Boiled milk, food safety and the risk of exposure to milk borne pathogens in informal dairy markets in Tanzania

In Tanzania, more than 80% of the milk consumed is marketed as loose, raw milk. On the other hand, the practice of boiling milk before consumption is very common. The study was carried out to establish food safety status of informally marketed milk including boiled milk. Milk samples were collected in four wards of Temeke Municipality of Dar es salaam. A total of 69, 44 and 7 milk samples were collected from randomly selected farmers, milk kiosks and all milk vendors. The bacteriological quality of the milk with respect to Total Bacterial Counts (TBC) and Escherichia coli was lower at milk vendors level than farm and milk kiosk. The TBC of raw milk was found to be an average of 2.8 ± 0.98 x 106 cfu/ml at producer level, 3.4 ± 2.6 x 107 cfu/ml at vendor’s level and 4.8 ± 3.3 x 107 cfu/ml at kiosk level. TBC values for kiosk milk boiled and served hot was also determined and found to be an average of 3.7 ± 2.3 x 105 cfu/ml. The samples were analysed for presence of toxin producing Staphylococcus aureus. Exposure assessment showed that the probability of purchasing boiled milk contaminated with S. aureus, served hot at kiosks was 0.227 (90%CI: 0.062-0.436). It was estimated that every day, 953 (90%CI: 718-1,249) people purchase milk from kiosks in peri-urban Temeke, and among them, 217 (90%CI: 62-427) people were likely to purchase contaminated milk. The present study found that while boiling made milk generally safer by killing most pathogens, it still carries the risk of consumer exposure to pathogenic bacteria due to possible recontamination

Food safety in milk markets of smallholder farmers in Tanzania: A case of peri-urban wards in Temeke Municipality

The present study was carried out to establish food safety status of milk marketed by smallholder farmers in peri-urban wards of Temeke Municipality, Dar es salaam Tanzania between January 2010 to March 2010. A total of 69, 7 and 44 milk samples respectively from farmers, milk vendors and milk kiosks were collected from four randomly selected wards to assess presence of toxin producing staphylococcus aureus. At randomly selected milk selling shops, 120 consumers were interviewed on their perception regarding safety of milk. Standard methods were used to isolate S. aureus in milk samples. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 12.0. About 1792 litres (90%CI: 1337-2358) of milk are sold everyday in Temeke municipality peri-urban wards kiosks and out of this amount, 407 litres (90%CI: 119-799) was found to be contaminated with S. aureus. The probability of purchasing contaminated milk was therefore 0.227 (90%CI: 0.062-0.436). Every day, 953 (90%CI: 718-1,249) people purchase milk from kiosks in peri-urban Temeke, and among them, 217 (90%CI: 62-427) people were estimated to purchase contaminated milk. Milk quality as defined by Total Bacterial Count (TBC) along the chain was also determined and found to be an average of 2.8 x 106 ± 9.8 x 105 cfu at producer level, 3.4 x 107 ± 2.6 x 107 cfu at vendor’s level and 4.8 x 107 ± 3.3 x 107 cfu at kiosk level. TBC values for kiosk milk served hot was also determined and found to be an average of 3.7 x 105 ± 2.3 x 105 cfu. Other organisms isolated in the milk samples include Bacillus spp, Escherichia coli, Proteus spp, Enterobacteria spp, Corrynebacterium spp and Micrococcus spp. Consumers knowledge on health risks associated with milk consumption was high (71.67%) and there was no significant difference on the level of awareness among consumers in the sample wards (P>0.05)

Post-harvest interventions decrease aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in maize and subsequent dietary exposure in Tanzanian infants : a cluster randomised-controlled trial

A cluster randomised controlled trial was performed in three agro-ecological zones of Tanzania to evaluate the effectiveness of locally available post-harvest mitigation strategies in preventing and reducing aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in maize. A total of 300 children, each from one household, were randomly selected from 30 villages (intervention: n=15). The mitigation strategies focused on hand sorting (prior to storage and use), drying maize on mat/raised platforms, proper sun drying, application of storage insecticides and de-hulling before milling. Maize sample was collected from each household at harvest (baseline) and six months after harvest. Maize intake by each child, estimated using the 24 h dietary recall technique and its body weight measured using standard procedures were taken at six months after harvest. Aflatoxins and fumonisins in the maize samples were determined using HPLC. Follow-up (six month after harvest) data were available for 261 of the 300 households (intervention: n=136). Mean concentration of aflatoxins, or fumonisins was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the intervention than in the control group: intervention effects: mu g/kg (95% confidence interval (CI)) -4.9 (-7.3,-2.5), and -405, (-647,-162), respectively. The difference corresponds to 83 and 70% for aflatoxins, and fumonisins, respectively. At the end of the intervention, aflatoxin and fumonisin estimated mean intakes were lower in the intervention than in the control group by 78 and 65%, respectively. Six months after harvest, prevalence of underweight in the intervention group was 6.7% lower (P=0.014) than in the control group. Mean weight-for-age Z-score difference between the groups was 0.57 (95% CI; 0.16,-0.98; P=0.007). Post-harvest practices are effective in preventing and reducing aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in maize and subsequent dietary exposure to infants. The interventions may be applied in these and other communities with similar environmental conditions or agricultural practices that favour production of aflatoxin and fumonisins in food crops

Market‐led options to scale up legume seeds in developing countries: Experiences from the Tropical Legumes Project

There are several hurdles to ensure sustainable seed production and consistent flow of improved legume varieties in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). The unreliable demand, autogamous nature of most of the grain legumes, and slow variety replacement rate by smallholder farmers do not provide strong incentive for private seed companies to invest in legume seed business. Unless a well thought‐out and comprehensive approach to legume seed delivery is developed, current seed shortages will continue, eroding emerging market opportunities. The experiences reported here are collated through a 10‐year partnership project, the Tropical Legumes in SSA and SA. It fostered innovative public–private partnerships in joint testing of innovative market‐led seed systems, skills and knowledge enhancement, de‐risking private sector initiatives that introduced in new approaches and previously overlooked entities in technology delivery. As new public and private seed companies, individual seed entrepreneurs and farmer organizations emerged, the existing ones enhanced their capacities. This resulted in significant rise in production, availability and accessibility of various seed grades of newly improved and farmer demanded legume varieties in the target countries

Food safety in milk markets of smallholder farmers in Tanzania: A case study of peri-urban wards in Temeke

marketed by smallholder farmers in peri-urban wards of Temeke Municipality, Dar es Salaam Tanzania between January 2010 to March 2010. Methods: A total of 120 milk samples from farmers (n=69), milk vendors (n=7) and milk kiosks (n=44) were collected from four randomly selected wards to assess presence of Staphylococcus aureus. At randomly selected milk selling shops,120 consumers were interviewed on their perception regarding safety of milk. Standard methods were used to isolate S. aureus in milk samples. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 12.0. Results: About 1,792 litres (90% CI: 1 337-2,358) of milk are sold everyday in kiosks of Temeke municipality peri-urban wards. Out of this amount, 407 litres (90% CI: 119-799) was found to be contaminated with S. aureus. Exposure assessment showed that the probability of purchasing contaminated milk was 0.227 (90% CI: 0.062-0.436). Every day, 953 (90% CI: 718-1,249) people purchase milk from kiosks in peri-urban Temeke, and among them, 217 (90% CI: 62-427) people were estimated to purchase contaminated milk. The Total Bacterial Count (TBC) was also determined.The overall picture at both the production and market levels was that bacterial counts increase (and subsequently, milk quality decreases) as milk passes through increasing numbers of intermediaries. Other organisms isolated from the milk samples include Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., Corynebacterium spp. and Micrococcus spp. Participatory risk assessment showed that consumers knowledge on health risk associated with milk consumption was high (71.67%). Most of them reported stomach problems/diarrhea as major health risk one can encounter from drinking milk. This could be the reason why most of consumers prefer boiled milk served hot as they believe boiling of milk kills most of pathogenic bacteria. Poisoning from S. aureus through milk consumption occurs when humans consume enterotoxin produced by the pathogens

Genomics, genetics and breeding of tropical legumes for better livelihoods of smallholder farmers

Legumes are important components of sustainable agricultural production, food, nutrition and income systems of developing countries. In spite of their importance, legume crop production is challenged by a number of biotic (diseases and pests) and abiotic stresses (heat, frost, drought and salinity), edaphic factors (associated with soil nutrient deficits) and policy issues (where less emphasis is put on legumes compared to priority starchy staples). Significant research and development work have been done in the past decade on important grain legumes through collaborative bilateral and multilateral projects as well as the CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes (CRP‐GL). Through these initiatives, genomic resources and genomic tools such as draft genome sequence, resequencing data, large‐scale genomewide markers, dense genetic maps, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and diagnostic markers have been developed for further use in multiple genetic and breeding applications. Also, these mega‐initiatives facilitated release of a number of new varieties and also dissemination of on‐the‐shelf varieties to the farmers. More efforts are needed to enhance genetic gains by reducing the time required in cultivar development through integration of genomics‐assisted breeding approaches and rapid generation advancement

Common Bean variety releases in Africa

The Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance is a network of national agricultural research centers (NARS), and private and public sector institutions that work to deliver better beans with consumer and market preferred traits to farmers. The datasets presented here draw from 17 Sub Saharan countries that are members of PABRA. The dataset on released bean varieties is a collection of 357 bean varieties released by NARS and there characteristics. The dataset on bean varieties and the relationship to constraints provides the 357 bean varieties on the basis of resistance to constraints such as fungal, bacterial, viral, diseases and tolerance to abiotic stresses. There is also a dataset of bean varieties that have been released in more than one country, useful for moving seed from one country to another and facilitating regional trade. The dataset on Niche market traits provides the market defined classifications for bean trade in Sub Saharan Africa as well as varieties that fall into these classifications. The datasets are an update to the 2011 discussion on PABRAs achievement in breeding and delivery of bean varieties in Buruchara et. 2011 in pages 236 and 237 here: http://www.ajol.info/index.php/acsj/article/view/74168 . It is also an update to a follow up to this discussion in Muthoni, R. A., Andrade, R. 2015 on the performance of bean improvement programmes in sub-Saharan Africa from the perspectives of varietal output and adoption in chapter 8. here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781780644011.0148. The data is extracted from the PABRA M&E database available here ( http://database.pabra-africa.org/?location=breeding)

Genomics, genetics and breeding of tropical legumes for better livelihoods of smallholder farmers

Legumes are important components of sustainable agricultural production, food, nutrition and income systems of developing countries. In spite of their importance, legume crop production is challenged by a number of biotic (diseases and pests) and abiotic stresses (heat, frost, drought and salinity), edaphic factors (associated with soil nutrient deficits) and policy issues (where less emphasis is put on legumes compared to priority starchy staples). Significant research and development work have been done in the past decade on important grain legumes through collaborative bilateral and multilateral projects as well as the CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes (CRP‐GL). Through these initiatives, genomic resources and genomic tools such as draft genome sequence, resequencing data, large‐scale genomewide markers, dense genetic maps, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and diagnostic markers have been developed for further use in multiple genetic and breeding applications. Also, these mega‐initiatives facilitated release of a number of new varieties and also dissemination of on‐the‐shelf varieties to the farmers. More efforts are needed to enhance genetic gains by reducing the time required in cultivar development through integration of genomics‐assisted breeding approaches and rapid generation advancement