Enterococcus faeciumWHE 81, a multi-bacteriocin producer, was tested for its antimicrobial activity onListeria monocytogenesin Munster cheese, a red smear soft cheese. The naturally delayed and superficialcontamination of this type of cheese allowed the use ofE. faeciumWHE 81 at the beginning of theripening as a surface culture. A brine solution inoculated at 105CFU ofE. faeciumWHE 81 per mL wassprayed on the cheese surface during the first smearing operation. On day 7, smearing of cheese sampleswith a brine solution at 102CFU ofL. monocytogenesper mL yielded initial cell counts of approximately50 CFU g1of the pathogen on the cheese surface. Although, in some instances,L. monocytogenescouldsurvive (<50 CFU g1) in the presence ofE. faeciumWHE 81, it was unable to initiate growth. In controlsamples however,L. monocytogenescounts often exceeded 104CFU g1. In other respects,E. faeciumWHE81, which naturally existed in Munster cheese, did not adversely impact on the ripening process