Microbial study of Casar de Cáceres cheese throughout ripening

Summary Six batches of Casar de Cáceres raw ewes' milk cheeses were examined throughout their ripening. Three were made in winter, the others in spring. The microbial counts in the interior of the cheeses were ∼1·5 log units higher in the winter cheeses for total viable counts, lactic streptococci and leuconostocs, and >2 log units higher for total enterobacteria, coliforms and faecal coliforms in the 60 d samples. Staphylococci were not detected after day 15 of maturation in spring cheeses, but reached 1 log unit at day 60 in the interior of winter cheeses. In the surface samples, differences in microbial counts were more marked. Values of some physicochemical indices, such as pH, % moisture content and % NaCl were also determined.