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Staphylococcus aureus reservoirs during traditional Austrian raw milk cheese production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2014

Georg Walcher ,
Monika Gonano ,
Judith Kümmel ,
Gary C. Barker ,
Karin Lebl ,
Othmar Bereuter ,
Monika Ehling-Schulz ,
Martin Wagner  and
Beatrix Stessl
Georg Walcher
Affiliation:
Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Milk Hygiene, Milk Technology and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Monika Gonano
Affiliation:
Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Milk Hygiene, Milk Technology and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Institute for Veterinary Investigations Mödling, Robert Koch Gasse 17, 2340 Mödling, Austria
Judith Kümmel
Affiliation:
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Bacteriology, Mycology and Hygiene, Functional Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria Clinic for Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Gary C. Barker
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Karin Lebl
Affiliation:
Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
Othmar Bereuter
Affiliation:
Department of Dairy, Chamber of Agriculture Vorarlberg, Montfortstraße 9-11, 6900 Bregenz, Austria
Monika Ehling-Schulz
Affiliation:
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Bacteriology, Mycology and Hygiene, Functional Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Martin Wagner
Affiliation:
Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Milk Hygiene, Milk Technology and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Beatrix Stessl*
Affiliation:
Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Milk Hygiene, Milk Technology and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: Beatrix.Stessl@vetmeduni.ac.at
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Abstract

Sampling approaches following the dairy chain, including microbiological hygiene status of critical processing steps and physicochemical parameters, contribute to our understanding of how Staphylococcus aureus contamination risks can be minimised. Such a sampling approach was adopted in this study, together with rapid culture-independent quantification of Staph. aureus to supplement standard microbiological methods. A regional cheese production chain, involving 18 farms, was sampled on two separate occasions. Overall, 51·4% of bulk milk samples were found to be Staph. aureus positive, most of them (34·3%) at the limit of culture-based detection. Staph. aureus positive samples >100 cfu/ml were recorded in 17·1% of bulk milk samples collected mainly during the sampling in November. A higher number of Staph. aureus positive bulk milk samples (94·3%) were detected after applying the culture-independent approach. A concentration effect of Staph. aureus was observed during curd processing. Staph. aureus were not consistently detectable with cultural methods during the late ripening phase, but >100 Staph. aureus cell equivalents (CE)/ml or g were quantifiable by the culture-independent approach until the end of ripening. Enterotoxin gene PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing provided evidence that livestock adapted strains of Staph. aureus mostly dominate the post processing level and substantiates the belief that animal hygiene plays a pivotal role in minimising the risk of Staph. aureus associated contamination in cheese making. Therefore, the actual data strongly support the need for additional sampling activities and recording of physicochemical parameters during semi-hard cheese-making and cheese ripening, to estimate the risk of Staph. aureus contamination before consumption.

Keywords

Staphylococcus aureussemi-hard cheesematrix lysisenterotoxin genespulsed-field gel electrophoresis
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 81 , Issue 4 , November 2014 , pp. 462 - 470
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2014 

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