Abstract
The study was conducted at Yabello, Arero and Dire districts of Borana zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia to assess production practices of <i>ititu</i> produced in the study area. A total of 180 households selected purposively from three districts, and then six Kebeles were randomly selected from three districts for the survey study. The result of the survey showed that, among the interviewed households, only 39% and 3% wash their hands and wash udder of a cow before milking, respectively. Most pastoral households used pond water for cleaning milk utensils (67%) followed by a hand-dug well (14%). According to respondents, <i>ititu</i>is made from cow milk by spontaneous fermentation without the addition of any starter culture. The removal of the whey part (i.e. called “Dhama” in local language) from fermented milk is more practiced within 3-4 days of interval and followed by adding the fresh milk to fill Gorfa (The complete process of fermentation takes place for 15 days under room temperature in Gorfa). The results indicated that the quality of traditional <i>ititu</i> was substandard and not safe for consumption. This in general, the production of <i>ititu</i> in the study area requires awareness creation of keeping good hygienic quality for <i>ititu</i> making in order to make it safe from the public health point of view.
Highlights
Traditional fermented milk products are widely consumed in the entire world
Microorganisms of lactic acid starter cultures used for the conversion and preservation of milk products are unique bioconverters of energy
Milk can contain pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Listeria spp., Brucella spp. The presence of these pathogenic bacteria in milk emerged as major public health concerns, especially for those individuals who still drink raw milk [3]
Summary
Traditional fermented milk products are widely consumed in the entire world. These products are an important supplement to the local diet and provide vital elements for growth, good health [1, 2] and an appreciated flavor. Milk can contain pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Listeria spp., Brucella spp. The presence of these pathogenic bacteria in milk emerged as major public health concerns, especially for those individuals who still drink raw milk [3]. The fermentation process does not require additions of any defined starter culture, rather natural lactic acid bacteria (LAB) spontaneously ferment the milk. Milk from a healthy udder comprises very little microorganisms but it is contaminated with spoilage and pathogenic microbes after the time it leaves the teat of the cow till it is used for further processing
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