A Study of Microbiological Flora in Local Milk Vendors of Lucknow Region

Abstract

newline Milk is very rich in organic food supporting an ideal medium for the growth and newlinemultiplication of the microorganisms occurring in the environment, surroundings, interior and newlineexterior parts of the udder of mitch cows, utensils and the milkmen etc. As long as there is newlineenough water in the milk products, besides the milk sugar, there will be optimum conditions for newlinethe growth and development of microorganisms because milk sugar is the best medium for newlinebacterial growth. The growth retards when the quantity of water falls below 30 per cent level. newlineTherefore condensed milk with 25 percent moisture keeps longer than normal milk and dry milk newlinecontaining only about 5 per cent water and is stable. When milk is exposed to air, it loses carbon newlinedioxide and absorbs oxygen. Certain bacteria need and acquire oxygen from the atmosphere for newlinetheir growth, while other can well tolerate the oxygen free environment. They are known as newlineaerobes and non-aerobes, respectively. The best suited temperature for their growth is about newline37°C. Low temperature checks them while some microorganisms are destroyed at 60°C and newlinehence milk is pasteurized by keeping it at a temperature 60°C for 30 minutes in order to reduce newlinetheir population. newlineIn the present study aimed to know adulteration in selected local vendors of Lucknow newlineregion and their products like curd, buttermilk, butter and ghee. Resulting, the milk samples were newlineadulterated with common adulterants like water, urea, detergent, ammonium compound salt, newlinealcohol, neutralizer and starch, water being the most common adulterant, the milk samples newlinecollected were found containing excess water, starch and detergent, in the milk products like newlinebuttermilk and curd samples were found to be having not just excess water but also had added newlineurea and detergent, the butter and ghee samples on other hand were loaded with all the four newlineadulterants i.e. water , urea, starch and detergent. The different regions of Lucknow, the area of newlineChinhat is being supplied highly adulterated milk for the local milk venders followed by the newlineMalihabad, Bakshi Ka Talab and Gosainganj regions of Lucknow. Thus it was found that all the newlineso collected milk had varied proportions of common adulterants which might be detrimental risk newlineto human health, therefore a governing body should periodically check these products for newlinepresence of these harmful ingredients. newlineKeywords: - Milk adulteration, local vendors, Lucknow, microbe