Full Length Research Paper

Effect of the lactoperoxidase system and container smoking on the microbial quality of goats’ milk during storage at an ambient temperature

Helen Nigussie¹ and Eyassu Seifu²*

¹Department of Animal Sciences, Ambo University College, P. O. Box 19, Ambo, Ethiopia.

²Department of Animal Sciences, Haramaya University, P. O. Box, 287, Alemaya, Ethiopia.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: eyassu_seifu@yahoo.com. Tel: 251- 25 55 30 370

Accepted 29 September,2008

   Abstract

The effect of the lactoperoxidase (LP) system in combination with container smoking on the microbial quality of goats’ milk was assessed during storage at ambient temperature. The titratable acidity, coliform count (CC) and total bacterial count (TBC) in LP activated milk samples (T₂) decreased by 0.13%, 1.6 and 1.33 log₁₀ units, respectively as compared to their respective values in the control (T₁) at 7 h of storage. Coliform count and TBC in T₂ decreased by 0.33 and 0.20 log₁₀ units, respectively at 7 h of storage as compared to the initial count. When container smoking was combined with the LP system (T₄), no acid development was observed in the milk samples. It can be concluded that container smoking combined with the LP system could effectively control microbial growth and extend the shelf life of goats’ milk stored at an ambient temperature by at least 7 h.

Key words: Goat milk, lactoperoxidase system, shelf life, smoking.