Microbiological characterization of Civil cheese, a traditional Turkish cheese: microbiological quality, isolation and identification of its indigenous Lactobacilli

The aim of this study was to investigate the microbiological quality and the indigenous lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus) of Civil cheese. In this study, for identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from cheese samples, the Microbiology Identification System (MIS) was used. In the samples, average of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeast and moulds, lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus (Staph. aureus) were determined to be 3.0x10(8), 2.0x10(6), 1.4x10(7), 4.10x10(4) c.f.u./g, respectively. Coliform bacteria were lower than < 10 c.f.u./g in 26.67 % of the samples. On the other hand, the coliform-positive samples showed an average of 4.2x10(4) c.f.u./g. Staph. aureus was not detected in 33.33% of Civil cheese samples. Seventy-two strains of Lactobacillus isolated from Civil cheese were identified. Growth at 5, 10 and 37 degrees C, 2.5% and 6.5% NaCl and gas (CO2) production from glucose of the isolated strains were also determined. Of the 72 isolates, 20 were identified as Lb. malefermentans, 18 as Lb. fermentum, 17 as Lb. parabuchneri, 10 as Lb. vaccinostercus, 2 as Lb. oris, 1 as Lb. bifermentans, 1 as Lb. delbruecki subsp. bulgaricus, 1 as Lb. cellobiosus, 1 as Lb. hilgardii, 1 as Lb. paracasei subsp. tolerans.