3.

4 Milk and Dairy

Product
 Microorganisms in Milk
“Milk is sterile at secretion in the
udder but is contaminated by
bacteria even before it leaves the
udder “

 the bacteria at this point are

harmless and few in number
 Further infection of the
milk by
microorganisms can
take place during:
 milking,
 handling,
 storage,
 other pre-processing
activities
 Lactic acid bacteria
 Coliforms
 Pathogenic bacteria
 Significance of
microorganisms in milk
 Information on the microbial content of
milk can be used to judge its sanitary
quality and the conditions of production
 If permitted to multiply, bacteria in milk
can cause spoilage of the product
 Significance of
microorganisms in milk
 Milk is potentially susceptible to
contamination with pathogenic
microorganisms
 Certain microorganisms produce
chemical changes that are desirable in
the production of dairy products such
as cheese, yogurt.
Spoilage Microorganisms in
Milk
 the microorganisms that are principally
involved in spoilage are
psychrotrophic organisms
 Most psychrotrophs are destroyed by
pasteurization temperatures
 Some species and strains of Bacillus,
Clostridium, Lactobacillus,
Micrococcus , and Streptococcus
can survive pasteurization and grow
at refrigeration temperatures
which can cause spoilage problems.
Pathogenic Microorganisms in
Milk
 Hygienic milk production practices,
 proper handling and storage of milk,
 and mandatory pasteurization :
has decreased the threat of milkborne
diseases such as tuberculosis,
brucellosis, and typhoid fever
 bacterial pathogens in raw milk
and other dairy products
 Staphylococcus aureus
 Listeria monocytogenes
 Yersinia enterocolitica
 Salmonella spp
 Escherichia coli O157:H7
 Campylobacter jejuni
 Staphylococcus aureus

 common cause of mastitis

in dairy cattle
(mastitis- An infection and
inflamation of the mamory
gland/ udder)
 also enter the milk supply
from the hands and nasal
discharges of dairy farmers
and workers
 produces an
enterotoxin when raw
milk is held at
temperatures above
10 degrees Celcius
 greatly reduced by
pasteurization
 Salmonella spp

 is shed in the feces

of cattle and picked
up on the animal's
hair
 Gastroenteritis is a
common symptom.
 Pasteurization
destroys the
Salmonella organism
 Escherichia coli O157:H7
 Temperature abuse during
holding and shipping can
cause significant growth
 Milk should be stored at
temperatures below 40
degrees Fahrenheit (below 5
deg C) to inhibit the growth
 Pasteurization destroys this
organism.
 Mould spoilage

 It should also be noted

that moulds, mainly of
species of Aspergillus ,
Fusarium , and
Penicillium can grow in
milk and dairy
products
 may produce
mycotoxins which can
be a health hazard
 The Role of Microorganisms
in Dairy Products
 Cheese (Lactobacillus
casei, L. cremoris,
Streptococcus
thermophilus)
 Commerical
buttermilk (lactic acid
bacteria )
 Sour cream, yogurt
(Streptococcus
thermophilus and
Lactobacillus bulgaricus)