The impact of training intervention on levels of indicator bacteria and prevalence of selected pathogens in raw milk from smallholder women dairy farmers in Central Ethiopia

Achenef Melaku Beyene, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. Electronic address: achenefmela@yahoo.com.
Seleshe Nigatu, Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Juan C. Archila-Godinez, Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Kebede Amenu, Animal and Human Health Program, International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
Barbara Kowalcyk, Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Desalegne Degefaw, The Ohio State University, Global One Health Initiative, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Binyam Mogess, The Ohio State University, Global One Health Initiative, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Baye Gelaw, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Mucheye Gizachew, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Araya Mengistu, Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Ahmed G. Abdelhamid, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
James Barkley, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Ahmed Yousef, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

12-28-2024

Journal

Journal of food protection

DOI

10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100446

Keywords

Central Ethiopia; Indicator bacteria; Pathogenic bacteria; Raw milk; Training; Women dairy farmers

Abstract

Contamination of milk is a serious public health risk, particularly in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Training is a tool for improving the quality and safety of milk. However, its effect on the microbial quality and safety of milk has not been well documented. This study assessed the impact of training interventions on the microbial quality and safety of milk, with a specific focus on smallholder dairy farms. The study was conducted from January to June 2022 in four locations in Central Ethiopia. Milk samples were collected from 120 dairy farmers one week before and four to six weeks after the training and analyzed for total coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni. Total and thermotolerant coliforms were determined by the Most Probable Number (MPN) method; categorized as high (≥1001 MPN/ml), medium (101 to 10 MPN/ml), low (21 to 10 MPN/ml), and very low (≤20 MPN/ml); and analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Prevalence of E. coli, STEC, S. enterica, and C. jejuni in raw milk samples were 67, 12, 3, and 4% pre-training and 45, 4, 3 and 2% post-training, respectively. The prevalence of E. coli (p = 0.0389) and STEC (p = 0.0005) was significantly lower post-training compared to pre-training. Most samples had total coliform counts exceeding 10 MPN/ml pre-training (71%); this proportion decreased to 62% post-training. The estimated cumulative probability of being in the high category was marginally significantly higher (p = 0.0581) pre-training (76%) compared to post-training (64%). In conclusion, reductions in the detection of some milk quality and safety parameters were observed. However, a considerable proportion of the milk samples were highly contaminated even after the training. Hence, comprehensive, and continued risk mitigation strategies are needed to ensure milk safety for consumers.

Department

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

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