Table 9.

Summary of microbiological results from testing 47 cheese samples where an interpretation of unsatisfactory potentially injurious to health was obtained

Types of cheese products made from unpasteurised milk (sampling period)	Number of samples	Hazards
Cow's milk cheeses, n = 25	13	L. monocytogenes was present at >102 cfu/g in all samples, >103 cfu/g in seven and >104 cfu/g in three. The samples were collected from four dairies at the point of production, seven hard cheeses were of a single variety from one dairy and four blue cheeses of the same type from a second producer: the remaining two samples were a hard and semi soft varieties. All other microbiological parameters were satisfactory except for one sample with unsatisfactory ACC levels.
	9	CPS was detected at >104 cfu/g in nine samples which were collected from four dairies at the point of production. Seven samples were of two varieties of hard cheese from two different manufacturers: of the two remaining samples, one was a soft cheese and one could not be classified. All microbiological parameters were satisfactory in seven of the nine samples, unsatisfactory levels of E. coli were detected in two.
	1	S. enterica serovar Newport ST45 was detected in one sample of a hard cheese collected at the point of production. There were satisfactory results for all other parameters. Analysis of the national database detected two patients infected by a strain of S. Newport that was indistinguishable from the isolate recovered from the cheese. The clinical isolates were obtained in the same year as the isolation from cheese and the patient's samples were tested within the same region of the country as the dairy which produced the cheese. No further investigations were recorded.
	2	STEC was isolated from two cheese sample: the organisms were O2:H25, stx 2a, eae-negative and O2:H27, stx2a, eae-negative. Both samples were collected from different dairies at production. The types of cheeses could not be classified and all other microbiological parameters were satisfactory.
Goat's milk cheeses, n = 15	5	L. monocytogenes was detected at >102 cfu/g in all samples (>105 cfu/g in two samples) which were collected from the same manufacturer at the point of production. Two samples were soft cheeses and the remaining three could not be classified. All parameters were satisfactory in two of the samples, unsatisfactory levels of E. coli were detected in one sample and unsatisfactory levels of both E. coli and CPS were detected in two samples.
	10	CPS was detected at >104 cfu/g in all samples which were collected from three dairies at the point of production: seven were from a single dairy which was the same as that above where unsatisfactory levels of L. monocytogenes were detected. Seven of the cheeses were soft, the remaining three could not be classified. In eight of the samples, all parameters were satisfactory, unsatisfactory levels of both E. coli and L. monocytogenes were detected in two samples (see above).
	1	STEC O157:H7 (PT 21/18; CC11; stx2a stx2c; eae-positive) was isolated from a mould ripened soft cheese collected at the point of production. All other microbiological parameters were satisfactory except for unsatisfactory levels of E. coli.
	1	STEC was isolated from one hard cheese sample: the organism was O6:H10; stx1c; eae-negative. The sample was collected at the point of production and all other microbiological parameters were satisfactory.
Sheep's milk cheeses, n = 2	2	L. monocytogenes was detected at >1000 cfu/g from both samples, one collected from production (the cheese type could not be classified), and the second was a fresh cheese collected at retail. All other microbiological parameters were satisfactory.
Cheese prepared from milk of other species, n = 5	5	L. monocytogenes was detected at >100 cfu/g in all samples (>103 cfu/g in three) of buffalo cheese collected at retail. All samples were identified as produced by the same manufacturer. All other microbiological parameters were satisfactory.