Dairy production in Uganda is pasture-based and traditional Ankole cattle make up 80% of the cattle herd, reared in both pastoral and agro-pastoral ecological zones. Regardless of the zone, milk quality is lowest in production basin during the dry season when ambient temperatures are highest and water is scarce. Poor hygiene and quality management contributed to the deterioration of raw milk quality during its storage and delivery to the final consumer, and concealed the seasonal effect when milk reached urban consumption areas. Poor milk quality is a challenge for the Ugandan Dairy Development Authorities who wish to make the milk value chain safe. This study provides baseline information for the implementation of an HACCP-based system to ensure the hygienic quality of milk from the farm to the market place.

La qualité sanitaire du lait cru est une problématique importante en Ouganda, tant pour des raisons socio-économiques que sanitaires. L’étude conduite sur la filière informelle du lait cru en Ouganda a mis en évidence deux principaux points critiques pour la qualité du lait : le manque d’hygiène du lieu de production au lieu de consommation, et l’absence de système efficace de conservation limitant le développement des bactéries pendant le transport vers Kampala. La charge microbienne a atteint en effet des niveaux très élevés, proche de 2 x 106 unités formant colonie par millilitre sur le lait de ferme dans le bassin laitier de Mbarara au sud-ouest du pays, que le transport vers la capitale Kampala a multiplié par un facteur d’environ 150. Il existe, au sein de cette filière informelle, des unités artisanales dites de pasteurisation. Le lait qu’elles produisent est certes exempt de bactéries à sa sortie mais la conservation sur plusieurs jours de ce produit surchauffé pourrait rendre ce procédé plus dangereux que bénéfique. Ces constats doivent alerter tous les acteurs de la filière informelle sur la nécessité de mettre en oeuvre une stratégie d’amélioration de la qualité du lait, à la fois par une modification des pratiques courantes pour qu’elles deviennent plus respectueuses de l’hygiène, et par une amélioration de la conservation du lait au moyen de technologies telles que la réfrigération, la pasteurisation à petite échelle ou encore l’utilisation du système lactoperoxydase. Cette étude a permis d’acquérir des bases techniques et scientifiques pour appuyer les actions visant à améliorer la qualité du lait cru en Ouganda. Quelle que soit la stratégie qui sera adoptée par les autorités, elle ne pourra être mise en oeuvre que si elle implique l’ensemble des acteurs de la filière.

The sanitary quality of raw milk is an important issue in Uganda for social, economical and healthy reasons. A survey on milk quality was carried out in Mbarara major milk producing region in Uganda, between June and August 2004. The milk production system described in this paper has largely remained unchanged up to now. Milk quality was analysed at six stages of the commodity chain: farm, bicycle collector at the farm level, pick-up collecting centre, milk collecting centre, urban cooler, and vendor in Kampala city at th e urban cooler level. Milk quality was evaluated using platform tests (Clot on boiling (COB), Alcohol test, milk temperature and density) and microbiological tests (total plate count, total and faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli count). Approximately half of the total coliform count was attributed to fecal coliforms including E. coli . This indicates great possibility of the occurrence of enteric pathogens in milk. This is partly confirmed by the large count of E . coli . The bacteria load reached very high levels close to 2 x 10 6 colony forming units per millilitre (cfu/mL) at the farm level, and these levels increased 150-fold during transportation to Kampala. An analysis of the raw milk marketed through the informal sub sector in Uganda, revealed two main issues: (i) poor hygiene conditions from the production location all the way to the consumer; (ii) lack of an efficient preservation system to limit bacteria proliferation during transportation to Kampala. Milk was overheated at the urban informal milk heat processing units but rendered free from bacteria. However, storage of such treated milk over several days makes this process potentially more dangerous than beneficial since post processing contamination of a sterile substratum could lead to rapid proliferation of microorganisms. Milk quality across the value chain could be improved through: (i) changing milking practice s to ensure better hygienic conditions; (ii) improvement of milk handling and storage conditions maintaining the cold chain. This study presents baseline information for developing a technical and scientific basis for milk quality improvement in Uganda.