Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, faecal coliforms and salmonellas in raw ewes'milk

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Abstract
Thirty-nine samples of freshly drawn ewes'' milk collected at 13 farms, and 120 samples of raw ewes'' milk collected on arrival at a dairy were examined. Farm samples had geometric mean counts of 4.4 .times. 102 Enterobacteriaceae/ml, 3.9 .times. 102 coliforms/ml and 2.0 .times. 102 faecal coliforms/ml, whereas the respective mean counts were 6.2 .times. 103/ml, 5.4 .times. 103/ml and 1.3 .times. 103/ml for dairy samples. Salmonellas were not detected by enrichment procedures in any of the 159 samples examined. Escherichia coli (47.5% strains), Enterobacter cloacae (17.7%), Ent. agglomerans (11.3%), Hafnia alvei (6.5%) and Klebsiella oxytoca (6.0%) were the predominant species in 434 Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from farm samples. Levels and species of Enterobacteriaceae found in the present work in raw ewes'' milk imply a considerable risk of early blowing in cheese-making from unpasteurized milk.