Microbiological quality of raw milk in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The microbiological and hygienic quality of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk in the Czech Republic was evaluated. Milk (230 samples) was collected on 41 farms and investigated from May 2012 to October 2014. Milk was analysed for the presence of selected groups and types of bacteria: mesophilic microorganisms (total plate count – TPC), enterococci, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Besides these indicators and pathogenic agents, somatic cell count was determined as one of the indicators of mammary gland health in cows. TPC ranged between 8.3 × 10²and 1.2 × 10⁹ CFU/ml and somatic cells between 1.6 × 10⁴ and 6.8 × 10⁶cells/ml. The presence of E. coli was confirmed in 86.3% of samples and the colony counts ranged from 1.0 × 10¹to 4.0 × 10⁶CFU/ml. The presence of verotoxigenic E. coli was confirmed in 3 samples (1.3%) (cow’s milk 0%; goat’s milk 6.3%; sheep’s milk 4.4%). The presence of S. aureus was confirmed in 29.1% of the samples (cow’s milk 26.9%; goat’s milk 34.4%; sheep’s milk 39.1%), but the numbers were very low (< 5.0 × 10² CFU/ml). L. monocytogenes was confirmed in 3 examined samples (1.3%) (cow’s milk 0.6%; goat’s milk 3.1%; sheep’s milk 4.4%). Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. were not detected in any of the samples tested.