Abstract:
Milk is highly nutritious for young mammals before they are able to digest other types
of food. But, due to the absence of adequate studies on the assessment of the raw milk quality,
the present study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological quality of
raw milk produced in Sebeta town, Ethiopia. A total of 90 samples from three kebeles at
the udder, bucket, and market points were collected. All milk samples were analyzed
for physicochemical and microbiological quality and safety. Accordingly, the aerobic
mesophilic bacteria count (AMBC) was 74.76 ± 0.26 cfu/ml of the udder, 89.80± 0.17 cfu/ml
bucket, and 112.96± 1.15 cfu/ml market points at P=0.01. The mean spore-forming
bacteria count of raw milk collected from the udder, bucket, and market point was 1.58±
0.05, 2.03± 0.10, and 3.76± 0.07 cfu/ml, respectively, and varied at P=0.01. The same was
also true for the yeast and mold count (YMC). Accordingly, 4.72± 0.19 cfu/ml udder,
7.27±0 .10 cfu/ml buckets, and 3.51 ± 0.43 cfu/ml bucket were significantly different from
each other at P=0.05 with 44.69 ± 1.14 cfu/ml, 77.41± 0.51 cfu/ml and 84.24± .22 cfu/ml of
the total colony forming unit of staphylococcus aureus were also significantly varied at
udder, bucket, and market points by P= 0.05. Finally, 15.86±0 .12 cfu/ml at the udder,
41.33 ± 0.27 cfu/ml at the bucket, and 55.52± 0.52 cfu/ml at the market observed
staphylococcus aureus were significantly different at P< 0.05. Finally, somatic cel l
count was perfectly correlated with staphylococcus aureus (r = 1.00) at P 0.01. It was
observed that all antibiotics tested were found to have activity against Staphylococcus
sp. From the antibiotics tested, only penicillin showed the least activity or
intermediate activity against Staphylococcus sp. Henceforth, the fat content of 2.99
±0.27 g/ml of the udder, 2.49 0.19 g/ml of the bucket, and 0.66 ±0 0.18 g/ml of the
marketing points were significantly varied from each other at P<0.01. However, the
protein content of the sources was only significantly different at P= 0.01 in between
difference 2.97±0 .15 g/ml of the udder and 2.06± 0.25 of the marketing points;
2.95±0.15 g/ml of the bucket. Likewise, the titratable acidity of 6.15±0.03 g/ml of
the udder, 6.15 ±0.02 g/ml of the bucket, and 6.17±0.01 g/ml of the market points were
varied at P0.01. Finally, the Somatic cell count mean noted at the 101.89 ±19.66
g/ml of the udder and 213.20± 39.17 g/ml of bucket; 105.20 ± 13.45 g/ml of the bucket
and 213.20± 39.17 g/ml of were at (p 0.05). In general, the present milk microbial and
physicochemical quality calls for the stakeholders to focus on the health and hygiene of
the study area's consumers.
