Project Materials

MICROOBIAL EVALUATION OF RAM MILK FROM A DIARY FARM.

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Milk is described as the secretion of the mammary glands of female mammals. It is an unusually good source of protein, which has a significant biological significance in fostering child development (ihekorany and Ngoddy, 1985).

Milk is regarded as an exceptional food that is created by nature to be completely beneficial to very young mammals (fox and Cameron, 1980).

Milk has a diverse range of components, including the majority of food elements linked with bacterial nutrition. Milk is a high-nutritional food that contains spoilage germs. When milk leaves the udder of a healthy cow, it contains a few germs that originate in the milk ducts and cistern.

During the milking process, germs are typically injected from a variety of sources. The causes of hand milking are air, animal hair, dung, and milkers’ equipment such as pails, feed, and machines; most of these environmental elements are minor.

However, if the milking equipment is not well cleaned and sanitised, it can become a significant source of contamination (ihekoronye and Ngoddy, 1985).

After milk is drawn, it is quickly chilled to 45 degrees to prevent impurities from growing. Pasteurisation is a procedure used to remove germs from milk. This includes applying heat below the boiling point (Fraizer and Westhoff, 1978).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Mike, a high-nutritional meal, is strongly connected with microbes. As a result of this contamination, raw milk is not sterilised and is consumed directly or utilised in the making of milk products, causing sickness in humans and contributing to the spoiling of milk and dairy products.

1.3 Goals and Objectives of the Study

AIM: The study aims to examine the micro-flora of raw milk.
Objectives: The study’s aims are:

i) Isolate and identify microorganisms that contaminate raw milk.

ii) Determine whether the milk is tubercle bacilli-free.

iii) To detect the presence of coliforms as a pathogen index.

1.4 Hypothesis.

Ho: All fresh raw milk from healthy cows are free from microbial contamination, both pathogenic and nonpathogenic.
H1: Fresh raw milk from healthy cows is free of microbial contamination, both pathogenic and non-pathogenic.

1.5 Justification for the Study

Milk is known to be highly contaminated by bacteria if not handled properly. Therefore, there is a necessity to analyse consumption or processing for milk products.

1.6 Limitations of the Study

This study is limited to the bacterial species found in raw milk.