Food Protection Trends - January/February 2023 - 96

As a result, water quantity and quality are not adequately
monitored, despite attention to other nutrients (9).
Under harsh tropical environmental conditions, cattle
production is limited by the quality and quantity of pastoral
resources, mainly during the dry season (20). Cattle that
suffer from malnutrition mobilize their bodily reserves,
which negatively impacting productivity in the nutrientdeficient
dry season (17). However, the influence of body
condition score on fat reserve mobilization for milk supply
and calf growth in late pregnancy and early lactation is
unknown. Calving body condition score is closely linked to
milk output in dairy cattle (63). However, prepartum body
condition score change and calving body condition score
do not affect milk yield or calf performance in beef herds
(60). It was further reported that deficiencies in prenatal and
postnatal nutrition negatively impacts calf birth weight and
milk supply (36). Local breeds are dual-purpose cattle that
survive in tropical conditions. Although pasture quality
has been proven to affect milk yield (1), no research has
been done on the links between cow body condition, calf
growth, and milk production in Senegal. The most common
cattle in southern Senegal are N'Dama taurine, a small
trypanotolerant breed from neighboring Guinea (50). Local
breeds are less vulnerable to environmental variability than
European breeds and can reproduce even when there is a
food shortage (50). However, the body reserves of N'Dama
cows differ among individuals and within reproductive
stages and seasons (20); these variations in nutritional
status may impact their milk output, calf growth and
mortality, and cow fertility.
Food safety issues in milk production and a review of
the organization of milk production
Milk can harbor several pathogenic microorganisms. As
in other low-to-middle-income countries, the dairy industry
in Senegal is growing; the number of farms is expanding to
meet rapidly growing demand in the cities. However, most
milk is still produced in the informal sector and comes from
small processors spread all over the country (8). Little is
known about the consumption of milk and milk products or
the knowledge, awareness, and practices of consumers in the
informal dairy supply chains (44).
Data regarding potential food safety issues and the microbiological
quality of milk and milk products in Senegal are
scarce. However, 85 bulk milk samples collected from 68
smallholder dairy farms throughout the territory revealed
poor microbial quality of raw and pasteurized milk (13). Of
samples collected for this study, 93% of pasteurized, 92%
of raw, and 81% of sour milk samples failed to meet official
standards. Pathogens detected were Coxiella burnetii (6
of 41, 15%), which seems to be endemic in Senegal, and
coagulase-positive Staphylococcus spp. (18 of 70, 26%); 9 of
10 samples produced enterotoxigenic strains and Salmonella
Johannesburg (13). However, studies conducted in 20 Af96
Food
Protection Trends January/February
rican countries, including Senegal, revealed pathogens such
as Escherichia coli (O157:H7, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli),
Staphylococcus aureus, Brucella spp., Bacillus cereus, Listeria
monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and Mycobacterium bovis
(55). This report demonstrated the abundance of pathogens
in Senegal, including C. burnetii and Brucella spp. (55). Traditional
pathogens of concern in milk and dairy products, including
M. bovis, Brucella abortus, and C. burnettii, have been
mainly eradicated from the industrialized world. However,
they have persisted in Senegal and have re-emerged in some
African countries (47, 51, 58).
The Senegalese National Plan for agriculture, livestock,
and food security (milk, meat, and eggs), envisages the
expansion and modernization of the dairy sector. These plans
are predicted to accelerate rapid changes in the Senegalese
dairy sector: the expansion of dairy herds, changes in
breed composition, and changes in the ecology of endemic
conditions, including milkborne pathogens (16). A study
by the same authors in Dakar, Thies, and Fatick districts in
Senegal revealed a disparity of knowledge between women
and men regarding milk-borne pathogens. Women seem
to know more about milk-borne infections than other
zoonotic diseases. In contrast, most men believed milk could
not transmit illness. Dairy farmers and traditional milk
processors generally believed that milk was safe soon after
milking and that boiling was inconsequential (16). Malaria
is still a public health issue in Senegal; the local community
uses the term " malaria " to denote any disease with fever as
a symptom. Infections classified as " malaria " could actually
be due to transmission of zoonotic pathogens from dairy
animals and dairy products, such as brucellosis, Q fever, or
other bacterial and viral diseases (64).
Animal illnesses cause death and decrease productivity
in dairy herds worldwide, resulting in significant financial
losses. Although production disorders, such as mastitis and
external and internal parasites, do not usually kill the affected
animal, they lower the system's efficiency. Diseases can
impact dairy productivity by reducing milk yield, decreasing
fertility, delaying puberty, lowering milk quality, and decreasing
feed conversion. Diseases such as tuberculosis and brucellosis
in dairy animals may also threaten human health (51),
and they pose a severe threat to small-scale dairy production
in developing nations for several reasons: high prevalence
of infections; poor understanding of methods to prevent,
manage, and control illnesses; and difficulty in accessing
affordable, available, and suitable animal health services.
Small-scale dairy farmers invest little in animal health, particularly
disease prevention (23). A small-scale dairy producer
with limited resources may find that losing a single animal to
disease significantly impacts their household economy.
The health requirements of dairy species and breeds vary
depending on their physical and physiological traits. Animals
that are exposed to a new environment lack locally acquired
immunity and may be vulnerable to endemic diseases specific
Food Protection Trends - January/February 2023

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