L. monocytogenes grew in cottage cheese with fresh cream dressing
when stored at 5 °C, 10 °C and 15 °C whereas LAB exclusively grew at
10 °C and 15 °C (Fig. 1). At 5 °C L. monocytogenes grew from 3.7 ±
0.03 log CFU/g to 6.6±0.11 log CFU/g during 470 h of storage whereas
itsmaximumpopulation densities (Nmax) at 10 °C and 15 °Cwere 6.1±
0.24 log CFU/g and 5.5 ± 0.16 log CFU/g, respectively. In both cases,
concentrations of L. monocytogenes reached a plateau when LAB
approached their Nmax of 8.6 ± 0.16 log CFU/g at 10 °C and 9.0 ±
0.03 log CFU/g at 15 °C. A similar growth pattern of L. monocytogenes
and LAB was observed in cottage cheese with cultured cream dressing
(Results not shown). For cottage cheese with cultured cream dressing
and stored at 5, 10 or 15 °C, the concentrations of citrate fermenting
LAB, as determined using KMK agar, were similar to LAB concentrations
determined by NAP agar. The maximum difference was 0.3 log CFU/g.