A Survey of microbial contamination in Traditional Cheese distributed in Markazi Province in 2010

Traditional cheese has a special place in the diets of our community because of cultural, favorite taste, odor and its nutritional values as an important protein source. However, its pathogenic infection can endanger the human being health and cause serious economic losses. The aim of this study was measurement and determination of microbial infection in traditional cheese distributed in Markazi province in 2010. Markazi Province was divided into 10 districts; eight sample were chosen from each district at summer, 2011. Samples were transferred to the laboratory under sterile conditions and were analyzed by microbiological tests. The data were analyzed statistically by T-test using SAS software. The results indicated that all of samples had coliform, staphylococcus aurous, mold, and yeast contamination greater than Iranian standards (P<0.001). It was found that 34 percent of the samples had E.coli contamination; moreover, 24 and 8 percent of samples had Coagulase-positive staphylococcal and salmonella contamination respectively. These results indicate a notable contamination of traditional cheese with microbial infection in Markazi province.