Effects of season and agro-ecological zone on the microbial quality of raw milk along the various levels of the value chain in Uganda

Abstract

Dairy production in Uganda is pasture-based and traditional Ankole cattle make up 80% of the cattle herd, reared in both pastoral and agro-pastoral ecological zones. Regardless of the zone, milk quality is lowest in production basin during the dry season when ambient temperatures are highest and water is scarce. Poor hygiene and quality management contributed to the deterioration of raw milk quality during its storage and delivery to the final consumer, and concealed the seasonal effect when milk reached urban consumption areas. Poor milk quality is a challenge for the Ugandan Dairy Development Authorities who wish to make the milk value chain safe. This study provides baseline information for the implementation of an HACCP-based system to ensure the hygienic quality of milk from the farm to the market place.

Detection ofSalmonellaspp.,Candida albicans,Aspergillusspp., and Antimicrobial Residues in Raw and Processed Cow Milk from Selected Smallholder Farms of Zimbabwe

“…Salmonella spp. have been reported in milk samples in some regions in Africa [2] and also in developed countries [18]. The reasons attributed for the positive isolation of Salmonella spp.…”

“…The presence of these microorganisms usually indicates inadequate collection (milking) procedures, poor storage conditions, or unhygienic production [2, 3]. Raw and processed milk can be further rendered unsafe for human consumption by the mere presence of foodborne pathogens such as Brucella spp., Mycobacterium bovis , Listeria monocytogenes , Campylobacter jejuni , and Salmonella spp.…”

“…is mostly due to infected persons and contamination of the environment, since natural infections of the udder are rare and seldom contribute to human food poisoning. Deficient hygiene in dairies, especially those from developing countries, has often been considered as one of the major reasons for contamination of milk with both spoilage and pathogenic bacteria [2, 4]. Although poultry products are incriminated as the most common sources of nontyphoidal salmonellosis in humans [5], raw milk and milk products are increasingly becoming important sources of human infection [6, 7].…”

Coliforms Contamination and Hygienic Status of Milk Chain in Emerging Economies

“…Many economies with the low and middle income have regulatory institutions for developing and enforcing acceptable standards for foods, such as milk. As announced by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, maximum acceptable fecal coliforms count in raw milk is <100 Most Probable Number (MPN)/ml (Fuquay et al, 2011;Grimaud et al, 2009). While the South African standard for total coliform is 20 Colony Forming Unit (CFU)/ml with no E. coli detection (Lues et al, 2010).…”

Influence of farm conditions on the production of hygienic milk

“…Milk is one of the most common food sources in the human diet and is also a product that is directly available for consumption (Grimaud et al, 2009). In Bangladesh the production of milk is very low.…”