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Spoilt milk taken at home is a threat to the health of consumers

BY EUNICE OMOLLO

One out of two women selling camel milk in Isiolo is at a risk of spreading infections by using spoilt milk, a new study by researchers from the universities of Nairobi and Egerton and the Kenya Camel Milk Association, has found. Often, milk that cannot be sold for failing to meet the freshness threshold is used to make a traditional fermented beverage called suusac.

Spoilt milk taken at home is a threat to the health of consumers

According to the findings published in the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, about 53 per cent of women who sell camel milk use spoilt milk for household consumption, which according to Nicanor Odongo Obiero, the lead author from the University of Nairobi, puts a lot of households at risk of getting ill.

“No actor used fresh milk for making suusac and only milk that was rejected and could no longer sell as fresh milk was used for making suusac. Microbial contamination of milk can cause severe disease that can result in hospitalisation,” the study reported.

Contaminated milk has disease-causing micro-organisms which can lead to diarrhoea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. Though unlikely, it can also lead to kidney failure, paralysis, and even death.

Further, lack of awareness of modern and proper sterilisation methods pose a challenge to the prevention of milk contamination in the value chain of camel milk production.

Sale of camel milk is a booming business in Isiolo but experts say that those who handle food should be trained in food safety and hygiene to improve the longevity of the highly perishable product.

VALUE CHAIN

According to data from a 2008 study commissioned by the Netherlands Development Organisation, to explore the potential of camel milk in Isiolo District and to help sellers access formal markets, camel milk production was estimated to be about 338.3 million litres. This was valued at USD 107.1 million (Sh10.7 billion). Production increased to up to 970 million litres in 2013.

Camel milk is a major contributor to economic wellbeing in the arid and semi-arid communities of northern Kenya, where camels yield more milk than cows, and camel milk is the leading source of caloric intake among the pastoral communities. However, researchers point to many challenges that threaten the quality and safety of the milk.

“Limited knowledge on safety among some members of the community has contributed to enormous loss of the milk along the chain. Lack of electricity for cooling the milk, poor hygiene and delay in delivery of the milk by herders is a major contributor to the milk going bad,” said Obiero.

The study sought to find out the levels of knowledge on food hygiene and safety and practices in handling  camel milk among value chain actors. It revealed that herdsmen had  significantly lower knowledge than women retailing and collecting milk in Isiolo town and its environs.

The herders scored 50 per cent on a test on food safety, while the women retailing the milk in Isiolo town scored 63 per cent on food hygiene and safety. Seven out of 10 women at the collection centre indicated high knowledge on how to handle the milk without compromising its safety..

The study highlights factors like unavailable potable water for washing containers, and use of plastic containers which are difficult to clean. About 77 per cent of herdsmen, 54 per cent of women at the collecting centres and 60 per cent of women who sell the milk indicated that cleaning then fumigating the milk containers with smoke was the most effective cleaning method.

Only 4.7 per cent, 13.8 per cent and 10 per cent of herdsmen, women at the collection centres and women selling the milk in Isiolo town, respectively, indicated that conventional cleaning with detergent then sanitising the milk containers was the most effective method of cleaning.

Poor infrastructure and long duration of transportation at high temperatures (which promotes growth of microorganisms), are among factors that increase the risk of camel milk contamination.

According to The  Food and Agriculture Organisation, camel husbandry is mostly practised in arid and semi-arid areas and accounts for about 27 million camels globally, with Africa  accounting for about 82.5 per cent of the total world camel population.  Kenya has the third highest population of camels in Africa. The 2009 census put the camel population at three million.

Source: Daily Nation

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