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An Evaluation of the Visual Mold Test for Cream^*

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station

ABSTRACT

A total of 1380 samples of cream were collected from two Kansas cream stations and examined for visual mold score, titratable acidity and organoleptic grade. Mold and yeast plate counts were determined on the majority of the samples. The results of the visual mold test were compared with results of other criteria of cream quality.

A fairly close relationship existed between visual mold score and mold plate count, indicating that the visual mold test usually is a good index of the mold content of a cream sample. Visual mold score and organoleptic grade were related to some degree, but numerous exceptions to the general relationship were encountered. A tendency for low mold content to be accompanied by low yeast count was observed, but for many of the samples no close relationship between mold content and yeast count could be discerned. This would indicate that the development of one type of microorganism is not necessarily accompanied by a parallel development of other types. Visual mold score and titratable acidity were related in that low acidities, frequently were accompanied by low mold scores and high acidities by high mold scores; but the majority of the samples were in the 0.50 to 0.69 per cent titratable acidity range in which acidity and mold score showed no apparent relationship. Some relationship between visual mold score and age of the cream was apparent.

The field of applicability of the visual mold test seems to be that of an additional criterion of cream quality, a test which can be made easily at the cream station or at the creamery receiving dock and which has value under some circumstances in showing the producer in terms he can understand that his cream is unsatisfactory. As a definite criterion of microbial deterioration in Kansas cream the test leaves much to be desired.

^* Contribution No. 215, Dept. of Bacteriology and Contribution No. 147, Dept. of Dairy Husbandry