摘要：The microbial quality assurance of milk was done by evaluating 200 samples of milk from production point (dairy farm = 60), processing plant (60) and from market (80). Out of 60 samples of raw milk analyzed, 20 each from individual animal after complete milking (IAM), Pooled milk (PM) and chilled milk (CM), the PM revealed maximum contamination with highly significant (p≤0.01) difference between mean Total viable count (TVC) and Coliform count (CC) and significant (p≤0.05) difference between mean Psychrotrophic count (PC) and Faecal Streptoccal count (FSC) of milk from IAM. From the sample of milk (20 each) collected from pasteurization plant viz. immediately after heating (AHM), after pasteurization (Pasteurized milk or PAM) and after packaging (Packaged milk or PGM) the mean TVC was high in PGM. Only 40% of PGM was graded satisfactory based on coliform standards prescribed by BIS. On comparison of PGM obtained from dairy plant with the retail brands revealed that PGM had highly significant (p≤0.01) difference and lesser TVC, CC and PC in comparison with the brands B, C and D. The samples of the brand B had highest mean TVC. The highest mean CC, ECC, PC and FSC were seen in the samples of brand C. Evaluation of various critical points of bacterial contamination of milk from production and processing sites revealed high microbial count from milk pail, milkers hand washings and package machine wash indicating an important sources of contamination.
