Isolation of Arcobacter butzleri in environmental and food samples in an industrial and an artisanal dairy plants

This study investigated the presence of Arcobacter species in two cheese factories; a total of twentytwo environmental samples and ten food samples were collected from an artisanal and an industrial cheese factory; Arcobacter species were isolated after enrichment, and isolates were identified at species level by multiplex-polymerase chain reaction assay. In the artisanal cheese factory Arcobacter spp. were isolated from several environmental samples, cow and water buffalo raw milk and ricotta cheese. In the industrial plant Arcobacter spp. were isolated from surfaces not in contact with food and from a cleaned surface in contact with food; no Arcobacter spp. was isolated from food. All isolates were identified as A. butzleri. To our knowledge this is a first report of the presence of A. butzleri in a ready to eat cheese produced for retail and, in addition, the isolation of A. butzleri in food processing surfaces in the two cheese factories could be assessed as a source of potential contamination for cheeses.