A survey on occurrence of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Acari: Acaridae) in Surk, a traditional Turkish dairy product

Four hundred-fifty samples of mouldy Surk, a Turkish traditional skim milk cheese, were collected at retail markets, small dairy plants and houses in Hatay province of Turkey, and were examined for the presence of storage mites. Only one species of storage mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) was found in 38 of 450 samples (8.44%). The moisture and salt contents and pH value of the mouldy Surk cheese samples studied were determined as 44.59%, 5.88% and 5.31, respectively. In conclusion, in order to avoid storage mites, the production and storage stages of Surk cheese should be carried out under hygienic and right environmental conditions and it should be consumed freshly.