EVALUATION OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN RAW BUFFALO MILK DURING PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Regulation EC 852/2004 lays down rules concerning hygiene requirements and the adoption of adequate measures for identification, prevention and control of contamination risks during milking in primary production. Aim of this research was to detect Listeria monocytogenes and to check the total viable count (TVC) at 30° in raw buffalo milk coming from ten dairy farms. On the whole 207 samples of raw buffalo milk were collected and analysed during one year, 189 samples were collected from single animals and 18 samples from tank-bulk milk. In raw bulk-tank milk Listeria monocytogenes was never detected. In two out five positive samples from single animals Listeria monocytogenes was detected by means of quantitative method at levels ≤1 cfu/ml