Milk and milk products are essential constituents of the food chain in many countries.
Consumers use liquid milk in beverages, milk in cooking, food manufacturing industry utilizes vast
quantities of powdered and concentrated milks, butter and cream as raw materials for further
processing, and fermented dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. Just as important is the fact that
milk is an excellent nutrient source in humans such as calcium, vitamin D (for products fortified
with vitamin D), and potassium, to the diet linked to improve bone health, especially in
children and adolescents, to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes
and to lower blood pressure in adults. Milk is a complete food containing protein, fat, sugars,
vitamins, and minerals.
However, these same nutrients provide the most suitable medium for microbial growth in a
different sense. The main sources of bacterial contamination of milk is the interior of the udder as in
case of mastitis and the outer surface of the udder where milk handling and storage equipment, milking
and housing environment, health status and hygienic conditions of the animal are factors taken into
account. Milk contains fewer microbes when taken from a healthy cow's udder. In case of healthy
animals, usually less than 1,000 bacteria per ml of milk were reported. Healthy animals ' milk does not
make a major contribution to increasing bulk milk bacterial load. While milk from animals with a certain
udder illnesses such as mastitis contains a wide range of bacteria. Some bacteria may also enter milk
from other sources, such as uncleaned milking equipment and the animal's body. It is mainly found in
streptococcus spp.
Milk in its natural state is highly perishable material because it is susceptible to rapid spoilageby
the action of naturally occurring enzyme and contaminating microorganisms
The milk microbiology sector is vast and diverse. The milk products’ bacteria can cause disease
or spoilage. Therefore, milk and milk products microbiology remains one of the priority interests of all
those involved in the dairy industry.
In this way, microbiological testing of milk products are conducted. This type of testing is utilized
to determine the presence of pathogens in the milk sample that may cause food-borne illnesses to
consumers. Aerobic Plate Count method was conducted to indicate level of microorganisms in the
sample product. The experiment was done from February 15, 2020 to – at FS103E, a laboratory room in
NDFT Building, with the guidance of Prof.