The effects of brine concentration and scalding on survival of some pathogens in urfa cheese: a traditional white-brined turkish cheese

The survival of Staphylococcus aureus (St. aureus), Bacillus cereus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Eschericia coli O157:H7, Shigella flexneri (Sh. flexneri) and Salmonella enteritidis (Sa. enteritidis) in urfa cheese (a traditional white-brined Turkish cheese) which was stored in brine concentrations varying from 12.5 to 17.5% (wt/v) was tested. Two sets of cheeses were made, namely scalded and unscalded cheeses (scalding was done by heating at 95 °C for 3 min). The variations in the counts of pathogenic colonies were monitored throughout a 90-day storage period at (less than)10 °C. Results indicated that scalding caused statistically significant reductions in the colony counts of Y. enterocolitica, E. coli O157:H7, Sh. flexneri and Sa. enteritidis during the early periods of storage. In contrast, St. aureus and B. cereus were not generally affected by scalding and brine concentrations, although B. cereus in 17.5% (wt/v) brine was affected. In the unscalded cheeses, 12.5 and 15.0% (wt/v) brine concentrations seemed to be insufficient to eradicate the pathogenic organisms examined.