College of Veterinary Sciences
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Item ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIAL QUALITY, AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF RAW COW MILK ACROSS DAIRY SUPPLY CHAINS OF AGULAE TOWN, TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA(Mekelle University, 2025-06-18) Hailay Gebretnsae BerhaneRaw cow milk is a key food source in Ethiopia, but it poses significant health risks due to microbial contamination and poor handling practices. The aim of this study was to assess the microbial and physicochemical quality of raw cow milk across milk supply chains (farms, vendors, and cafeterias) in Agulae town, Tigray. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2024 to April 2025; involving 83 raw milk samples collected using a proportional cluster sampling technique. Microbial loads (total bacterial count, total coliform count, and total yeast and mold count and physicochemical properties were analyzed using standard laboratory techniques. The results revealed a concerning escalation of bacterial contamination as milk moved through the supply chain. Total Bacterial Count increased significantly (p<0.001) from farms (6.67 log10 CFU/mL) to vendors (7.07 log10 CFU/mL) and cafeterias (7.37 log10 CFU/mL). Similarly, Total Coliform Count was significantly (p<0.001) higher in cafeterias (6.33 ± 0.31 log₁₀ CFU/mL) and vendors (6.09 ± 0.70 log₁₀ CFU/mL) than in farms (5.04 ± 0.85 log₁₀ CFU/mL). Additionally, total yeast and mold counts were also high (overall mean = 4.05±0.41 log₁₀ CFU/mL) but did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) across the milk supply chain. The overall mean (mean ± SD%) of raw cow milk physicochemical parameters, including added water content (0.19 ± 0.84%), temperature of milk (18.49 ± 3.30°C), freezing point (-0.55 ± 0.02°C), pH (7.04 ± 0.19), fat (4.17 ± 1.36%), lactose (4.70 ± 0.23%), solids-not-fat (SNF) (8.57 ± 0.41%), protein (3.15 ± 0.18%), total solids (12.75 ± 0.96%), and ash content (0.70 ± 0.03%), have no significant (p > 0.05) variations across the chains. Several risk factors linked to higher bacterial counts, including sex, educational status, marital status, types of milk supply chains, hand washing before milking, and time of milk, were identified. These findings expose critical hygiene and handling gaps, particularly at the vendor and cafeteria levels, driving substantial microbial contamination. Targeted interventions, such as hygiene milk handling training and infrastructure improvements, are strongly recommended to bolster the safety of the dairy farms and protect consumers.