Hazard Analysis of Cheese Provided for Consumers in Hawassa/Ethiopia

Abstract

The characteristics and the technology of traditional cheese processing are made in general under primitive condition which results in low yield and poor quality of the product. Poor sanitary practices results in public or consumers health hazards due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria mold and yeast. This research activity was initiated with the objective to evaluate the quality of cheese and its hazardousness to consumer's health. In this study a microbial load of 24 samples (S1-S24) which are collected from the local market and one control group (CG) were determined. The result indicate that aerobic bacterial count for 15 samples left under highest microbiological risk category while only 6 samples shows the moderate risk and the rest left under the acceptable limit. Despite 18 samples which show Staphylococcus Species growth at the highest level of microbiological risk category 6 samples didn't show any growth. 11 samples were shows Salmonella species and Shigella species growth beyond the acceptable limit. Only 9 samples were shows the highest risk through the growth of all total coliform, E-coli and fecal coliform growth whereas the rest shows particular growth. 9 samples for yeast and 4 samples for mold were show highest level of microbiological risk category while 5 samples for yeast and 4 samples for mold were left under moderate risk. 13 samples show the highest microbial load for LAB while 3 samples and the CG left under moderate microbiological risk category. The highest faecal coliform observed from fourteen collected cheese samples could be due to faecal contamination of the processing area and water used for processing. The current result on Staphylococcus Spp. The highest microbial load observed from many of the collected cheese samples could be due to human contact through air particles breathed, coughed or sneezed out during the course of work or from food handlers or from other sources in the air within the processing area. It also could be due to diseased udder, unfavorable storage temperature and/or long period of storage time. Finally, further research work covering wider area and large sample size should be done to identify problems and determine appropriate processing and handling of cheese.