High Brucella contamination rates have been found in ricotta, cheese, and raw milk samples in Tunisia, posing a serious risk to consumers.

A study investigated the occurrence of Brucella in 200 raw milk, ricotta, and artisan fresh cheese samples, collected from four districts in Tunisia. Results are based on Brucella DNA detection and don′t differentiate between live or dead bacteria.

Brucellosis is a significant public health threat for urban and rural populations of endemic countries, particularly the Middle East and North Africa region as the trade of unpasteurized milk and raw dairy products is widespread, according to the study published in the journal Foods.

Samples were purchased from 75 retail marketing points for dairy products from March to November 2019. Forty samples of cow’s raw milk, 102 of artisanal fresh cheese, and 58 of ricotta were collected. The fresh cheese and ricotta samples were made from unpasteurized cow′s milk. All products were not packaged and had no indication they had been inspected by any Tunisian organization involved in food safety.