The yeasts present in Gouda cheese during processing were monitored in a single cheese factory during a 32 day ripening period. Despite the predominance of lactic acid bacteria during Gouda making, yeasts played a significant role in the ripening process in reaching counts as high as 10(5) cfu g(-1) at the later stages of ripening. The increase in the number of yeasts corresponded with the depletion in lactose content and the simultaneous stabilization of lactic acid bacteria numbers. The sources of yeast contamination which may lead to contamination of the curd were also determined. The brine and equipment surfaces were responsible for the highest yield of contaminating yeasts. A diverse variety of 23 yeast species representing 13 genera were present in the factory environment, during processing and ripening. Samples were taken at critical control points in the manufacturing process and analysed after incubation at 25 degrees C for 96 h. Although a broad spectrum of yeasts were found in Gouda cheese, Debaryomyces hansenii was the most abundant yeast isolated. Other species encountered were Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Rhodotorula glutinis, Cryptococcus albidus and Candida catenulata.