Microbiological Quality of Some Dairy Products with Special Reference to the Incidence of Some Biological Hazards

Background and Objective: Ingestion of contaminated dairy products causes foodborne diseases (FBD) which pose a significant but often under recognized threat to public health, worldwide, consequently this study was aimed to throw light on the microbiological quality of some dairy products sold in Egyptian markets. Materials and Methods: Ninety random samples of ice cream, Ras cheese and fresh white soft cheese (30 of each) collected from dairy shops and stores in Port-Said and Giza governorates, Egypt and examined microbiologically. Results: The mean titratable acidity of ice cream, Ras cheese and fresh white soft cheese samples were (0.13, 0.43 and 0.14%), microbiological examination proved contamination of the examined samples with high numbers of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, coliform, staphylococci, yeast, mold and anaerobic spore formers. E. coli was isolated from Ras and white fresh soft cheese with 2.9 and 4.4%, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes couldn't be isolated from all of the examined samples, while Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated from 23.3% of ice cream samples. Conclusion: Inadequate hygienic conditions of production and storage mandate the promotion of hygienic regulations and guarantee of safety from production until receiving to consumer.