Microbiological quality of commercial dairy products

The purpose of this research was to assess the hygienic properties of commercially available dairy foods. The products surveyed included liquid milks (pasteurized and UHT-treated), cultured dairy products (kefir, cultured buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, probiotic fermented milks), cheeses (quarg products, soft, semi-hard, hard, and extra hard cheeses made from bovine, caprine, and ovine milk), processed cheeses, butters, butter creams, dried milks, and ice creams. A total of 320 samples were purchased from food stores located in the western part of Hungary. Upon collection, all products were taken to the laboratory and were stored as required until analysis. Although none of the samples tested contained Salmonella spp. or Listeria monocytogens, approximately 14% of them failed to meet the legal requirements in terms of overall hygienic quality. The share of non-compliant samples was especially high among cheeses.