Department of Microbiology, Babcock University, Ogun State, Ilishan Remo, Nigeria.
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2021 Mar;20(2):1188-1220. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12712. Epub 2021 Jan 27.
Animal milk types in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are processed into varieties of products using different traditional methods and are widely consumed by households to support nutritional intake and diet. Dairy products contain several microorganisms, their metabolites, and other chemical compounds, some with health benefits and many others considered as potential health hazards. Consumption of contaminated milk products could have serious health implications for consumers. To access the safety of milk products across SSA, studies in the region investigating the occurrences of pathogens as well as chemical compounds such as heat stable toxins and veterinary drug residues in animal milk and its products were reviewed. This is done with a holistic view in light of the emerging exposome paradigm for improving food safety and consumer health in the region. Herein, we showed that several published studies in SSA applied conventional and/or less sensitive methods in detecting microbial species and chemical contaminants. This has serious implications in food safety because the correct identity of a microbial species and accurate screening for chemical contaminants is crucial for predicting the potential human health effects that undermine the benefits from consumption of these foods. Furthermore, we highlighted gaps in determining the extent of viral and parasitic contamination of milk products across SSA as well as investigating multiple classes of chemical contaminants. Consequently, robust studies should be conducted in this regard. Also, efforts such as development cooperation projects should be initiated by all stakeholders including scientists, regulatory agencies, and policy makers to improve the dairy product chain in SSA in view of safeguarding consumer health.
撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）的动物奶类型采用不同的传统方法加工成各种产品，并被家庭广泛消费，以支持营养摄入和饮食。乳制品含有多种微生物、它们的代谢物和其他化学化合物，其中一些具有健康益处，而许多其他化合物则被认为是潜在的健康危害。食用受污染的乳制品可能对消费者的健康造成严重影响。为了评估 SSA 各地乳制品的安全性，对该地区的研究进行了综述，这些研究调查了病原体以及热稳定毒素和兽用药物残留等化学化合物在动物奶及其产品中的存在情况。这是在新兴的暴露组学范式的背景下，从整体角度出发，为改善该地区的食品安全和消费者健康而进行的。在这里，我们表明，SSA 的几项已发表的研究应用了传统的和/或敏感性较低的方法来检测微生物物种和化学污染物。这对食品安全具有严重影响，因为微生物物种的正确鉴定和对化学污染物的准确筛选对于预测可能影响人类健康的潜在影响至关重要，这些影响可能会破坏从这些食品中获得的益处。此外，我们还强调了确定 SSA 各地乳制品中病毒和寄生虫污染程度以及调查多种化学污染物方面的差距。因此，应该在这方面进行强有力的研究。此外，科学家、监管机构和政策制定者等所有利益相关者都应该发起诸如发展合作项目之类的努力，以改善 SSA 的乳制品链，从而保障消费者的健康。
