The purpose of this research was to assess the hygienic properties of commercially available dairy foods especially fresh/raw milk.

Milk, when synthesized in the udder of a healthy cow is virtually sterile.

As milk passes through the teat cistern and teat channel, it may be contaminated with low levels of bacteria (<1000/ml), which are generally not significant to milk quality and safety. Milk from a cow with mastitis (infection of the mammary gland) however, may harbor large numbers of the infectious bacteria. After it leaves the cow, milk may be contaminated from the exterior of the cow (dirty cows), the environment and/or poorly cleaned equipment. Poor cooling allows faster growth rates and can result in rapid increases in bacterial numbers in raw milk before it is processed. While the legal limit for bacteria in raw milk is 100,000/ml, the production of milk with bacteria counts less than 10,000/ml should be easily achievable for most farms.

CERTIFICATION PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Bacteria:-

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

LIMITATION

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

GROWTH OF MICRO-ORGANISMS

a.        Stages of growth:-

b.        Factors Influencing Growth:

c.        Products of Microbial Growth:-

d.        Results of Microbial Growth in Milk:-

e.        Destruction of Micro-organisms

Action of Microbes on Milk.

3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sampling procedure

Microbiological analyses

Physical and chemical analyses

Statistical analyses

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

5.0 CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION AND REFERENCES

5.1 CONCLUSION

5.2 RECOMMENDATION

5.4 REFERENCES