Got Milk Microbes?
It’s the first food we taste. It’s sweet and delicious and good for you too. It’s in pasta sauces, candies, pastries, custards, and ice cream. Milk is arguably one of the most versatile ingredients among cooks and a staple in most households. However, as an animal product that is full of nutrients, there are several infectious diseases associated with microbe-contaminated milk and milk products. The good news is that most of these microbes are killed by pasteurization, and so in reality, infections due to milk and cheese are pretty rare — but still possible. How Does Cow’s Milk Get Contaminated? Dairy cows spend much of their time grazing in pastures, where they come in contact with a variety of environmental microbes. In addition, many microbes that are “commensal” organisms (that co-exist with cows without causing disease) may be considered human pathogens. Dairy processing facilities have many routes for the entry of contaminating microbes. First, as a nutrient-rich liquid, milk pr
