| Abstrakt: |
Milk quality is determined by physicochemical properties, hygienic standards, and nutritional quality; however, animal husbandry techniques and unsanitary harvesting and processing may have an impact. A cross-sectional study was conducted in and around Bengaluru to assess the hygiene of the dairy farms, physicochemical characteristics, microbial quality, and the prevalence of antimicrobial residues in raw and pasteurized milk samples. A total of nineteen milk samples were examined. In general, sources of risks appeared in the existing milk production and supply chain. Some milk samples had abnormal color, abnormal smell, and pH below or above normal, clotted on the alcohol test (79%), and had a specific gravity below normal (9.2%). Preservatives were not detected in any of the milk samples. The mean total bacterial count, total coliform count, yeast and mold count (YMC) of milk container surfaces, person's hand, and milk samples are significantly high, demonstrating the farm's unhygienic practices. Antimicrobial residues were found in 21% of the samples, most of which came from pasteurized milk. An unhygienic milk production chain accelerates microbial contamination, and antibiotic residues in milk constitute a major problem that requires immediate attention from the responsible authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
