Browsing by Author "Ssendagala, George William"

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    Microbiological safety and physicochemical composition of Bongo, a traditional fermented milk product from Lyantonde district, Uganda
    (Scientific African, 2020) Muzira Mukisa, Ivan; Ssendagala, George William; Byakika, Stellah
    Traditional fermented dairy products, including Bongo, are an important emerging market owing to their nutritional benefits and probiotic potential. Production of Bongo is unstan- dardized, unregulated and may raise public safety concerns. Microbial counts and physic- ochemical parameters ( n = 30 Bongo samples), production protocol, and hygiene practices of processors ( n = 15) were evaluated. Over 93.3% of the products were contaminated with potentially pathogenic microbes including Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, Sulphur reducing clostridia, Enterococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. About 40% of the samples had pH ≥4.0. Most processors had inadequate hygiene practices which compromised product safety. These results indicate the need for developing product specifications, training processors in good food safety practices and enforcing relevant regulations.