Bacteriological Quality of Raw Ovine Milk from Different Sheep Farms

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacteriological quality of sheep milk produced by four farms in Eastern Hungary. In addition to individual raw milk and bulk tank milk samples, the udder surface of ewes was also tested for bacterial counts. A total of 164 samples were collected during regular milking sessions. The results showed that bulk tank milk samples contained up to 10,000 times as many bacteria as did their individual raw milk counterparts. The mean concentrations of bacteria in bulk tank milk on two farms exceeded regulatory limits. Additional research needs to be done to clarify this. ABSTRACT: The primary purpose of this research was to examine the bacteriological properties of raw ovine milk produced by Merino, Tsigai, Dorper, Lacaune, and British Milk Sheep flocks on four sheep farms located in the eastern part of Hungary. In addition to individual raw milk (IRM) and bulk tank milk (BTM) samples, the udder surface (US) of ewes was also tested for bacteriological quality. A total of 77 US, 77 IRM, and 10 BTM samples were collected in the early morning during regular milking sessions. The samples, kept cooled at temperatures below 4 °C, were delivered to the microbiological laboratory and were examined immediately. The relatively low numbers of bacteria in both US and IRM samples reflected good housing conditions of ewes kept on the four farms studied. However, BTM samples had up to 3.5–4.0 log(10) CFU/mL higher mean bacterial counts than their IRM counterparts, and the mean levels of bacteria in BTM on two farms even exceeded the regulatory limit of 6.18 log(10) CFU/mL. Further studies need to be performed to clarify this issue.