Thesis Abstract

Abstract
This research project aims to investigate the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in dairy products. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are common bacteria that can be found in various environments, including dairy farms and processing facilities. Contamination of dairy products by these bacteria can lead to foodborne illnesses in consumers. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the presence of these pathogens in dairy products to ensure food safety. The study will involve collecting samples of various dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, from different sources such as supermarkets, local farms, and processing plants. These samples will then be analyzed using microbiological techniques to detect the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The researchers will also assess the levels of these bacteria in the samples to determine if they exceed the acceptable limits set by food safety regulations. In addition to microbiological analysis, the project will also investigate the potential sources of contamination in the dairy products. This will involve tracing the production and processing steps of the samples to identify possible points of bacterial contamination. By understanding the sources of contamination, appropriate control measures can be implemented to prevent the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in dairy products. Furthermore, the research will explore the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolated Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains. Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern in the food industry, as it can compromise the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. By characterizing the resistance patterns of these bacteria, this study aims to provide valuable information for guiding antibiotic use policies in dairy farming and food processing. Overall, this research project will contribute to enhancing the knowledge of the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in dairy products and their potential implications for food safety. The findings of this study can be utilized by regulatory agencies, dairy farmers, and food manufacturers to develop strategies for minimizing the contamination of dairy products with these pathogens. By improving the safety of dairy products, this research has the potential to protect public health and prevent foodborne illnesses associated with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli contamination.

Thesis Overview

1.0   INTRODUCTION

Dairy products are various products derived from cow’s milk or that of other female mammals such as goat, sheep, yaks, horses, camel. Dairy products include yoghurt, nono (fermented cow’s milk, madara (unfermented cow’s milk, cheese, whey, condensed and evaporated milk.) (cultureforhealth, 2015).

Yoghurt, nono, Madara has become so highly valued in humans diet because of their nutritional values and their culinary possibilities (George and pamplon, 2006) Yoghurt is made by controlled thermoduric fermentation of pasteurized non-fat or low fat milk carried out around 45% (Prescott et al., 2005) . It is probably the most popular fermented milk in Nigeria. Yoghurt is a foods produced by bacterial fermentation of milk and these bacteria are known as “yoghurt cultures. Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid which acts on milk and protein to give yoghurt its texture and characteristic tang. Also yoghurt is made by inoculating certain bacteria (starter culture) usually Streptococcus thermopiles and Lactobacillus bulgaricus into milk, after inoculation, the milk is incubated at 40 to 46% (105 to 115%) until fermentation, the milk is coagulated by bacteria to produce lactic acid (serre et al., 2009)

Nono is an opaque white to milky coloured, liquid food drink gotten from fermented raw cow milk made locally (Godwin and Emmanuel, 2013). It is widely consumed in many African countries including Nigeria. Nono is of two types such as kindirimo and sallah though the nono is mostly termed kindirimo. Mostly the Fulani’s produce milk locally in Nigeria and the excess of the milk is processed into these products for preservation and use (Akinyele, et al., 1999). Also kindirimo is produced locally by pasteurized cow milk which are prepared by heating to boiling and then allowed to cool at 37c and the milk butter from the previous day is added to it at the rate of 0.5-1% of the amount of milk to be processed and then left overnight to become sour until it coagulate (Odunfa, et al., 1988)

Madara is the unfermented raw milk collected from cow’s under while nono is product form raw Milk collected from cow’s udder into a container called calabash and allowed to ferment naturally for 24hours. Nono is also more popular in term of public consumption than madara, this is because madara is rarely sold to public for direct consumption as compared to nono. Madara is produced in homes especially in villages where producers are ignorant of shelf-life and safety standards of the products nono is sold to both rural and urban dwellers as food (Uzeh, et al. 2006).