Electrolyzed water as a microbial control measure for white soft cheese

White soft cheese is among the most widely consumed varieties of cheese in Egypt, and it is usually at a higher risk of being contaminated due to its high moisture. So, the purpose of the current study was to assess the microbiological quality of white soft cheese, specifically Thalaga cheese and raw and pasteurized Kareish cheese. Moreover, demonstrate the efficacy of the combination of alkaline Electrolyzed water followed by acidic Electrolyzed water to reduce the microbial load in the highly contaminated samples. Ninety random samples (30 each) were collected from various stores, street vendors, and supermarkets across Cairo, Egypt. Samples were analyzed for the total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, molds, and yeast counts. There was a high incidence of microbial contamination in raw Kareish samples, with detection rates of 90.0, 90.0, 76.6, 93.3, and 100% for total coliforms, E. coli, S. aureus, molds, and yeasts, respectively. Similarly, contamination rates were 60.0, 56.6, 50.0, 60.0, and 100% in Thalaga, whereas pasteurized Kareish cheese recorded significantly lower contamination rates (36.6, 23.3, 0, 33.3, and 86.6%). Interestingly, microbial counts after treating samples firstly with AIEW then AcEW for total coliforms, E. coli, S. aureus, molds, and yeasts decreased by 1.77, 3.42, 2.60, 1.38, and 0.97 log CFU/g, respectively in raw Kareish, whereas for Thalaga, the microbial reduction was 1.69, 2.82, 2.06, 0.89, and 0.60 log CFU/g. It was noticed that there was a complete elimination of E.coli and S.aureus to meet the Egyptian standards for both raw Kareish and Thalaga cheeses after treatment with electrolyzed water. In conclusion, these findings highlighted the need for strict hygienic practices during cheese processing to ensure the safety of dairy products in Cairo, Egypt. Additionally, this combining of two types of electrolyzed water has potential for improving the microbiological quality and safety of white soft cheese.