Twenty five samples of market Ras cheese were randomly collected and examined for chemical composition and microbiological quality. The average percentages of acidity, moisture, fat/DM and salt/DM were 2.22, 23. 16, 49.01 and 5.84, respectively. The averages of total - colony, coliforms, Staphylococci, aerobic spore-forming and anaerobic spore-forming counts per gram were 1.7x10°, 1.2x10', 2. 4x10*, 2x10* and 0.98 in order. Coliforms were detected in 60% of the examined samples and were identified as Escherichia coli (32%), Enterobacter aerogenes (12%), Enterobacter cloaca (8%), Citrobacter freundii (4%) and Hafnia alvei (4%). Staphylococci were detected in all of the examined samples and 20% of them were identified as Staphylococcus aureus. Aerobic spore forming and anaerobic spore-forming were detected in 100% and 60% of the examined samples respectively. Ras cheese samples were highly contaminated with total yeast and moulds with and average of 9. 8x10°/g.