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Characterization Of Microflora In Latin-Style Cheeses By Next-Generation Sequencing Technology, Tina S. Lusk, Andrea R. Ottesen, James R. White, Marc W. Allard, Eric W. Brown, Julie A. Kase

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

Cheese contamination can occur at numerous stages in the manufacturing process including the use of improperly pasteurized or raw milk. Of concern is the potential contamination by Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogenic bacteria that find the high moisture levels and moderate pH of popular Latin-style cheeses like queso fresco a hospitable environment. In the investigation of a foodborne outbreak, samples typically undergo enrichment in broth for 24 hours followed by selective agar plating to isolate bacterial colonies for confirmatory testing. The broth enrichment step may also enable background microflora to proliferate, which can confound subsequent analysis if not inhibited …