Presence of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in halloumi sold in Northern Cyprus

Abstract

Halloumi is an important part of the Cyprus dairy sector and consumed by a large volume of public. The microbiologic safety of the cheese is important in terms of public health. In this study, the presence of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus on 1072 samples that collected for two years, their distribution according to the seasons and the effect of the seasons on the microbial load were investigated. As the result of the study, Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes could not be detected in any of the halloumi samples, while S. aureus was detected. It was determined that 39 (3.64%) of the halloumi samples contained S. aureus above 1x103 cfu/g, 43 of them between 1x101 and 1x103 cfu/g, and 990 of them below 1x101 cfu/g. It has been observed that the most intense contamination above 1x103 cfu/g is formed in the spring season. In order to eliminate the food safety problem caused by S. aureus, first of all, the development of good manufacturing practices in farms, making the cold milk application cover all farms should be provided. On the other hand, within the framework of food safety from farm to fork, the end-product should be delivered to the consumer without breaking the cold chain.

Keywords

• Halloumi
• L. monocytogenes
• public health
• S.aureus
• Salmonella spp.

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