CHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF RAW-MILK PRODUCED BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN ZIMBABWE

Chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out on 10 samples o f raw milk collected over 6 months from the Nharira/Lancashire Milk Co llection Center. The milk center is run by smallholder farmers. The pu rpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of the raw milk deliver ed to the milk collection center. The average chemical characteristics of the milk were (%): titratable acidity expressed as lactic acid, 0. 21; total protein, 3.19; fat, 3.52; total solids, 11.76; and solids no t fat, 8.25; the pH varied from 6.15 to 6.65. There were large variati ons in the microbiological composition of the raw milk with total aero bic counts ranging from 6.2 x 10(3) to 7.8 x 10(7) CFU/ml, coliforms f rom 3.2 x 10(2) to 2.3 x 10(5), and lactic acid bacteria from less tha n 1 x 10(3) to 2.9 x 10(6) CFU/ml. Yeasts and molds were less than 100 CFU/ml in 7 of the 10 samples analyzed.