MICROBIAL ANALYSIS OF RAW AND BOILED MILK SOLD AT BARATON CENTER IN NANDI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Milk is a complex biological fluid which is rich in nutrients, by its nature it is a good growth medium for many

micro-organisms. Bacterial contamination of milk may arise from various sources due to poor storage and han

dling. The coliform bacteria count in milk is a major feature in determining its quality. This study sought to in

vestigate microbial contamination of raw and boiled milk sold at Baraton Center. Standard plate count and coli

form count was used to analyze the presences of coliform bacteria. The study results showed that all the the

raw milk samples contained ≥100000CFU/ml of total bacteria count while 60% samples had >50000CFU/

ml coliform bacteria. The results of this study is a clear indication that the milk sold at Baraton center could be

contaminated with pathogenic microbes and is an eye opener to the consumers on the quality of milk and the

potential health hazards