ASSESSMENT OF HANDLING PRACTICES, PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND MICROBIAL QUALITY OF RAW COW’S MILK IN DALE AND LOKA ABAYA DISTRICTS, SIDAMA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study was conducted in Dale and Loka Abaya districts to assess handling practices, physicochemical properties and microbial quality of raw cow’s milk in supply chains of two Agro-ecologies. A total of 120 respondents were randomly selected and interviewed on milk handling practices. For quality parameters analysis, forty five raw milk samples were taken from producers in two agro ecologies using random sampling method. The result indicated that, majority of respondents use clay pot (71.6 %) for milking and 67.5% of them use plastic equipment for transporting their milk to the market. Majority of respondents (83.34%) were not washing udder before milking and only 21.67% of the milkers washed their hands before milking. Cleaning and smoking of milking vessels were common in the study area. Pond was the main water sources used for cleaning purpose whereas Olea africana, Terminalla brownii, and Juniperous procera are the most frequently used plant species for smoking milk vessels. The overall mean for ph , specific gravity, titratable acidity, total solids, fat, solids-not-fat, protein and lactose contents of milk samples were 6.42 ± 0.26, 1.03 ± 0.002, 0.19 ± 0.05, 13.49 ± 0.41, 4.9 ± 0.39, 8.31 ± 0.13, 3.13 ± 0.21 and 4.67 ± 0.44, respectively. The overall mean for Ph, titratable acidity and solid not fat had significant differences between midland and lowland milk samples. The overall mean total bacterial count, coliform count and yeast and mould count of raw milk samples obtained in the study area were 7.64±0.78, 5.89±0.87, and 3.97±0.30 log10 cfu/ml respectively. The microbial quality of milk samples obtained from midland producers were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those obtained from lowland producers. In general, physicochemical property of milk samples obtained from producers were within the acceptable standard levels, except ph, Specific gravity and Titratable Acidity of marketed milk. Whereas the microbial quality of raw cow milk produced by two agro climatic areas do not meet the national and international standards set by regulatory agencies and thus could pose health hazards to the consumers Therefore, concerned bodies should intervene and support producers in the study area to improve hygienic practices and handling of milk.