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Slime Formation on Cottage Cheese¹

Dairy Department, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana

ABSTRACT

The formation of slime on cottage cheese held at relatively low temperatures is one of the important bacteriological defects of this product. The rate of formation, color, and general appearance of the slime suggest that the defect may be produced by a variety of microorganisms. Also, descriptions of the slime defect by various manufacturers indicate that the character of the slime, as well as the odor of the product, is variable.

Elliker (2) attributed the slimy-curd defect to contamination of milk from poorly cleaned equipment subsequent to pasteurization. The ropy-milk bacteria, Alcaligenes viscosus and Aerobacter aerogenes, were suggested as causative organisms. Parker et al. (3) demonstrated that three species of bacteria, Alcaligenes metalcaligenes, Pseudomonas viscosa, and Pseudomonas fragi, were responsible for the gelatinous or slimy curd defect of cottage cheese. Contaminated equipment and water used to wash the curd were believed to be the important sources of the organisms. Limited control of the defect was attained by regulating the pH of the final product.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Series paper No. 736.

² Present address: Pet Milk Co., Greenville, Illinois.