Isolation and identification of Enterococcus species from fresh and pot cheeses in Khoy area

Iran has a long history in the production of various types of traditional cheese in different areas. Amongst, fresh and pot cheeses are very popular due to their organoleptic properties. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify Enterococcus spp. in traditional fresh and pot cheese. For this reason, 22 pot cheese and 28 fresh cheese samples were obtained randomly from the rural areas of Khoy city. Enterococcus species were isolated and identified by biochemical assays. Moreover, salt content and pH value of the cheese samples were determined. The results showed that 95.45% (21/22) of pot cheese and 89.29% (25/28) of the fresh cheese samples were contaminated with E. faecium, meanwhile the other Enterococcus spp. were not isolated. There was no statistically significant relationship between pH, salt and the occurrence of Enterococcus. It could be concluded that the high occurrence rate of E. faecium indicated an unsatisfactory hygienic condition in traditional fresh and pot cheeses produced in Khoy.