Microbiological Safety of Cheese Made from Heat-Treated Milk, Part I
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441 Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 53, No. 5, Pages 441-452 (May 1990) Copyright© International Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians Microbiological Safety of Cheese Made from Heat-Treated Milk, Part I. Executive Summary, Introduction and History ERIC A. JOHNSON1, JOHN H. NELSON1*, and MARK JOHNSON2 Food Research Institute and the Walter V. Price Cheese Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/53/5/441/1660707/0362-028x-53_5_441.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 (Received for publication August 2, 1989) ABSTRACT four decades, the United States cheese industry produced over 100 billion pounds of natural cheese (not including Research on pasteurization of milk for cheesemaking was cottage and related varieties). The most frequent causative begun in the late 1800's. Early equipment was crude and control factor in U.S. and Canadian cheese-related outbreaks was devices non-existent. Consequently, early pasteurization proc post-pasteurization contamination. Faulty pasteurization esses were not well verified. Commercial application was slow, equipment or procedures were implicated in one outbreak except in New Zealand, where almost the entire cheese industry converted to pasteurization in the 1920's. In the United States, each in the U.S. and Canada. Use of raw milk was a factor debate on the merits of pasteurization continued for years. Demand in one outbreak in each country. Inadequate time-tempera for cheese during World War II and foodborne disease outbreaks ture combinations used for milk heat treatment were not caused by cheese stimulated promulgation of government stan implicated. dards which included the options of milk pasteurization or 60 d The epidemiology of cheese-related outbreaks in the holding at a minimum temperature of 2°C (35°F). The cheese U.S., Canada, and Europe demonstrated that soft surface- industry has continued to improve technology, including that ripened cheeses, e.g. Camembert and Brie, are at signifi which is safety related. United States production of cheese has cantly greater risk to transmit pathogens than other cheeses. continued to expand, from just over 1 billion pounds in 1948 to No outbreaks were linked to hard Italian varieties, e.g. 5.4 billion pounds in 1987. Thirty-eight percent of the 1987 total Parmesan, Romano, and Provolone. Varieties such as comprised varieties wherein heat-treated milk is frequently util Cheddar and Swiss were infrequently involved. ized. Pathogens were prioritized as high, medium, or low risk in cheese. Three organisms, Salmonella, Listeria mon EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ocytogenes, and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, were judged to be high risk threats to the cheese industry. The heat-treatment of raw milk can exert a significant Staphylococcus aureus was listed as low risk because growth role in producing microbiologically safe cheese. Recent, and toxin production is readily suppressed by modern lactic thorough research has affirmed that milk heat-treatment at culture technology and acidity (pH) control in cheese. 65.0-65.6°C (149-150°F) for 16-18 s will destroy virtually Recently published research (98,99,126) comprehen all pathogenic microorganisms which are major threats to sively defined the effect of raw milk heat-treatment on the safety of cheese. pathogen survival. Multi-strain or species mixtures of An extensive review of epidemiological literature pathogens were inoculated into raw milk at levels of 105/ identified only six illness outbreaks transmitted via U.S. ml. Inoculated milk was heat-treated in a commercial HTST produced cheese during 40 years, 1948-1988. During these pasteurizer — mean holding time 17.6 s, minimum 16.2 s. All strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter sp., 'Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 2 E. coli 0157:H7, and all but one Salmonella species were Walter V. Price Cheese Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, destroyed at 65°C (149°F). Salmonella senftenberg was Madison. inactivated at 69°C (156.2°F). S. senftenberg is rarely isolated Note: This is Part I of a three-part manuscript in which the safety of cheese from cheese. L. monocytogenes in naturally contaminated made from heat-treated milk is examined. Part I includes the executive milk at levels of 104 organisms per ml was inactivated at summary, the introduction, and the history of the technology including statistics on pasteurization and heat treatment utilization. Part II addresses 66°C (150.8°F); laboratory-cultured inoculum at levels of 5 microbiology aspects, including epidemiology, the occurrence of foo 10 organisms per ml required 69.0°C (156.2°F). dborne pathogens in milk and cheese, survival and behavior of pathogens A large cheese factory which heat-treats milk for during milk heat treatment and cheese manufacture and technologies cheesemaking at 64.4°C (148-149°F) for 16 s with concur which may aid pathogen control in cheese. Part III includes process and product technology, the discussion, recommendations and the bibliogra rent concentration to 16-17% total solids provided data on phy. aerobic plate count (APC) and coliform count for several JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION, VOL. 53, MAY 1990 442 JOHNSON. NELSON, AND JOHNSON hundred production days. The average APC of 1.4 million/ for a minimum of 60 d, or cheeses for further manufactur ml in raw milk was reduced 1.71 logs to an average of ing which require neither milk pasteurization nor a 60 d 28,000/ml in milk entering the vat. Coliform counts, which hold. The holding option is required when cheese is made averaged 121,000/ml in raw milk, were almost all <10/ml from raw or milk heat-treated at time-temperature combi in heat treated milk, with a maximum of 50/ml. All tem nations less than pasteurization. peratures studied were above 60°C (140°F), the minimum As the list of food pathogens has lengthened and hot food holding temperature specified in FDA's good detection methods for them have improved, there have manufacturing practice regulations. been instances when pathogens have survived for more A multiplicity of practices other than pasteurization or than 60 d in cheese made from raw milk or milk heat- heat-treatment contribute significantly to the microbiologi treated at less than pasteurization. Thus, the effectiveness cal safety of cheese. Some, such as milk quality manage of the 60 d holding period for assuring safety is in doubt. ment, lactic culture management, pH control, salt addi Milk heat-treatment has a long history of use. It provides tion, and controlled curing conditions are established two of the advantages of pasteurization, more consistent technologies. Others represent potential opportunities, such control of the cheesemaking process, and more uniform Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/53/5/441/1660707/0362-028x-53_5_441.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 as natural inhibitory substances in milk, and antibacterial cheese quality. Because heat-treatment only partially inac substances, e.g. nisin and lysozyme. It is imperative that tivates enzymes, microorganisms, and other biologically the relationships of established and potential safety tech active constituents of raw milk, cheese flavor develop nologies be better defined to enable the articulation of ment during curing is more rapid than in cheese made proven safety systems geared to the characteristics and from pasteurized milk. Moreover, the flavor quality of safety risks of various cheese varieties. Neither pasteuri some varieties of cheese made from heat-treated milk is zation nor any other single technology can assure safe considered by experienced judges to be superior to pas cheese. teurized milk counterparts. Such varieties include Ched The National Cheese Institute should encourage and dar, Swiss, and hard Italian-type varieties. support research on cheese safety. Three NCI actions are Depending on the numbers and types of pathogens recommended: present and the lethality of the heat-treatment used, all (1) Establish a guideline that the minimum heat-treat pathogens may not be killed, particularly if numbers are ment of milk for cheesemaking be 64.4°C (148°F) high or heat-resistant species are present. However, it is for 16 s or equivalent with adequate process con conceivable that in the manufacture of some cheese varie trol. ties, e.g. Swiss and Parmesan, the cumulative effect of (2) Evaluate current safety technology and practice for milk heat-treatment, curd cooking temperature, and curing cheese manufacture. Define, prioritize, and sup time-temperature is sufficient to assure safety. port research with primary emphasis on the com The National Cheese Institute, concerned about the bined effect of heat-treatment and other current safety risks posed by the ill-defined effectiveness of heat- cheese technologies. treatment and the 60 d hold, and concerned also about the (3) Evaluate technologies not currently utilized in cheese possible demise of widely-used heat-treatment options if manufacture for safety potential. the 60 d hold provision were repealed, has commissioned this paper. I. Introduction The objectives of the assessment were to: During recent decades, the United States cheese in A. Review critically and comprehensively infor dustry has maintained a good, though not perfect record of mation on milk heat-treatment for cheesemak producing a wide variety of safe products. Billions of ing with major emphasis on product safety.