MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF KAREISH CHEESE IN KAFR EL-SHEIKH CITY

Forty random kareish cheese samples were examined microbiologically. The average values of aerobic colony, psycrotrophic, enterobacteriacae, yeast, mould, enterococci, coliform and staphylococci counts were 2.6 X 10°; 5.4 X 10'; 8.9 X10'; 2.5 X 10'; 3.9 X 10°; 3.0 X 10'; 4.1 X 10'; and 9.3 X 10' with incidence percentages of 100, 91.4, 87.0, 80, 35, 87.5, 80 and 42.5 of examined cheese samples, respectively. Eschericia Coli, Enterobacter agglomerans, Ent. cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter diversus and K. pneumoniaee were found in 47.5%, 10%, 7.5%, 7.5%, 5% and 2.5% of examined cheese samples, respectively while coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 20% of samples examined. Streptococcus intermediate, Str. faecium and Str. faecalis were present in 77.5%, 70% and 52.5% of examined samples, respectively. The public health importance of the isolated microorganisms as well as the suggested control measures for production and handling of the