Open AccessWhat are the potential sources of on-farm contamination of raw milk butter with Escherichia coli?
Author(s) -
Amaury Gérard,
Naomi Barbosa,
Sybille Di Tanna,
Marianne Sindic
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
biotechnologie, agronomie, société et environnement
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.34
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1780-4507
pISSN - 1370-6233
DOI - 10.25518/1780-4507.19580
Subject(s) - raw milk , milking , contamination , food science , raw material , food safety , hygiene , food contaminant , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental science , biology , zoology , medicine , ecology , pathology , biochemistry , gene
Description of the subject. According to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, Escherichia coli must be enumerated in raw milk butter before sales. Hygiene of batches is acceptable when a maximum of two samples out of five have levels of E. coli between 10 and 100 cfu·g-1. E. coli is still a threat to the safety of raw milk butter. Objectives. This study aimed to identify sources of E. coli in six farms facing recurrent contaminations in butter. Method. Farms were visited three times between March and May 2021. Surface samples and dairy products samples were collected throughout the process for E. coli enumeration and assessment of potential correlations between equipment contamination and hygienic quality of food products. Results. Two major sources of contamination were identified: the lack of efficacy of cleaning and disinfection practices on milk pipelines, junctions and cream separators, and absence of milk cooling in case of time-lapse of more than 2 h between milking and skimming. The use of lactic acid starters could be a helpful way to control E. coli during cream maturation, in association to adequate good manufacturing practices. Conclusions. Levels of E. coli in the considered raw milk butter batches were really high. A new decision tree is proposed that could help manufacturers and food controllers to improve hygienic quality of raw milk butter.