Browsing by Author "Teklehaimanot Fisseha"

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    Hygienic Practice and Microbial Quality of Raw Milk Along the Value Chain: the case of Agulae and Mekelle
    (Mekelle University, 2025-04-06) Teklehaimanot Fisseha
    Milk is one of the most nutrient-dense foods for humans; however, it also serves as a good medium for the growth of numerous microorganisms. Due to its highly perishable nature and poor handling practices across the value chain, total milk loss in Ethiopia exceeds 35%. This study aimed to assess general handling practices and the microbial quality of raw milk from smallholder producers to consumer’s spectrum. A total of 95 purposively selected respondents were interviewed to evaluate the hygienic milk-handling practices of producers. According to the data gathered, 63.2% of respondents used tap water to wash their hands before milking cows, while 31.6% used tap water with soap and the other remaining was not washed hands. Thirty milk samples collected from both study areas were subjected to microbiological analysis, including the determination of total bacterial count (TBC), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and yeast counts. Significant differences were observed in TBC, S. aureus and yeast counts between farm and retail levels (P < 0.05). The mean TBC values of raw milk at the farm, collection center and retail levels were 5.53 ± 0.66, 5.89±0.65 and 7.16 ± 0.67 log CFU/ml, respectively. The mean S. aureus counts were 3.66 ± 0.65, 4.33±0.32 and 4.39 ± 0.42 log CFU/ml, while the mean yeast counts were 3.25 ± 0.31, 4.4±0.65 and 4.43 ± 0.73 log CFU/ml, respectively. The results indicate poor microbial quality of milk in both study areas. This may be attributed to unhygienic milking conditions, unclean handling equipment, improper transportation methods, and the use of contaminated water for cleaning milk containers and utensils. Therefore, all stakeholders in the milk should be adequately informed about proper milk handling and hygienic practices to help ensure milk quality and safety.