Pay Per Quality; The Future of Milk Testing?

Dairy experts are beginning to raise concerns over the increased presence of Antibiotics and Aflatoxins in milk and milk products. At a recent meeting of Africa’s most important dairy experts and industry leaders in Nairobi, problems with the contamination of milk at various stages of the supply chain were examined and potential measures to curb these issues were also discussed.

The recent increase in Aflatoxins, attributed to the lack of quality systems in feed manufacturing, as well as the presence of antibiotics and other drugs in milk due to poor animal husbandry, have been cited as one of the key factors leading to the development of drug resistance worldwide.

Margaret Kibogy of the Kenya Dairy Board stated, “If you do not observe the withdrawal period after injecting a cow with antibiotics, the drug residues will be found in milk and when consumed, these cause challenges, that is why you hear of issues of resistance.”

To remedy these issues, experts such as Harry Kimutai of SNV – Kenya have recommended a quality based pay system for milk, whereby farmers and manufacturers are “incentivised to take care of the quality of the milk” and reduce contamination in return for better remuneration. This is a train of thought that is beginning to gain momentum worldwide and could see the implementation of more stringent milk testing procedures at both farm, manufacturing and governing levels.

The InfiniPlex for Milk by Randox Food Diagnostics provides one of the most comprehensive screening technologies on the market for milk testing. Our patented Biochip Array Technology can detect multiple toxins, residues & contaminants (up to 44) from a single sample, including antibiotics such as Chloramphenicol, Dapsone and Ractopamine, as well as Aflatoxins.

Our MultiSTAT instrument allows for the fully automated screening of a single sample using our InfiniPlex Array, giving confidence to manufacturers and consumers that their milk is of the highest quality!

For more information please email us at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com or visit our website at www.randoxfood.com