Table 2.
Microbial load of raw and pasteurized ewe’s milk.
| Microbial Counts | Samples | SEM | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM | PM | |||
| TMM | 6.02 a | 3.24 b | 0.45 | <0.0001 |
| Coccus LAB | 5.71 a | 2.91 b | 0.45 | <0.0001 |
| Rod LAB | 4.27 a | 1.49 b | 0.44 | <0.0001 |
| Enterococci | 2.87 a | <1 b | 0.46 | <0.0001 |
| Entericacteriaceae | 3.03 a | <1 b | 0.48 | <0.0001 |
| E. coli | 2.79 a | <1 b | 0.44 | <0.0001 |
| CPS | 2.42 a | <1 b | 0.38 | <0.0001 |
| L. monocytogenes | <1 | <1 | n.e. | n.e. |
| Salmonella spp. | <1 | <1 | n.e. | n.e. |
Units are Log CFU/mL. Results indicate the mean values of six plate counts (carried out in triplicate for two independent products). Data within a row followed by different letters are significantly different according to Tukey’s test. Abbreviations: RM, raw milk; PM, pasteurized milk; SEM, standard error of the mean; TMM, total mesophilic microorganisms; LAB, lactic acid bacteria; E., Escherichia; CPS, coagulase-positive staphylococci; L., Listeria; n.e., not evaluated.