Hazards and critical control points of milk produced in a research institute farm in Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

Hazard analyses of the milk production line and the milk produced in a Research Institute farm in Zaria were conducted to determine hazards associated with the production line and the raw milk produced, and also the critical control points. These analyses consisted of watching all the steps involved in the milking of the six cows selected by simple random sampling, recording temperature of the milk at the end of the milking process, collecting swab and milk samples and testing them microbiologically to determine level of bacterial contamination and also for the isolation of common food borne pathogens and indicator organisms. The temperature recorded for bulk milk at the end of the milking process was about 32ºC. The total aerobic plate count obtained for both the milk and the swab samples ranged from 8.0 Log₁₀ to 11.4 Log₁₀ cfu/ml or cm² as the case may be. Of the samples examined, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 57% and 48% respectively. Education of the producers on the hazards and the critical control points, and the importance of hygienic environment are stressed. Some control measures are suggested.

Keywords: Hazards, critical control points, milk

Tropical Veterinarian Vol. 23(1) 2005: 5-13