[Coliform microflora of commercial Caucasian cheese]

Studied was in the course of several years the extent of coliform bacterial contamination and the peculiarities the bacteria present in ripened cow's and ewe's white brine cheese offered for consumption. It was demonstrated that these kinds of cheese released in the commercial system contain up to 3.1 per cent coliform bacteria. Certain correlation was established between the coliform count in the cheese and the degree of ripening, the consistence, and the aspect of the cross section surface. If hygiene measures were not observed cheese could be contaminated additionally with coliforms during handling in the shops. Coliform microflora was presented mainly by strains characteristic of fresh fecal contamination (E. coli) and urease-positive organisms of the Citrobacter and Enterobacter genera. To guarantee the consumption of qualitative (in terms of hygiene) white brine cheese it is necessary to include into the respective standards the index "coli titer" of a unit value.