Microbial Quality Assessment Study of Branded and Unbranded Milk Sold in Peshawar City, Pakistan

Abstract

Four brands of commercially milk samples and unpasteurized milk, produced by farmers collected from Peshawar City (NWFP). These samples and samples of sterilized milk treated with ultra-high temperature (UHT) process, were microbiallly examined. The average minimum TPC of raw milk were 7.05 x 10⁴cfu/ml and maximum were 3.5 x 10⁵cfu/ml, minimum average coliforms were 16.65MPN/ml and average maximum 132MPN/ml, maximum fecal coliforms were 7.65MPN/ml and minimum value =0.3MPN/ml, E. coli O157:H7 were isolated from all samples except S7, Salmonella were also isolates from all raw milk samples, average maximum yeast and mould were 4.3 x 10⁶cfu/ml and minimum were 3 x 10⁴cfu/ml. Storage life study of branded milk at t 4^oC, 25^oC and 35^oC for TPC were indicate that after 45 days TPC were increases and at the end of 90 days TPC were decreases, but in some cases it increases. All above microbes can have a hazardous effect on human body, unpasteurized milk sold by farmers showed a very high total viable count which indicates serious faults in production hygiene, unsatisfactory sanitation and unsuitable storage temperature. On contrast, the UHT milk produced by modern dairies showed a very high quality of microbial standard with a very delicate flavor.