HYGIENIC PRACTICES AND BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF MILK: A REVIEW

Anyone dealing with raw milk on a day-to-day basis knows very well how quickly it becomes sour when it is stored for long periods at high ambient temperatures prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries. This is because the inherent lactic acid bacteria and contaminating microorganisms from storage vessels or the environment break down the lactose in milk into lactic acid. When sufficient lactic acid has accumulated, the milk becomes sour and coagulates, much like when you add sufficient lemon juice to fresh milk. Raw milk that contains too much lactic acid, even if it does not appear to be curdled, will coagulate when heated. So far, many pathogenic microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., and Candida sp., have been reported as the causal agents of food-borne diseases and/or food spoilage. Contamination of raw and/or processed foods usually occurs during the production, sale, and distribution of the foods. Therefore, the objective of this review paper was to investigate hygienic practices and bacteriological quality of milk. In order to produce good quality dairy, establishment of standards, use of effective enforcement, education of dairy personnel's and farmers on various aspects of milk hygiene and handling technique is important.