"We never boil our milk, it will cause sore udders and mastitis in our cows"
Consumption practices, knowledge and milk safety awareness in Senegal
Abstract
Milk is a nutrient-rich food that makes an important contribution to diets in several Low and Middle Income Countries such as Senegal. Milk can also harbour several pathogenic microorganisms. As in other low and middle income countries, the dairy industry in Senegal is growing, with an expansion of farms to meet rapidly growing demand in the cities. However, most of the production still happens in the informal sector, and little is known about consumption of milk and milk products, or knowledge, awareness and practices of actors in informal dairy supply chains.
We conducted structured focus group discussions with dairy farmers and milk processors in 3 selected regions (Dakar, Thies and Fatick) in Senegal to investigate the consumption practices, awareness of milk borne hazards, and practices relevant to the risk of milk contamination to gain a deeper understanding of drivers of milk-borne diseases. Data on the consumption of milk and milk products were also collected using a closed questionnaire.
This is a publication arising from the Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems (ZELS) programme.
Citation
Chengat Prakashbabu B, Cardwell J, Craighead L, Ndour A, Yempabou D, Ba E, Bada-Alambedji R, Akakpo A, Guitian J (2020). “We never boil our milk, it will cause sore udders and mastitis in our cows”- consumption practices, knowledge and milk safety awareness in Senegal. BMC Public Health. 20:742.