Quality and safety of value added milk and dairy products

Most Sub-Saharan countries including those in the ASARECA region are net importers of dairy products. Most products are imported from Europe and South Africa. In Southern Sudan, nearly all value added products are imported. At the same time, there is a growing demand for quality dairy products by the growing population and the tourist market. The unmet demand is providing opportunities for value addition. However, significant technical and institutional barriers continue to limit the exploitation of these benefits by small scale producers and small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) engaged in value addition activities. A study characterizing value chains for both conventional and niche markets for dairy and meat products was carried out in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in 2006 and in Rwanda, Uganda and Southern Sudan in 2010. The main objective of the project is to enhance the capacity of small and medium scale enterprises to meet demand for quality and safety of the various value chain actors and regulatory requirements. Major concerns and opportunities for value addition are presented here to stimulate action by producers, processors and traders on key pertinent issues regarding the quality and safety of milk and dairy products produced and marketed by small and medium enterprises

Quality and safety of small scale beef products in East and Central Africa.

The annual per capita meat demand in Africa will reach 22kg by 2050. This exponential increase will necessitate a corresponding rise in demand for livestock. It suggests similar increases throughout the developing world. In Eastern and Central Africa (ECA), the growing demand for quality meat products is driving opportunities for value addition. The ECA countries need to put in place measures to exploit this opportunity. However, significant technical and institutional barriers continue to limit the small-scale meat producers and market agents from exploiting these opportunities. This brochure provides the beef producers, market agents, processors and retailers information on quality and safety perspectives of consumers, niche markets and, regulatory and policy institutions. The information could enhance the adoption of addition innovations in the meat sub-sectors in ECA

Integrated food safety and nutrition assessments in the dairy cattle value chain in Tanzania

The consumption of even small amounts of animal-source foods has the potential to improve nutrition, especially in vulnerable households. However, scaling up their production bears food safety risks that are often overlooked due to a disconnect between human nutrition and animal sciences. The aim of this scoping study in Tanzania was to identify opportunities for nutritional and food safety benefits from cow milk

Technical Note:Evaluation of extent of water adulteration of milk produced and marketed in Morogoro Municipality, Taniania

Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2005, Vol.6(2) : 104- 107A study was conducted to evaluate the extent of water adulteration of milk produced and marketed in Morogoro municipality in Tanzania. A total of 90 milk samples were collected from institutional, private and smallholder farms and milk vendors, The samples were analysed for lactometer reading (LR), butterfat (BF), solids-not-fat (SNF) and total solids (TS). Overall adulteration (AD) was calculated as the difference between SNF of standard/genuine milk obtained at the farm gate and respective milk samples, It was observed that lactometer reading for the farm milk ranged from 25: 32 to 26.75 and was significantly higher (P<0, 05) than vendors' milk, which ranged from 23.01 to 23.58 L. The butter fat content for farm milk which ranged from 3.56 to 4.12 % was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the vendors' milk that ranged from 2.86 to 3.03%. The SNF content for farm milk ranged from 7.18 to 7.67 % and was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of vendors' milk, which ranged from 6.47 to 6.63 %. Furthermore, TS of farm milk which ranged from 10.81 to 11.87% was significantly higher (P<0.05) than vendors' milk, which ranged from 9.38 to 9.74% The overall adulteration for farm milk ranged from 6.57 to 9.48% and was significantly lower than that of vendors 'milk, which ranged from 19.28 to 21.13 %. It was concluded that water adulteration of milk in Morogoro municipality was rampant and starts from the farm level. Therefore, there is a need for the Government to educate dairy farmers, milk vendors and the consumers on the importance of producing, selling and consuming respectively un-adulterated mil

Optimisation of activity and storage stability of crude pepsin extracted from adult cattle Abomasa for cheese making

Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2001, Vol. 4(1) : 29-36The study conducted to investigate the activity and storage stability of crude pepsin extract for use as rennet substitute in cheese processing. The conditions tested were regions of the abomasa, fresh versus dry abomasa drying methods, maceration temperatures (37oC, 24-28oC or 15oC); maceration pH 1-6 for 6 days; activation pH (pH 1-4) and clarification by centrifugation or use of chemicals. The shelf life of the extract was evaluated under storage temperatures ranging from deep freezing at -20oC refrigeration temperatures (<10 oC) and room temperature. Results showed that fundic region of the abomasa had 70.8% pepsin while the pyloric region had only 27% pepsin. Milk clotting activity (MCA) was 1978 and 1800 pepsin units per ml (PU/ml) for sun and shade-dried abomasa respectively. Concentrations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25% NaCl gave 1845, 2189, 1596, 1021, 462 MCA respectively. Maceration at pH 3 for 3 days at 37 oC gave the highest enzymatic activity (5536 PU/ml). Clearing of the extract by centrifugation at 3000g/15 min gave an extract with 902.3 PU/ml. Clarification by use of di-sodium phosphate (Na2HSO4) gave extract of 1679.1 PU/ml. The enzyme activity of the extract stored under deep freezer temperature was sibnificantly higher (p < 0.05) than ambient and refrigeration temperatures. However, they were significantly lower (p< 0. 001) than the activity of the extract before storage. Therefore, the best pepsin extraction conditions were found to be the use of fundic region of sundried abomasa, macerated at 37oC in an extraction solution containing 5-10% salt at pH 3 for 3 days and clarified after activation at pH2 for 20 min followed by centrifugation of sediment at 3000g/15 min or by use of anhydrous disodium phosphate. The clarified extract could retain its activity for 16 weeks when stored at - 20oC in single use portion

Optimisation of activity and storage stability of crude pepsin extracted from adult cattle Abomasa for cheese making

Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2001, Vol. 4(1) : 29-36The study conducted to investigate the activity and storage stability of crude pepsin extract for use as rennet substitute in cheese processing. The conditions tested were regions of the abomasa, fresh versus dry abomasa drying methods, maceration temperatures (37oC, 24-28oC or 15oC); maceration pH 1-6 for 6 days; activation pH (pH 1-4) and clarification by centrifugation or use of chemicals. The shelf life of the extract was evaluated under storage temperatures ranging from deep freezing at -20oC refrigeration temperatures (<10 oC) and room temperature. Results showed that fundic region of the abomasa had 70.8% pepsin while the pyloric region had only 27% pepsin. Milk clotting activity (MCA) was 1978 and 1800 pepsin units per ml (PU/ml) for sun and shade-dried abomasa respectively. Concentrations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25% NaCl gave 1845, 2189, 1596, 1021, 462 MCA respectively. Maceration at pH 3 for 3 days at 37 oC gave the highest enzymatic activity (5536 PU/ml). Clearing of the extract by centrifugation at 3000g/15 min gave an extract with 902.3 PU/ml. Clarification by use of di-sodium phosphate (Na2HSO4) gave extract of 1679.1 PU/ml. The enzyme activity of the extract stored under deep freezer temperature was sibnificantly higher (p < 0.05) than ambient and refrigeration temperatures. However, they were significantly lower (p< 0. 001) than the activity of the extract before storage. Therefore, the best pepsin extraction conditions were found to be the use of fundic region of sundried abomasa, macerated at 37oC in an extraction solution containing 5-10% salt at pH 3 for 3 days and clarified after activation at pH2 for 20 min followed by centrifugation of sediment at 3000g/15 min or by use of anhydrous disodium phosphate. The clarified extract could retain its activity for 16 weeks when stored at - 20oC in single use portion

Empirical assessment of short-term preferences of tropical forages by crossbred bull calves

Short-term preference studies were carried out with growing calves based on diets of local grass forages found in Turiani division, Morogoro, Tanzania. Four intact crossbred male calves aged 7 - 8 months and weighing 82.75 kg were used. Four grass species were provided either singly [Panicum maximum (T1), Panicum trichocladum (T2), Pennisetum purpureum (T3) and Rottboelia cochinchinensis (T4)] or in combinations of two forages in equal proportions [P. maximum + P. trichocladum (M1), P. maximum + R. cochinchinensis (M2), P. trichocladum + R. cochinchinensis (M3) and P. purpureum + P. trichocladum (M4)]. The single grass species and mixtures were respectively fed for four days. Animals were simultaneously observed while each animal was feeding on one of the four treatments in sequential periods of 15 min each in random orders (1, 2, 3 and 4) every test-day. The amounts of herbage eaten were estimated by differences between offered and left feed. The intake rate of 15.72 gDM/min, bite rate of 5.31 bites/min and bite mass of 3.11 g/bite for T3 was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than other single grass forages. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between intake rate of T1 (9.78 g/min) and T2 (9.36 g/min). Total DM intake of M3 and M4 of 224.54 and 232.52 g/15 min respectively were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of M1 and M2. All grass mixtures had bite mass significantly different (P < 0.05) from each other although that of 3.34 gDM/bite M4 was the highest thus suggesting that whether singly or in mixture P. purpureum was the most preferred grass forage in the study area. It is concluded that in order to optimize DM intake farmers should consider the type of grasses and their level of inclusion in grass mixture depending on their preference by cattl