Cheese | Public Health Aspects

In this article, cheese as a vehicle of food poisoning is discussed, particularly the organisms involved, their sources, their infective doses, their growth during cheese ripening, and their control. It is concluded that ripened cheese is a safe product when it is properly made. However, soft cheeses have been responsible for food poisoning outbreaks worldwide. In cases where cheese has been incriminated in food poisoning, confounding factors including improper storage of the milk (no refrigeration for several days prior to manufacture), poor starter activity due to inhibition of acid production by phage and/or antibiotic residues in the milk, poor plant hygiene, gross environmental contamination, faulty pasteurization, shedding of the causative organisms by plant personnel, or different combinations of these factors are also often present. Biogenic amines are also discussed.