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pathogens in milk include the health and hygiene of the dairy
stock, the environment, raw milk quality, milking, pre-storage
conditions, available storage facilities, and the staff (18).
Factors that may influence the microbiological load include
herd size, location of milk collection center, the temperature
of the milk at delivery, availability of a cold chain, and time of
transportation (39).
Bacteria cause more than 90% of all dairy-related illnesses,
mainly attributable to the consumption of unpasteurized
milk (27). High total bacterial count and somatic cell
count levels have resulted in milk production losses of up
to 20% in certain herds (40, 54). Thus, testing raw milk
for microbiological quality, water adulteration, and the
prevalence of mastitis in the herd is critical to ensuring safety
and quality (46).
Milk safety has received much interest in both developed
and developing areas in recent years. To assist smallholders
in producing safe milk of acceptable quality, relevant
experiences, practices, and other successful or sustainable
techniques must be examined. In addition, lessons on quality
milk production and food safety assurance systems (regulations
and quality control components) can be gathered from
other nations to establish appropriate solutions (40). As a
model taken from other African countries like Kenya, official
recognition of informal markets through certification-based
training in safety and quality could positively benefit producers
and consumers (38).
Attention to animal health, milking hygiene, nutrition,
animal welfare, the environment, and socioeconomic
management is recommended for acceptable dairy farming
practice. Control of microbial contaminants in feed, facility
hygiene, cleaning of cows, good animal health management
to avoid mastitis, effective cleaning and disinfection procedures
of milking equipment, and rapid cooling of milk to
temperatures of 4°C or less are all critical at the farm (27).
The use of agricultural chemicals, veterinary treatments,
animal feed, and the identification of individual animals all
require traceability and record keeping (14). The utilization
of the lactoperoxidase enzyme system's antibacterial activity
to extend shelf life and eliminate pathogens has been
successfully tested in countries such as Kenya, Sri Lanka,
and Mexico (22). The success of this system is dependent
on good hygienic standards in milk production. In conjunction
with good hygienic practices, Flynn and colleagues
(21), confirmed that use of lactoperoxidase can inhibit the
growth of pathogenic bacteria such as L. monocytogenes in
milk and milk products, primarily cheese. Other methods
for extending the shelf life of raw milk include thermal
treatment and the addition of carbon dioxide (35).
CONCLUSION
The insights we gained into the knowledge, awareness,
and practices of key stakeholders in Senegal will facilitate
efficient strategies to control or implement potential
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99
mitigation measures to ensure the quality of milk produced.
The findings suggest that to implement pre- and postharvest
control measures for foodborne illness, there is a need to
use culturally adapted strategies, good communication, and
education. Strengthening health education on zoonoses and
food safety will contribute to a safer dairy value chain. In
addition, the promotion of the milk production potential of
local breeds will help mitigate the domination of imported
powdered milk and promote the use and consumption of
local milk and dairy products.
The dairy value chain holds great promise for improving
household welfare and human and animal health and
nutrition, increasing youth employment, and empowering
women. Investments in improving quality and safety from
production to consumption (from the cow to the cup) will
improve the competitiveness of the Senegalese national
dairy value chain and generate widespread social benefits.
Clearly, food safety management requires an understanding
of microbiological hazards and how to prevent them in
foods or keep them within tolerable levels. Knowledge of
the prevalence and distribution of pathogens associated with
dairy production practices in Senegal will help in adoption of
specific methods for rapid and reliable detection of specific
bacterial pathogens related to milk, dairy products, and dairyassociated
environments. A major emphasis has to be given
to training youth and women. Women play a key role in milk
production; their greater knowledge of hygienic practices in
maintaining dairy cows, pre- and post-milking sanitization
of the udders, and recognition of diseased animals, including
mastitis, will promote the safety of the dairy value chain in
Senegal. A more transformative approach is to raise student
awareness of food safety issues, using food safety education
programs at the elementary school level that incorporate
basic concepts into school curricula. This will encourage and
educate lifelong safe food handling behaviors among the
farming community.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors acknowledge Dr. Gopal Reddy, Dr. Abiodun
Adesiyun, Dr. Gemechu Wirtu, and Dr. Temesgen Samuel for
their critical review and constructive comments.
This study was made possible by the generous support
of the American people through the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) under Cooperative
Agreement 7200AA19LE00003 awarded to Purdue
University, in partnership with Cornell University, as the
management entity for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab
for Food Safety. The contents are the responsibility of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or
the U.S. government.
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