboxylase enzymes. In cheeses, histamine and tyramine are the main amines that are formed, and the consumption of these represents a great risk to the health of consumers. In this work, the presence of biogenic amines (histamine and tyramine) was determined by HPLC at different times of the shelf life of Chihuahua cheeses. In addition, the presence of genes hdc and tdc that code for the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of these compounds (histidine and tyrosine decarboxylase, or HDC and TDC) was determined by molecular techniques. A significant correlation was observed between the presence of both histamine and tyramine at the end of shelf life with the presence of genes that code for the enzymes responsible for their synthesis.

Isothermal inactivation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in curd simulating the stretching phase in pasta-filata cheese process.

Raw milk and dairy products are usually considered the major sources of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) exposure for humans. During the production process of mozzarella cheese, as well as of other pasta-filata cheeses made with pasteurized or raw milk, curd is heated and stretched by addition of hot or boiling water. This step is the critical point for the inactivation of MAP during the production process, but, to our knowledge, no studies have been published about the thermal death time values of MAP in curd. The aim of this study was to determine the inactivation kinetics of MAP in curd used to produce pasta-filata cheese in six independent experiments. The milk was inoculated with a mix of MAP strains (field and registered strains) and, with the aim to simulate the thermal treatment of the curd during the stretching step, samples of 10 g of contaminated curd were vacuum packed and treated separately at six different temperatures from 60°C to 75°C in a water bath. MAP survival was then evaluated by plate count method and inactivation parameters were estimated for determining the thermal resistance of the pathogen directly in the curd. D-values increased from 0.15 min (D75-value) to 4.22 min (D60-value) and the calculated z-value was 10.2°C. These data aid: (i) to design food thermal process treatments defining acceptance limits of critical control points to ensure safety against MAP; (ii) to predict the time/temperature combinations needed to obtain a certain MAP log reduction during the curd stretching step; (iii) to optimize or validate pasta-filata cheese process.

The production of the innovative craft cheese "Anchan"

The analysis of regional raw materials for producing craft cheese "Anchan" and studies of raw milk for its physical and chemical properties and technological indicators. Milk samples were pasteurized in the laboratory at a temperature of 80 °C for 10 seconds. Anchan was added to the milk for colour. Next, the milk before coagulation was heated in a pasteurization boiler by heating with saturated steam 36 – 38 °C. The enzyme 4 mL per 100 kg of milk and 4 mL of black cornflower extract was added to the prepared milk to improve milk coagulation and the formation of a dense cheese clot. Strains of probiotic cultures were selected for Anchan. The composition of the main complex yeast of mesophilic lactococci acid and aroma-forming cultures, namely Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactococcus lactis subsp. diacetilactis, Leuconostoc lactis. As an additional leaven used thermophilic lactic acid sticks of the species Lactobacillus acidophilus (incoherent race to obtain a new taste of craft cheese. Using these ingredients reduced fermentation time by 8 – 10 minutes. Closing the skin of the cheese by watering the cheese heats with hot water (50 – 55 °C). Marking, packaging, transportation and storage were carried out per the craft product's specifications for the craft producer. The following criteria were used for optimizing the technological process of Anchan cheese production: temperature treatment of milk, amount of added water for whey deoxidation and amount of salt in cheese. as a result of previous research.

Designing Food Safety Management and Halal Assurance Systems in Mozzarella Cheese Production for Small-Medium Food Industry

All food businesses are required by law to implement and maintain food safety management systems based on the Codex Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles. However, more than half of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia are having difficulty complying with these regulations. This research designed a food system by identifying the application of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the HACCP to Dairy Farm SMEs based on the survey, in-depth interviews, and document standard review. The food safety system was implemented using HACCP, and six Critical Control Point (CCP) processes were identified, including milking (raw material), storage, pasteurization, curd filtering, and cheese packaging. The halal assurance system is implemented at Dairy Farm SMEs by identifying and improving the company's business processes and the mozzarella cheese production process. In addition, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was developed, including a food safety system and a halal assurance system. It can be used as a reference in designing a food safety system by identifying and applying the principles of GMP and HACCP that pay attention to critical points in the mozzarella cheese production process. The results of the research can be used wisely by Dairy Farm SMEs to assist in obtaining recommendations from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) and halal certification, specifically the existence of SOPs, forms for each production process, improvements to each production process, and improvements to company business processes.

Integrated metabolomics and high-throughput sequencing to explore the dynamic correlations between flavor related metabolites and bacterial succession in the process of Mongolian cheese production

Untargeted metabolomics was used to investigate the changes in small molecules of non-volatile metabolites and related mechanisms in the production process of Mongolian cheese. In addition, the changes in volatile compounds, free amino acids and bacterial community succession were also studied. A total of 37 differential metabolites were screened at 5 different stages of the production process by multivariate analysis of metabolomics datasets. The differential metabolites associated with amino acids, glycerophospholipid and pyrimidine metabolism were found to be mainly changed. In addition, the total nine functional core bacterial genera that significantly influenced compounds distribution in the cheese production process were identified based on correlation analysis and bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis. Lactococcus and Acinetobacter had positive effects on the formation of flavor volatiles and beneficial amino acids (p < 0.05); Streptococcus and Serratia showed strong correlations with amino acid catabolism (p < 0.05). This research revealed comprehensive insights into the metabolite alterations, bacterial succession and their dynamic correlations in the cheese process and would provide a theoretical basis for better quality control of Mongolian cheese production.

Effect of the recombinant chymosins of different origins on production process of soft cheese

The effect of milk-clotting enzymes (MCE) with different milk-clotting activity (MCA) and proteolytic activity (PA) based on recombinant calf chymosins (Chy-max® Extra: MCA=554 IMCU/g; PA=0.71 UA/g), camel (Chymax® M: MCA=904 IMCU/g; PA=0.68 PA units/g) and “modified” chymosin (Chy-max® Supreme: MCA=912 IMCU/g; PA=0.26 PA units/g) on the duration of milk coagulation, the composition of whey and fresh cheeses in the production of soft cheese of the Italian type Crescenza at a dose of MCE equal to 1500, 2500 and 3500 IMCU per 100 kg of milk was studied. With an equal introduction dose, the shortest average duration of curd formation is noted for Chy-max Supreme MCE (15.0–27.5 min), long one — for Chy-max M MCE (17.0–31.0 min), and the longest one — for MCE Chy-max Extra (18.0–35.5 min). There was no statistically significant effect (p&lt;0.05) of the type and dose of MCE on the total duration of cheese processing, as well as on the content of fat, protein and dry matter of whey. The type and dose of MCE had an impact on the properties of fresh cheeses: cheese options produced with the maximum dose of Chy-max Supreme had a statistically significant (p&gt;&lt;0.05) higher average dry matter content (49.61%) than cheese options made with minimal doses of MCE (47.64–47.91%).&gt;&lt; 0.05) of the type and dose of MCE on the total duration of cheese processing, as well as on the content of fat, protein and dry matter of whey. The type and dose of MCE had an impact on the properties of fresh cheeses: cheese options produced with the maximum dose of Chy-max Supreme had a statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) higher average dry matter content (49.61%) than cheese options made with minimal doses of MCE (47.64–47.91%).&gt; &lt;0.05) of the type and dose of MCE on the total duration of cheese processing, as well as on the content of fat, protein and dry matter of whey. The type and dose of MCE had an impact on the properties of fresh cheeses: cheese options produced with the maximum dose of Chy-max Supreme had a statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) higher average dry matter content (49.61%) than cheese options made with minimal doses of MCE (47.64–47.91%).&gt;&lt;0.05) higher average dry matter content (49.61%) than cheese options made with minimal doses of MCE (47.64–47.91%).

MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL QUALITY PARAMETERS OF GOAT AND SHEEP CHEESE FROM HERZEGOVINA

Cheese is a semi-solid or solid milk product, obtained by curdling milk and separating the curds from the whey. The examination included 46 samples of cheese produced on agriculture farms and small mini-dairies in the territory of Herzegovina, with the emphasis that most of the samples originate from the southern sub-Mediterranean and Mediterranean regions of Herzegovina. The goal of the study was to determine the microbiological safety and physicochemical quality parameters of cheeses that are marketed as fresh goat cheese, semi-solid goat cheese, and sheep and goat bellows cheese. Of the total number of analyzed samples, 49.22% did not meet the requirements of the physicochemical and microbiological parameters of the quality, where 36.22% did not meet the physicochemical quality, and 13% did not meet the microbiological quality due to an increased number of β glucuronidase positive Escherichia coli. The presence of β glucuronidase positive Escherichia coli in cheese samples indicates insufficient hygiene during the technological process of cheese production itself. Pathogenic microorganisms Salmonella spp and Listeria monocytogenes were not isolated, and the number of coagulase-positive staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus was within the permitted limits. This study indicates that it is necessary to standardize the physicochemical parameters in the production of cheese, as well as the use of exclusively autochthonous raw materials in the production of individual small producers and in mini-dairies engaged in this production, as is the case with the industrial production of these products in that area.

Occurrence, Pathogenic Potential and Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolated from Raw Milk Cheese Commercialized in Banat Region, Romania.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence, pathogenic potential and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Escherichia coli isolated from raw milk cheese, traditionally produced by farmers and marketed directly to the consumer in Banat region, Romania. A total of 81.1% (43/53) of the processed samples expressed positive results for E. coli, with a distribution of 83.8% (31/37), and 75.0% (12/16) in the cow- and sheep-milk-origin assortments, respectively. Overall, 69.8% (30/43) of the specimens had a contamination level ≤10 CFU/g. Molecular tests showed that, from the total number of E. coli isolates, 9.3% (4/43) harbored the stx2, and 2.3% (1/43), the stx1 virulence genes. The E. coli O157 (including H7) biovariety was identified in 7% (3/43) of the samples by the Vidas equipment. From the 27 antimicrobials tested with the Vitek2 automated system, the E. coli isolates displayed resistance to enrofloxacin (100%, 15 out of 15 tested isolates), ampicillin (39.5%, 17/43), norfloxacin (28.6%, 8/28), fosfomycin (25%, 7/28), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (23.3%, 10/43), cefalexin (20%, 3/15), cefalotin (13.3%, 2/15), tetracycline (13.3%, 2/15), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (9.3%, 4/43), piperacillin-tazobactam (7.1%, 2/28), cefotaxime (7.1%, 2/28), cefepime (7.1%, 2/28), ticarcillin/clavulanic acid (6.7%, 1/15), florfenicol (6.7%, 1/15), ceftazidime (3.6%, 1/28), and ertapenem (3.6%, 1/28). Ten (23.3%) strains were multidrug-resistant. The obtained preliminary results indicated hygienic–sanitary deficiencies throughout the cheese production process, and demonstrated that these products can harbor virulent and multidrug-resistant E. coli strains, which constitute a public health risk. However, future investigations, processing a higher number of samples, are still necessary to draw comprehensive conclusions.

Production of traditional soft white cheese in Albanian families from cow's milk

The production of traditional cheese in Albanian families from cow's milk has an early tradition and now yours is still largely being produced. This scientific paper is about to describe the traditional method and chemical composition of milk used to produce soft white cheese, the economic benefits of which are still widely used. The non-standardized milk used for the production of this type of cheese, has an average of 3.53% fat, according to the sisters that were taken from 25 families in different villages of Kosova. The amount of milk used for production is from 5 l to 20 l of milk for a production process. The required amount of milk for the production of one kilogram of cheese is from 3.5 l to 4 l of milk. We have continuously followed the whole process of cheese production: from milking the cows to preparing the cheese for the market. We performed three experiments for each family (25 families in total) and took three samples from each family for both milk and cheese (75 analysis of milk and 75 analysis of cheese = 150 x 11 = 1650 analysis in total). We made the calculations statistically. Physico-chemical analyzes of milk and cheese were performed at the National Agricultural Institute of Kosova in Peja.