INVESTIGATING THE PRESENCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND ESCHERICHIA COLI IN DAIRY PRODUCTS.

Project Abstract

The presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in dairy products poses a significant risk to public health. This research project aims to investigate the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in various dairy products available in the market. The study will employ both qualitative and quantitative methods to determine the extent of contamination in different types of dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter. The research will involve collecting samples from multiple sources to ensure a representative sample set. Standard microbiological techniques will be used to isolate and identify Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli from the dairy product samples. Molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) will also be employed to confirm the presence of these pathogens and to assess their genetic characteristics. Furthermore, the study will investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolated Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains. Antibiotic susceptibility testing will be performed to determine the effectiveness of various antimicrobial agents against these pathogens. The results of this analysis will provide valuable information on the potential risks associated with consuming contaminated dairy products and help in assessing the need for improved surveillance and control measures. In addition, the research will explore the factors contributing to the contamination of dairy products with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This will involve examining the hygiene practices during production, processing, and storage of dairy products, as well as the potential sources of contamination along the supply chain. By identifying the critical control points for preventing bacterial contamination, this study aims to provide recommendations for enhancing the safety of dairy products and reducing the public health risks associated with foodborne pathogens. Overall, this research project will contribute to the existing knowledge on the prevalence and characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in dairy products. The findings of this study will have implications for food safety regulations, quality control measures, and public health interventions aimed at minimizing the risks associated with bacterial contamination in dairy products.

Project Overview

<p>1.0 &nbsp; INTRODUCTION<br><br>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).<br><br>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)<br><br>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)<br><br>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).<br></p>