<p>Milk and dairy products are the most common and widely consumed foods. At the same time, milk is often contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms by endo- and exogenous ways, which can cause various defects in raw materials and finished products. Recently, new techniques have been developed for monitoring microbiological indicators of milk, which are characterized by simplicity, ease of use and high reliability. In addition, the analysis time using the new techniques is significantly reduced compared to traditional ones. The review considers the microflora of milk and ways of its contamination with pathogenic microorganisms, as well as new methods for monitoring microbiological indicators that will be useful for specialists in the dairy industry.</p>