Health risks associated with the consumption of dairy products

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Extract from the article: Milk and dairy products such as wagashi are part of the diet of some Togolese consumers. However, under certain conditions, they can present health risks for consumers. The health risk of a food is defined as the presence of any factor that could ren

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Milk and dairy products such as wagashi are part of the diet of some Togolese consumers. However, under certain conditions, they can present health risks for consumers. The health risk of a food is defined as the presence of any factor that could render the food unfit for consumption and pose a threat to consumer health. According to a study carried out by Beninese researchers and published in 2016, cow's milk taken from certain herds contained residues of phytosanitary products, heavy metals and aflatoxin, substances that are harmful to human health.

In Togo, dairy farming is mainly practised by the Fulani community. It produces milk that is either consumed by members of their households or sold fresh or processed into various products. Milk has a high nutritional value, but can present health risks for consumers if certain conditions are not met.

Microbial risks

Cows can become ill and carry microbes that may be present in their milk.When farmers process contaminated milk and distribute or market it, they expose consumers - and themselves - to the microbes responsible for zoonotic diseases (brucellosis, tuberculosis).This risk can be reduced if farmers systematically pasteurise (heat the milk to 60-70°C) the milk before distributing it.Unfortunately, this is not the case for most farmers in Togo's major dairy basins. Farmers need to be made aware of the need to systematically pasteurise fresh milk in order to reduce these health risks.

Physical risks (dust, flies, smoke)

Many Togolese travelling along National Road No. 1 have already bought wagashi from brave women who display them on trays or in buckets in certain localities such as Yaloumbè, the entrance to Tsévié, Mango and Mélo. Exposing wagashi to the open air and handling them with several hands are unhygienic practices that encourage contamination by dust, vehicle smoke and other invisible contaminants. The presence of colonies of flies feeding on these foods also increases the risk of contamination by micro-organisms, sometimes of faecal origin. Consumption of such products without prior cooking can cause digestive problems (diarrhoea, vomiting). Customers of wagashi have an important role to play in reducing these poor practices. If consumers are becoming increasingly demanding about the quality of the wagashi they are served, retailers will become more aware of the issue and be better able to protect their goods.

Risks associated with veterinary drug residues in milk

The presence of antibiotic residues in milk is detrimental to consumer health.These residues can cause bacteria to become resistant to the usual antibiotics, because many bacteria are shared by humans and animals.This phenomenon can make it difficult, if not impossible, to treat certain infections.

The presence of antibiotic residues in milk is mainly due to the fact that most farmers administer veterinary products to their animals without mastering the prescriptions and indications, particularly in terms of waiting times.When an animal needs to be treated, only the veterinary doctor is competent to ensure the quality, efficacy and safety of the use of veterinary medicines on animals.Depending on the medicine used, the veterinary doctor may prescribe a waiting period, generally of 14 days or more, which must be strictly observed before the milk of the treated animal is consumed.

What can be done to reduce the health risks associated with the consumption of milk and dairy products?

Informing consumers and raising their awareness

Consumers are primarily responsible for their own health.It is up to them to demand better quality in the products they buy for consumption. A simple way of demanding quality is to make kind remarks to shopkeepers at the time of purchase.If, for example, the wagashi platter is exposed to flies, the customer can simply recommend that the shopkeeper cover it.If the shopkeeper receives several comments on hygiene, there is a good chance that she will end up improving her practices for fear of losing customers.

Raising processors' awareness of good hygiene practices

These actions should be carried out by the government bodies responsible for hygiene, as well as their technical partners. This is the case for the NGOs VSF-Suisse (Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse) and GEVAPAF (Gestion de l'Environnement et Valorisation des Produits Agro Forestiers), which are implementing awareness-raising and training initiatives for wagashi processors in the prefectures of Oti, Oti-Sud and Kpendjal prefectures as part of the "Healthy Wagashi for Optimising the Income of Households Using Local Milk in Northern Togo" (WOMEN) project, with financial support from ECOWAS and Swiss Cooperation.

Regular hygiene checks by the relevant departments

This activity is essential if we want to prevent dairy products and milk from being sources of disease for the population. This control may lead to certification (official recognition) being issued to traders who apply hygiene measures, or to sanctions (ban on sales) being applied to those who do not.

Gamé KOKO

Source ; VSF-Suisse