Informal Milk Research Articles

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF MILK MARKETING CHANNELS IN SOUTH REGION OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN: AN EMPIRICAL ESTIMATION OF MARKETING AND PROFIT EFFICIENCY

This paper aims to understand the structure of milk supply and to make a comparison between informal and formal milk marketing system with a view to measure the extent of transaction costs divergence in Punjab province of Pakistan. Livestock contribution in Pakistan’s GDP is 11.6 percent and the total milk production for year 2015 was recorded as 52.632 million tons. The descriptive research design was used with stratified sampling techniques for gathering primary data source from four districts having a rich population of livestock and milk producers. Different analytical techniques as marketing efficiency, marketing margin and DEA analysis for profit efficiency were applied for comparative estimation of two marketing systems. The empirical results indicate that the marketing margin (MM) of various middlemen, milk producer’s share in consumer price (DPP) was 20%, 12% higher respectively. The mean value of measure of marketing efficiency (MME) and profit efficiency for informal and formal milk marketing channels was estimated 1.8 and 0.77 respectively. Profit efficiency value for informal marketing channels was 0.37 higher in comparison to formal system. For informal milk marketing system, the traditional milk collector (Dhodi) is alone significant player in marketing chain whereas formal milk marketing chain is occupied by a series of middlemen, further there is involvement of huge fixed cost for producing UHT packed milk. Thus informal milk marketing system is dominating over formal milk marketing channels in Pakistan. Finally, we document some policy recommendation as a potential source amid at improving the situation of milk supply in Pakistan.

Market structure and coherence of international cooperation: the case of the dairy sector in Malawi

A supply chain in disarray can be identified as a barrier not only to growth for the agricultural sector but also to achieving food security in a country because it may lead to either a deficiency in food production and/or too high prices. Using the dairy sector of Malawi as an example, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the coherence between market structure and the development strategy pursued by international donors. Within Malawi the dairy sector may be characterised as a segmented market: with both formal and informal milk markets, with smallholder producers serving both markets. The formal market includes few processing firms operating with idle capacity and selling dairy products to an affluent segment of the urban population, whilst the informal market comprises the sale of unprocessed milk products to the less affluent urban population and also rural areas. In this context, cooperative international action, conducted through agencies from a range of countries, is targeted at improving the efficiency of the formal supply chain and also the creation of local supply chains that sell processed products directly to poor consumers. The paper discusses reasons why these two cooperation strategies, given the structure of the sector, may potentially conflict with each other, the need to address the degree of market imperfection of the formal sector and the desirability of ex-ante coordination of plans amongst donors.

Indicadores de qualidade e composição de leite informal comercializado na região Sudeste do Estado de São Paulo

Resumo:O leite informal é reconhecido como o produto comercializado sem inspeção. Avaliou-se a qualidade microbiológica, constituintes nutricionais e presença de substâncias inibidoras do crescimento bacteriano em 100 amostras informais de leite de vacas, comercializadas na região sudoeste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Verificou-se que 77% da Contagem de Células Somáticas (CCS) e 86% da Contagem Bacteriana Total (CBT) das amostras estavam em desacordo com os valores máximos exigidos pela Instrução Normativa 62 do MAPA. Identificaram-se teores em desacordo para sólidos totais (36%), proteína (23%), gordura (38%), extrato seco desengordurado (43%) e nitrogênio uréico (73%). Em 59% das amostras detectou-se a presença de resíduos de inibidores do crescimento bacteriano. Isolaram-se 240 linhagens de micro-organismos com predomínio de enterobactérias, estreptococos, estafilococos e fungos. O leite informal é comercializado na região sem as mínimas condições de higiene e oferece riscos a saúde pública, além de representar sério problema sócio-econômico para região.

Informal milk sharing: what nurses need to know.

Human milk is the ideal food for human infants. However, some infants will be in situations wherein there is insufficient human milk to meet their needs. This article addresses formal breast milk donation (donor milk) and informal sharing of breast milk. Healthcare providers are likely to encounter families who access milk by informal breast milk sharing or cross-nursing. Both practices rely heavily on receiving human milk from women who are potentially unscreened for disease, medication, and illicit substances. Therefore, it is important for perinatal nurses to have adequate information to be able to inform these families of the risks and benefits of breast milk sharing. Two case exemplars are provided to illustrate the nuances of informal milk sharing. Implications for practice include providing families with information on health history and laboratory screening as well as safe milk-handling practices.

Avaliação da qualidade do leite cru comercializado informalmente em feiras livres no município de Santa Maria-RS

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the quality of raw milk informally com-mercialized in street markets in the city of Santa Maria, RS. Samples of raw milk were purchased directly from merchants in street markets and the milk quality evaluation was performed through physical-chemical and microbiological analysis. Ten samples of informal raw milk were analyzed, but only two showed no variation from the titrable acidity. In these two samples, the parameters of density and fat showed satisfactory results, in opposition to the cryoscopic index, protein and fat dry extract that presented at odds with the established standards. In relation to the microbiological analyzes, 30% of the samples had count of mesophilic microorganisms greater than 6.0x105 UFC/ml and the presence of thermotolerant coliforms was confirmed in all samples of raw milk, but no samples showed contamination by Salmonella sp. Considering that this product is illegally commercialized, the obtained results show the precariousness of hygiene in the commercialized milk in street markets. The consumption of raw milk without any hygienic-sanitary control type exposes consumer health to risks.

Increasing the Global Supply and Affordability of Donor Milk

Human milk banking was virtually discontinued at the start of the human immunodeficiency virus era amid fears that the virus might be transmitted to preterm infants receiving donor milk. However, the demand for donor breastmilk has continued to be driven by decades of research that have increasingly demonstrated the benefits of breastmilk in neonatal care regarding the reduction of lifethreatening necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and infection, as well as improving long-term outcomes, notably neurodevelopment and bone health. Despite the progressive return of milk banking during the past two decades, the demand for breastmilk has not been met. Now, this problem has been greatly compounded by a recent, radical increase in demand for human donor milk resulting from compelling new research that is changing the standards for how preterm infants are fed. This new research is rooted in the concept of ‘‘lactoengineering,’’ using human milk components to produce formulations and fortifiers designed to meet the special nutritional needs of preterm infants. This concept was introduced by Lucas et al. in 1980 and more recently commercialized to produce a human milk-based fortifier designed for use in the neonatal intensive care unit. The production and use of such ‘‘lactoengineered’’ products in the United States have facilitated randomized clinical trial comparisons to be made between extremely premature infants fed on human milk plus cows’ milk-based fortifier or cows’ milk-based products alone, compared with a diet that is solely based on human milk, completely excluding exposure to cows’ milk. Published clinical trial evidence has shown that such an exclusively human milk-based diet results in a major reduction in NEC, a dramatic reduction in surgical NEC, a significant reduction in mortality, and a reduction in the duration of potentially hazardous parenteral nutrition. Apart from the demonstration of such important health benefits of an exclusively human milk-based diet, the estimated health economic benefits are large, with potential savings of billions of dollars in the United States each year. But, these benefits are only possible if the supply of donor milk increases to the level required to provide a higher protein density that forms the basis for the new lactoengineered products. The availability of donor milk has diminished to the point that milk banks cannot even serve the demands of the small percentage of hospitals using donor milk. Lack of awareness, low breastfeeding rates, and the diversion of donor milk to informal milk sharing programs have been cited as the root cause of the donor milk shortage. It has also been suggested that the responsibility for increasing the supply of donor milk rests with healthcare professionals who should compel their patients to donate breastmilk. No credible evidence has been presented to support that case, and, surprisingly, there seems to be no clear plan to solve the current shortage. General statements about encouraging breastfeeding, increasing breastfeeding rates, and the societal responsibility to ensure that nursing mothers donate milk have been put forth as a solution for years, yet the current milk banking systems continue to provide only a small percentage of the donor milk needed for the most vulnerable infants. It is time for a radically different approach if we are to see this problem solved in our lifetimes. More importantly, how many lives must be lost in neonatal units before a different approach is supported? A global perspective on the availability of donor milk is even more sobering. A recent report on global prematurity states that there are 15 million preterm infants born each year. If we can’t provide an adequate supply of donor milk in the United States for a mere 67,000 preterm babies, how can we expect countries with significant constraints on resources to do so?

The Risks and Benefits of Human Donor Breast Milk

CME EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: 1.Review the advantages and disadvantages of donor-banked milk over informal milk sharing.2.List disadvantages of proprietary infant formula for use as supplementation.3.Determine the primary ethical concerns when electing to use donor human milk versus propriety infant formula for supplementation. The benefits of breast-feeding, as well as the risks of some artificial formula, are well known. This growing recognition of the advantages of breast-feeding is reflected in the increased incidence of breast-feeding in recent years. However, one of the most common reasons for premature weaning is low milk supply, perceived or real, followed by nipple or breast pain. Given the increased awareness of the superiority of breast milk, however, more parents are turning to human donor milk to supplement their babies after they have been weaned.

Avaliação do consumo de leite e produtos lácteos informais e do conhecimento da população sobre os seus agravos à saúde pública, em um município do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

O leite é um alimento de elevado valor nutricional e considerado um dos principais produtos de origem animal consumidos nos dias de hoje. O Brasil destaca-se como um dos principais produtores de leite do mundo e desde 2006 vem apresentando aumento crescente em sua produção. Por outro lado, também se observa desde o início da década de 1990, crescimento do chamado leite e produtos lácteos informais (alimentos comercializados sem qualquer tipo de inspeção), representando desafio a ser vencido com relação à segurança alimentar. Muitas são as enfermidades que podem ser transmitidas por esses alimentos, como por exemplo, a tuberculose e a brucelose e poucos são os consumidores que estão atentos a essas informações. O fato agrava-se ao pensar que o leite e os produtos lácteos compõem a dieta de muitas crianças, idosos e pessoas imunocomprometidas, o que pode tornar esse quadro mais grave. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar, por meio da aplicação de questionários em 23 bairros do município de São José do Rio Preto, o perfil de 805 entrevistados, que consomem ou não leite e produtos lácteos, o conhecimento que os mesmos apresentavam sobre as doenças transmitidas pelo leite e seus derivados e o significado dos selos dos Serviços de Inspeção. Como resultado, observou-se que 97,76% (787/805) dos entrevistados consomem leite ou seus derivados, e aproximadamente 30% são obtidos por meios informais de comércio. A forma de consumo desse produto é bastante variável, mas 3,93% (31/787) dos consumidores do município ainda ingerem leite cru sem a fervura ou pasteurização e 65,96% (531/805) dos consumidores desconhecem a possível transmissão de doenças através da ingestão do leite. Além disso, 80,24% (646/805) dos consumidores não procuram nas embalagens se o produto passou por algum tipo de fiscalização antes de chegar ao comércio - identificação através dos selos dos órgãos de inspeção sanitária. A obtenção desses dados visou colaborar para o desenvolvimento de programas preventivos no município, e as informações obtidas estão disponíveis para auxiliar os serviços de fiscalização na redução da comercialização de leite e derivados informais como também nas campanhas de esclarecimento para os consumidores.

Exploring policy compliance of the South African informal milk-producing segment

Our study assessed whether municipal health services were informed about and exerted adequate control over the informal milk-producing sector in South Africa. The results indicated that municipal health services had limited control. Only one municipality was authorised to allow the sale of raw milk in its area. In most metropolitan and district municipalities, the distribution of raw milk continues, even where no statutory investigations assessed the ability to control the practice. The national and provincial government should recognise and support capacity building to enable municipalities to exercise power and perform their functions regarding informal milk distribution, part of the informal sector that has provided opportunities for employment and additional income. This constitutes a challenge particularly in monitoring and control of high-risk foods.

Risk assessment of staphylococcal poisoning due to consumption of informally-marketed milk and home-made yoghurt in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia

The objectives of the study were twofold: to prove that participatory risk assessment can be applied to informally-marketed foods, and to assess the risk of staphylococcal poisoning through consumption of raw milk and home-made yoghurt in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. Rapid urban appraisals were combined with conventional interviews to identify and quantify formal and informal milk value chains and to collect information on consumers' food preparation and consumption behavior. Milk was sampled in 170 dairy farms and 5 milk collection centers and microbiological tests were conducted. Published data on milk fermentation in Ethiopia was combined with a growth model of Staphylococcus aureus to develop a stochastic risk model. The annual incidence rate of staphylococcal poisoning was estimated to be 20.0 (90% CI: 13.9-26.9) per 1000 people. When the effect of fermentation was removed from the model, the annual incidence rate increased to 315.8 (90% CI: 224.3-422.9) per 1000 people, showing the importance of traditional food preparation methods in risk mitigation; traditional milk fermentation reduced the risk by 93.7%. Improving the safety of milk and dairy products could be achieved through supporting appropriate traditional food preparation and consumption where an industrial risk mitigation system is not feasible. Participatory risk assessment was shown to be applicable to informal food value chain.

Occurrence of <i>listeria monocytogenes</i> in bulked raw milk and traditionally fermented dairy products in Uganda

Bulked raw milk, locally processed yoghurt (LPY) and Bongo, a traditionally fermented dairy product sold at most informal milk cooling points in Uganda, were assessed for occurrence of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Total plate counts (TPC), holding temperature, pH and titratable acidity were also determined in all the milk products at the point of collection using standard methods. A total of 40 samples of bulked raw milk and 30 for each of LPY and Bongo were examined. Listeria spp. was higher in bulked raw milk than in fermented milk. Listeria spp. were detected in 60% of bulked raw milk, 30% of LPY and 15% of Bongo samples. Bulked raw milk had significantly higher (p log10 cfu mL-1) than bulked raw milk (8.40±0.11 log10 cfu mL-1) and LPY (7.40±0.13 log10 cfu mL-1). The mean total plate counts (4.90 to 9.00±0.13 log10 cfu mL-1) of the fermented dairy products were within the acceptable limits for human consumption. The TPC for bulked raw milk (8.40±0.11 log10 cfu mL-1) was higher than the recommended values of national and international standards. Temperature, pH and titratable acidity were significantly different (p 0.05) from variation in the combined effect of pH, percent titratable acidity and temperature. Results of this study demonstrate a high risk associated with consumption of bulked raw milk and fermented dairy products in due to occurrence of Listeria spp.

Kenyan Dairy Policy Change: Influence Pathways and Economic Impacts

Summary Marketing, transporting, processing, and consuming dairy products contribute significantly to the livelihoods of many poor Kenyan households. This study analyzes the impact of recent research supporting policy changes to liberalize informal milk markets. The study found that behavioral changes in dairy sector participants arising from the research evidence-supported policy and regulatory changes led to an average 9% reduction in milk-marketing margins, and a significant increase in the number of licensed small-scale milk vendors. High welfare benefits arising from the policy change, with a net present value of US$230 million, are captured by consumers, producers, and milk vendors.

ANÁLISES FÍSICO-QUÍMICAS E DE FRAUDE DO LEITE INFORMAL COMERCIALIZADO NO MUNICÍPIO DE MOSSORÓ-RN.

The objective of this work was to analyze the quality of informal milk commercialized in the city of Mossoro, RN, by means of physical-chemical analysis and research of fraud. Samples of raw milk commercialized in four neighborhoods of Mossoro were collected during the months of March and April of 2006. The collection took place weekly, totaling 32 samples. The samples went through physical-chemical analysis (density, fat content, total dry extract, solids-non-fat, grade of Dornic acidity, proof of alcohol and freezing point) and research of frauds, such as: addition of water, of conservatives ( hydrogen peroxide, caustic soda, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate) and restorative (sucrose, starch, chloride). From all the analyzed samples, 50% failed at least one of the physical-chemical tests, by not meeting the standards of current legislation. 50% of the samples did not meet the freezing point standard, followed by ESD (40.6%), EST (21.9%), density (18.8%) and acidity (6.2%). None of the samples met the standard of alcohol proof. From the fraud analysis the addition of water was are only one found. Most of the milk showed irregularities being unfit for marketing. Keywords: Frauds, informal milk, physiochemical analyses.

Analysis of Public Health Risks From Consumption of Informally Marketed Milk in Kenya

Despite an unfavorable policy environment against informal milk markets, these market account for most milk sales in Kenya. Convenient delivery and lower prices are the principal benefits for poor consumers. Current milk handling and safety regulations in Kenya are derived from models in industrialized countries. These may not be appropriate for local market conditions. An important step in targeting policies better is to collect quantitative and qualitative information about milk-borne health risk under different market situations. Preliminary results of assessments of milk quality and handling practices of informal milk market agents and consumers in central Kenya show very low apparent prevalence of zoonotic health hazards in milk from smallholder herds o[that contribute most marketed milk. Higher bacterial counts were associated with longer market chains and distance to urban areas. Most (up to 80%) of samples did not meet national bacterial quality standards. Over 96% of consumes boiled milk before consumption mainly to lengthen shelf life but also for health reasons. The most important health risks were judged to be from antimicrobial residues found in up to 16% of milk samples tested. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 27 2004: pp. 15-17

Testing for Antibodies to <i>Brucella abortus</i> in Milk From Consumers and Market Agents in Kenya Using Milk Ring Test and Enzyme Immunoassay

Over 85% of all milk sales on Kenya pass through informal channels. The extent of the risk posed by the sale of this raw milk to human health in respect to brucellosis is unknown. This paper presents the results of a study on the occurrence of antibodies to Brucella abortus in milk from households consuming raw unpasteurized milk and market agent selling the same. Four hundred thirty four (434) raw milk samples from consumer households and 508 from informal market agents were collected between January 1999 and January 2000 from Nakuru /Narok and Nairobi/Kiambu. Milk agents sampled included co-operative societies, milk collecting centers and self-help groups, milk bars, shops and kiosks and mobile traders on foot, bicycle or motorized transport. In addition, 147 samples from the formal market chain (pasteurized) were collected. All the samples from the samples were screened for antibodies to Brucella abortus using ELISA and Milk Ring Test (MRT), except for the formal milk that was tested using ELISA only. Five percent of the consumer household samples and 4% of the samples form informal milk market agents tested positive on ELISA. There was poor agreement between the two antibody surrogate tests (Kappa =0.40, 95% confidence interval =0.19-0.60). ELISA detected 3.2% more samples from consumer households and 0.4% from informal market agents than MRT. Of the formal market samples, 16.4% were positive. Ways of reducing the risk of contracting brucellosis from drinking raw milk are proposed. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 27 2004: pp. 18-21

An Evaluation of Milk Quality in Uganda: Value Chain Assessment and Recommendations

The sanitary quality of raw milk is an important issue in Uganda for social, economical and healthy reasons. A survey on milk quality was carried out in Mbarara major milk producing region in Uganda, between June and August 2004. The milk production system described in this paper has largely remained unchanged up to now. Milk quality was analysed at six stages of the commodity chain: farm, bicycle collector at the farm level, pick-up collecting centre, milk collecting centre, urban cooler, and vendor in Kampala city at th e urban cooler level. Milk quality was evaluated using platform tests (Clot on boiling (COB), Alcohol test, milk temperature and density) and microbiological tests (total plate count, total and faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli count). Approximately half of the total coliform count was attributed to fecal coliforms including E. coli . This indicates great possibility of the occurrence of enteric pathogens in milk. This is partly confirmed by the large count of E . coli . The bacteria load reached very high levels close to 2 x 10 6 colony forming units per millilitre (cfu/mL) at the farm level, and these levels increased 150-fold during transportation to Kampala. An analysis of the raw milk marketed through the informal sub sector in Uganda, revealed two main issues: (i) poor hygiene conditions from the production location all the way to the consumer; (ii) lack of an efficient preservation system to limit bacteria proliferation during transportation to Kampala. Milk was overheated at the urban informal milk heat processing units but rendered free from bacteria. However, storage of such treated milk over several days makes this process potentially more dangerous than beneficial since post processing contamination of a sterile substratum could lead to rapid proliferation of microorganisms. Milk quality across the value chain could be improved through: (i) changing milking practice s to ensure better hygienic conditions; (ii) improvement of milk handling and storage conditions maintaining the cold chain. This study presents baseline information for developing a technical and scientific basis for milk quality improvement in Uganda.

Risk of infection with Brucella abortus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 associated with marketing of unpasteurized milk in Kenya

As part of a study to assess zoonotic milk-borne health risks, seasonal survey data and unpasteurized milk samples were collected between January 1999 and February 2000 from randomly selected informal milk market agents (220 and 236 samples in the dry and wet seasons, respectively) and from households purchasing raw milk (213 and 219 samples in the dry and wet seasons, respectively) in rural and urban locations in central Kenya and screened for antibodies to Brucella abortus ( B. abortus) and presence of Escherichia coli ( E. coli) O157:H7. The latter was assessed based on samples from consumer households only. Antibodies to B. abortus were screened using the indirect antibody Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and the Milk Ring Test (MRT). The presence of E. coli O157:H7 was assessed by culture, biochemical characterisation, serological testing for production of verocytotoxin one (VT1) and two (VT2) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for the presence of genes encoding for the toxins. The prevalence of antibodies to B. abortus varied considerably ranging from none in milk sold in small units and originating from intensive production systems to over 10% in samples that were bulked or originating from extensive production systems. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from two samples (0.8%), one of which produced VT1. All urban consumers (100%) and nearly all rural consumers (96%) of marketed milk boiled the milk before consumption, mainly in tea, thus greatly reducing chances of exposure to live pathogens and potential health risks.