Table 1. Microbiological analyses performed for evaluation of the microbiological quality of fresh soft Xinotyri cheese samples made from raw or pasteurized goat’s milk and for monitoring microbial changes during aerobic storage of the cheese samples at 4 °C.

Microbial group	Microbiological enumeration mediuma	Incubation conditions
		Temperature/°C t/h O2
Total viable mesophilic bacteria	Casein-peptone soymeal-peptone (CASO) agar with 0.6% yeast extract	30 72 aerobically
Total lactic acid bacteria (LAB)	M17 agar	37 48 aerobically
Total mesophilic LAB	de Man, Rogosa, Sharpe (MRS) agar	30 72 anaerobicallyd
Enterococci	Kanamycin aesculin azide (KAA) agar	37 48 aerobically
Aerobic pseudomonad-like bacteria	Cephalothin-fucidin-cetrimide (CFC) agarb	25 48 aerobically
Total Enterobacteriaceae	Violet red bile glucose (VRBG) agar	37 18-24 microaerophilice
Catalase-positive bacteria	Mannitol salt agar	30 72 aerobically
Total staphylococci	Baird-Parker (BP) agar base with egg yolk telluritec	37 24-48 aerobically

^aAll microbiological media and supplements were purchased from Lab M (Bury, Lancashire, UK) except CASO agar, which was purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). For enterobacteria, the detection limit was 10 CFU/g. For all other subdominant non-LAB microbial groups, the detection limit was 100 CFU/g

^bPseudomonas agar base supplemented with cephalothin-fucidin-cetrimide (supplement X108, Lab M)

^cStaphylococcal colonies surrounded by characteristic zones of lecithinase activity were confirmed for agglutination using the rapid Staph Microscreen test (Microgen Bioproducts, Camberley, UK)

^dPlates were incubated in anaerobic jars using envelopes of the Gas-Pack System (BBL, Becton, Dickinson, Sparks, MD, USA)

^ePoured plates were overlayed with 5 mL of sterile VRBG medium for the creation of microaerophilic incubation conditions