Comparison of microbiological parameters of fresh goat cheeses produced on farms in the Czech Republic using conventional and organic farming method

Abstract

The paper deals with microbiological parameters of goat cheeses produced on two farms during several years. The first farm used conventional farming method with about 130 dairy goats and the second one applied organic farming method with approximately 500 dairy goats. In samples of fresh goat cheese taken in four years, there were determined the following groups of microorganisms: total count of microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria, coliform bacteria, psychrotrophic microorganisms, enterococci and micromycetes. The comparison of the average numbers of individual groups of microorganisms in cheeses showed a statistically significant difference between the farms. Microbiological quality was found worse at cheeses manufactured at the farm using organic farming method, compared with cheeses from the conventional farm. Higher numbers of coliforms, psychrotrophic microorganisms, enterococci and fungi were more frequently detected in cheeses from the organic farm. Worse microbiological quality of the cheese was also reflected in sensory properties, especially the smell, colour and consistency which was evident when preparing individual samples.