EVALUATION OF PRODUCTION PRACTICES, QUALITY AND SAFETY OF RAW COW MILK ALONG THE MILK MARKET CHAIN IN GIRAR JARSO DISTRICT OF OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study was aimed to assess dairy production practice, milk handling and marketing practices and to evaluate the quality and safety of raw milk produced and marketing in in urban and peri urban areas of Girar Jarso district. A total of 150 sample respondents (120 from dairy producers and 30 from milk collectors) were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire. The survey work includes: dairy cattle management, milk production performance, house type and cleaning practices, hygienic conditions of the milkers ,cows during milking, source of water used for cleaning purpose (udder, milker and milk utensils), type of milking container, fluid milk quality test methods and constraints of milk production, handling and marketing. From previously surveyed respondents, 60 milk samples (40 from milk producers and 20 from milk collectors) were collected for, physicochemical and microbial quality analysis. The overall mean temperature, titratable acidity, pH, specific gravity, fat, total solid, contents of milk collected from producers were 29.75±0.52, 0.16±0.03, 6.69±0.02, 1.026±0.002, 4.02±0.10, 12.62±0.28, respectively whereas for milk from collection center were 22.35±0.52, 0.175±0.0.03, 6.69±0.23, 1.023±0.002, 3.75±0.14, 11.60±0.39 were significantly different (P<0.05). The overall mean of protein and ash were 3.47 and 0.66 for sample from producer and 3.26 and 0.69 respectively from milk collector. The mean total aerobic bacterial count, coliform count and spore forming bacterial count for milk collected from producers at farm gates were 6.42±0.07, 4.49±0.09 and 2.59±0.05 log10 cfu/ml, respectively. However, significantly higher (P<0.05) bacterial counts of milk samples were observed from milk collectors. Out of a total milk samples collected from producers, 57, 7.5 and 15% were positive for Staphylococcus aureus Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes respectively. Though the proportion of positive milk samples obtained from collectors were increased to Staphylococcus aureus (65%) Salmonella spp. (35%), and Listeria monocytogenes (45%). The quality of milk found to be poor, and this could cause public health risks through the consumption of raw milk produced and sold under the present production and handling conditions in the study area. Thus, this calls for strict hygienic measures in order to improve the quality and safety of raw cow milk produced and marketed in the study area.