In this study, microbiological and chemical qualities and number and species of lactic acid bacteria in market tulum cheese were determined. For this purpose, 45 tulum cheese samples were collected.

In the samples, colony counts of general microorganisms were 7.1 x 10⁷/g, coliform 9.8 x 10⁶/g, staphylococcus 4.4 x 10⁵/g, faecal streptococcus 7.9 x 10⁶/g, yeast and mould 2.9 x 10⁵/g.

Lactic streptococci counts of lactic acid bacteria were determined as 3.2x 10⁷/g and lactobacillus-leuconostoc-pediococcus as 5.6x 10⁷/g.

Of the 587 strains isolated from samples were as follows; 177 Streptococcus cremoris (30.2 %), 127 Lactobacillus casei and subspecies (21.6 %), 58 Lactobacillus plantarum (9.9 %), 56 Streptococcus lactis (9.5 %), 27 Lactobacillus curvatus (4.6 %), 29 leuconostoc species (4.9 %) and a total of 30 (5.1 %) streptococci of enterococci group.

The pH value of cheese samples was 4.92 and acidity 1.09 % (as lactic acid ). The values for moisture, dry matter, salt, salt content in dry matter of the samples were 42.51 %, 57.49 %, 4.59 % and 8.02 %, respectively.

It was concluded that, 80 % of the cheeses were under the standard requirements in respect to their chemical quality and 100 % of them in respect to their microbiological quality, suggesting that they possess potential risk for public health. In addition, Streptococcus cremoris, Streptococcus lactis, Lactobacillus casei and subspecies, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus curvatus, Leuconostoc cremoris, Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus faecalis and subspecies were supposed to play important role in the ripening of cheese.