Implementing a traceability system in a small to medium dairy plant in Lebanon with isolation and characterization of Staphylococcus aureus -

Abstract

Traceability is the ability to track any food through all stages of production, processing and distribution and identify the sources of all food inputs. Most dairy farms in developing countries are small farms with minimal resources. However, these farms contribute hugely to the dairy market. In Lebanon 78percent of the dairy farms are considered small to medium. These farms are suppliers for big dairy plants or produce dairy products and distribute to small retailers in rural villages. However, they lack the knowledge and resources to implement any food safety system. The best approach is to introduce a low-cost, manual (paper-pen base) traceability system. Our system was implemented in a small dairy plant in Bekaa, Lebanon, where the milk is produced, processed and distributed to retailers. After assessing the farm; excessive food safety training was given to the personnel on the farm, the facility design was improved, and documentation procedures where implemented. The cost of this system was negligible in comparison to a cost of one annual recall. In order to test this system, a mock recall was conducted. The recall allowed us to trace a dairy product back to the milking herd and vise versa; and thus reflecting a successful traceability system. This system can be used as a model to train interested stakeholders in Lebanon and the region; and with the support of the government this can improve the status of the dairy industry in Lebanon. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major cases of food-borne illnesses. Milk and dairy products are often contaminated with this bacterium. This contamination can be due to infected-milk producing cows or may result from poor processing hygiene or post-processing contamination since humans can also carry this microorganism. The number of S.aureus strains that exhibit antimicrobial, antibiotic and heat resistance is evolving which may lead to a serious health hazard. This study reports the occurrence of S.aureus in raw and processed milk on a small dairy farm. Of 102 samples, 6