Evaluation of Hygienic Characteristics of Italian “Fossa” Cheese.

Italy has a prestigious tradition in cheese making, characterised by the production of several kinds of cheeses linked to the areas of origin. Among these, “Fossa” cheese of Talamello (Italy) is a typical product of a small geographical area in central Italy. This cheese, made with sheep milk or a mixture of sheep and cow milk, is placed in pits for fina ageing after about 50 days of ripening in cheese factories. In August, the cheese wrapped in cotton cloths is placed in hermetically closed pits. The cheese ages for about three months and, according to tradition, the pits are opened in November. Microbiological and chemical analyses of raw and pasteurized milk, curds, cheeses at different stages of ageing were performed in order to evaluate the hygienic characteristics and the composition of this traditional product. The environment of the pit seems to play an important role in giving the appreciated characteristics to the cheese, that showed a good standard of hygiene and safety.