Microbial Contamination and Hygiene of Fresh Cow's Milk Produced by Smallholders in Western Zambia.

ABSTRACT: A field study was performed to assess safety of smallholder fresh cow's milk around Mongu, Western Province, Zambia. This involved observation and sampling of milk along the value chain from milking to point-of-sale and storage. Samples were collected from 86 cows, from 9 farmers, selling through two dairy cooperatives, with additional samples from informal markets. Production was very low; around one litre/day/cow and 10 L/day/herd. The milk was typically transported by bicycle in high ambient temperatures without refrigeration until reaching the point-of-sale (journey times of 30-120 min), where it was sold without pasteurisation despite milk-borne zoonoses being endemic (bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and Brucellosis). Although microbiological contamination was initially low, with geometric

SUBMITTER: Knight-Jones TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4962278 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature