- I have been wondering if it is possible to set up a home lab to check for pathogenic bacteria. What would be needed and is it doable, if buying the needed materials/equipment is not an issue?
Yes, please see my post about this here
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,2664.0.html3M film is a reliable method for small labs, requires much less experience and skill than plates
- Is the 60-day rule for ripening (Gouda type cheese from raw cow's milk) totally reliable to ensure that these bacteria are no longer present?
No, listeria and coliforms can both survive 60 days if initially present in high enough concentration. However, this is highly unlikely if you practice proper sanitation.
- If a Gouda cheese, made from raw milk, looks fine and smells great when cut after more than 60 days ripening, does that indicate that the cheese is safe for consumption or could pathogenic bacteria still be present?
They can still be present. But they will likely not be present in a concentration big enough to cause harm. It's almost impossible for a good cheese to still contaminate. One possibility is if you brine wash and the brine wash has listeria.
- What would be the possible symptoms if one eats cheese with pathogenic bacteria still active?
Digestive upsets. They release toxins. Your big ones are coliform, campylobacter, listeria. Look them up for exact symptoms.
I make cheese purely as a hobby. Mostly retired people living here in Thailand are the main beneficiaries of my hobby. Food poisoning is not uncommon here, so if someone would eat the cheese, but get food poisoning from another meal that day, the cheese could be blamed for it, hence my questions.
You would need to set up a HACCP plan and do testing to ensure your batches are free from contamination if you really want something to combat the last point. Even then, public opinion is tough to sway.
