Impact of Hygiene Intervention Practices on Microbial Load in Raw Milk

Abstract

An intervention program was designed to show local dairy farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to improve the quality of milk produced by the farms. In this current study, sampling of milk and environmental samples were collected pre- and post-intervention program. Analysis of milk quality was done at field to show the microbiological laboratory procedures to the farmers on determination of milk quality. Findings showed a reduction of up to 40% log reduction in the fresh milk sample. Analysis of the environmental samples were carried out using multiplex MPN-PCR method to quantify and detect up to five species of bacteria in milk. Finding showed the persistence of Salmonella paratyphi contaminating the milking equipment pre- and post-intervention program. The intervention program will be further improved according to data and findings from this study to be implemented at other farms in the future.

Keywords

• milk zoonoses
• food safety
• hygiene
• dairy farms
• exposure assessment
• malaysia