Hygienic practices and critical control points along the milk collection chains in smallholder collection and bulking enterprises in Nakuru and Nyandarua Counties, Kenya

Abstract

Dairy value chains link the actors and the activities involved in delivering milk and milk products from production to the final consumer. In every activity, the product increases in value from production, transportation, processing, packaging and storage. The study was designed to evaluate some hygienic practices along the value chain and develop the quality control system (CCPs) in the smallholder supply chain in Nakuru and Nyandarua County, Kenya. To assess the level using critical control points of compliance to hygienic code of practice, the questionnaires were developed and pre-tested before being administered to the selected individuals in the study. Descriptive statistics was used to depict the implementation of the code of hygienic practices in milk handling by the farmers, transporters, collection and bulking enterprises (CBEs) and the processor. Among the various aspects investigated at farm level in this study was, hand washing before milking, use of reusable udder cloth while milking, use of plastic containers in milk delivery, time taken to deliver milk, cleaning of the cow shed and awareness of the antibiotic resides in milk and its effect. The results indicated poor conformance to the hygienic code of practice along the dairy value chain in the smallholder supply system. The various factors that could contribute to raw milk quality deterioration were identified as, the critical control points (CCPs) using the hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) principles. Seven factors were identified at five critical points along the milk collection chains. The critical control points identified includes milking at the farm level, bulking milk in a fifty liters can at collection points, transportation, at the CBE platform and the cooling tank. The quality of raw cow's milk produced and marketed from the study areas was low.

Hygienic Practices of Vendors and Their Contribution to Coliform, Salmonella, and Shigella Bacteria of Raw Milk at Asella Town, Oromia, Ethiopia

“…In the present study, the odds of bacterial identification from raw milk were 81% less likely among milk vendors that 7 International Journal of Food Science did not undergo testing milk for bacterial contamination as compared to those that did (p = 0 027). This finding is parallel with a study from Kenya that quality control systems aimed at the prevention of defects, rather than their detection better in the prevention of milk contamination by milk-borne pathogens [34]. Moreover, this study also showed that the odds of bacterial identification from raw milk increased by 8-fold among vendors that did not have a separate vending environment as compared to those that did (p = 0 039).…”

Assessment of Hygiene Practices and Microbial Safety of Milk Supplied by Smallholder Farmers to Processors in Selected Counties in Kenya

“…Plastic containers adhere to milk residues making them di cult to clean compared to aluminium containers. This shows an improvement from the situation recorded in a previous study (Ndungu et al, 2016b) where 90% and 49% of farmers in Nakuru and Nyandarua counties respectively were found to be using plastic containers for transportation of milk. The improvement could have resulted from various trainings which farmers from Nakuru County received in the last years (Ndambi et al, 2019).…”

“…The improvement could have resulted from various trainings which farmers from Nakuru County received in the last years (Ndambi et al, 2019). Ndungu et al, (2016b) further observed high mean TVC: 6.455, 6.276, 6.369, and 7.138 log 10 cfu/ml from milk collected from individual cans, collection routes, milk cooler and tanker respectively in Nakuru county. This study also noted that all (100%) farmers in Nakuru often used a reusable cleaning cloth to wipe hands, equipment and udders of different cows compared to 57.7% and 80.8% of farmers in Bomet and Nyeri respectively (Table 3).…”

“…Long holding time at these cooperatives with no cooling could encourage rapid microbial growth (Velázquez-ordoñez et al 2019). The increase in microbial growth observed between the rst bulk and after cooler samples for cooperatives with coolers could be due to poor cooling e ciency, since it took over 3 hours to cool milk from around 20 C to 4 C. Instant coolers which rapidly cool milk compared to conventional coolers thus reducing the multiplication of bacteria are recommended for cooperatives (Ndungu et al, 2016b).…”

Bacterial Milk Quality along the Value Chain in Smallholder Dairy Production

“…Mohamed et al [31] also reported that Salmonella spp., which can grow in improperly stored raw milk and milk products, presents a public health risk. All this only serves to confirm the five critical control points identified by Ndungu et al [32]. ese include milking at the farm level, bulking milk at collection points, transportation, and at the cooling tank.…”