Traditional milk transformation schemes in Côte d'Ivoire and their impact on the prevalence of Streptococcus bovis complex bacteria in dairy products

Safety and Quality of Milk and Milk Products in Senegal—A Review

Historically, local milk production in Senegal has struggled to keep up with the demands of consumers, so there has been a heavy reliance on imported milk and milk products. More recently, efforts have been made to improve local dairy production by establishing large, organized dairies that collect milk from rural production areas and developing small-scale processing units, such as mini dairies. The local dairy value chain in Senegal consists of (1) informal collection systems where farmers commonly deliver milk directly to dairies; (2) traditional and artisanal processing using simple equipment and techniques; and (3) short local marketing and sale circuits. Most West African dairy sectors are dominated by raw, unpasteurized milk or traditional, spontaneously fermented milk products, such as lait caillé in Senegal, sold through small-scale channels without a cold chain, so the risk of food safety hazards may be increased. Microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards have been found in milk and milk products across West Africa. There is a need to educate milk producers, small-scale processors, and vendors on the importance of refrigerating milk immediately after milking as well as maintaining the cold chain until the milk is heat treated and, subsequently, until the milk is marketed to the consumer. However, without assistance, obtaining the equipment necessary for cold storage and processing of milk can be challenging.

Vendor Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Food Safety in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT

Foodborne diseases are a significant cause of illness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Poor infrastructure, lack of regulatory oversight, and environmental conditions can increase food safety risks, particularly in traditional markets. Food vendors in traditional markets shoulder a heavy responsibility to keep food safe under often challenging conditions. The ability of these vendors to ensure food is safe is shaped by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). Hence, understanding vendor KAP is important when designing interventions to improve food safety. To date most research on food vendors in LMICs has focused on vendors of ready-to-eat street foods and not on vendors of fresh food commodities. To fill this gap, a scoping review was undertaken to compile existing research on food safety KAP of vendors of food commodities in LMICs. PubMed, Google Scholar, Ovid Medline, and institutional Web sites of major research organizations were searched for original research articles and reports. Of 17,483 titles screened, 84 relevant studies were identified. Of the studies included, most were conducted after 2014 and focused on urban and periurban Africa. Most studies had a cross-sectional design with mixed methods (e.g., quantitative and qualitative analyses of vendor KAP through interviews and observations) and had small sample sizes (<50 participants). Common food value chains studied were dairy, meat, and fruits and vegetables. Very few studies included more than one type of commodity or value chain. Food vendor knowledge typically ranged from little to none, which was evident from observations of vendors operating under unsafe and unhygienic conditions, such as poor food handling and storage practices. Poor compliance with existing food safety policies, laws, and regulations was evident in some cases primarily due to either limited awareness of their existence or limited knowledge of how to implement them. However, vendors generally had positive attitudes toward food safety. No significant gaps were found between food safety knowledge and actual practices, although this correlation was not always examined rigorously in the reviewed studies. KAP and gaps between food safety behavior did not differ with vendor age or gender, type of product sold, or geography. Local government staff were identified as key enabling actors, interacting with food market vendors to foster improved food safety practices.

HIGHLIGHTS

Metaproteomic Insights Into the Microbial Community in Pozol

Pozol is an acidic, refreshing, and non-alcoholic traditional Mayan beverage made with nixtamalized corn dough that is fermented spontaneously. The extensive analysis of the microbiology, biochemistry and metaproteomics of pozol allowed the construction of a comprehensive image of the fermentation system. The main changes in both the substrate and the microbiota occurred in the first 9 h of fermentation. The increase in microorganisms correlated with the drop in pH and with the decrease in the contents of carbohydrates, lipids, and nitrogen, which shows that this stage has the highest metabolic activity. Bacterial proteins were mainly represented by those of lactic acid bacteria, and among them, the proteins from genus Streptococcus was overwhelmingly the most abundant. Yeast proteins were present in all the analyzed samples, while proteins from filamentous fungi increased up to 48 h. The metaproteomic approach allowed us to identify several previously unknown enzyme complexes in the system. Additionally, enzymes for hydrolysis of starch, hemicellulose and cellulose were found, indicating that all these substrates can be used as a carbon source by the microbiota. Finally, enzymes related to the production of essential intermediates involved in the synthesis of organic acids, acetoin, butanediol, fatty acids and amino acids important for the generation of compounds that contribute to the sensorial quality of pozol, were found.