Determination of Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria and Coliforms in Raw Milk in the Region of Kosovo

The microbiological quality of raw milk is a key to the quality production of dairy products. Alternation is a term that describes the change of composition, taste and smell at those points where it is inedible for the consumer. Microbial alternation of milk often involves degradation of proteins, carbohydrates and fats of organisms and their enzymes. Milk and dairy consumption has increased considerably in Kosovo over the last decade, and a large part of local production comes from small-scale distributors across the country. In this research, 50 milk samples are taken at some of the cumulative sites and from dairy farms in three Kosovo municipalities (Prishtina, Lipjan and Rahovec). The microbiological quality of the milk samples is analyzed according to official standards. Further, in raw milk, a number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and number of coliforms were analyzed. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria in fresh milk, used as raw material, did not show more than 2.0×10^6 cfu / ml, whereas coliforms were presented at 4 cfu / ml.