The importance of hygiene in wagashi production
- Posted on 23/05/2024 18:17
- Film
- By abelozih@sante-education.tg
Extract from the article: Wagashi is highly prized by consumers for its taste and nutritional quality. However, under certain hygienic conditions, microbes (e.g. faecal flora) can easily develop on this product, causing digestive problems for the consumer. The importance of f
Wagashi
is highly prized by consumers for its taste and nutritional quality. However,
under certain hygienic conditions, microbes (e.g. faecal flora) can easily
develop on this product, causing digestive problems for the consumer. The
importance of food safety on the market should be reflected in the adoption of
good hygiene practices by wagashi handlers.
For
any dairy product to have good nutritional value, in addition to good
physico-chemical quality, it must above all have excellent microbiological
quality. Without this condition, its use can pose a serious threat to public
health.
In
his thesis « Contribution to the study of the microbiological quality
of milk and dairy products marketed in Togo » presented and defended
on July 18, 1992, at the Check Anta Diop University in Dakar, Togolese
Dadémanao Pissang Tchangai shows that raw milk is highly contaminated from farm
to point of sale, resulting in a depreciation of around 50% in its quality at
production. The origins of this contamination lie in frequent exposure, poor
hygiene of collection, processing and marketing equipment, and repeated
handling. That's why it's crucial to
ensure that hygiene measures are observed at every stage of wagashi production.
Hygiene
of premises and animals
Good
hygiene of the premises is essential in the production and processing process,
to ensure food safety.
To
achieve this, herdsmen must collect cow dung daily, and regularly clean and
disinfect the cowshed and milk-processing area.
The herd must be bathed with water and a veterinary product used against
ticks and other insects. Breeding conditions must guarantee the herd's
well-being, and a spacious, well-maintained barn would be ideal. In the event
of illness, the sick animal must be monitored by a veterinarian and its milk
automatically excluded from the marketing circuit, until the end of the
treatment administered and even afterwards, depending on the waiting period for
the medication.
Milking
equipment hygiene
Ensure
that the milker's nails, hands, body and clothing are clean, and that the
milker wears gloves and hair protection.
Teats, collection buckets and cans must be thoroughly cleaned before
milking. Milking must be carried out in a clean, dust-free area, with the cow's
legs and tail attached.This is to avoid contamination of the milk by straw and
hair.
Water
quality
The
water used by some wagashi producers is often of poor hygienic quality, as in
the case of swamp water, which is generally unsanitary. The permanent use of
potable water is more appropriate.
Reinforcing
hygiene
To
prevent contamination and the dangers it can engender, we need to: at
production level, regularly monitor the state of health of the herd, and
improve milking hygiene by educating herdsmen and raising their awareness of
the dangers of inappropriate handling. Milk collected immediately after milking
should be decanted into clean containers, transported and stored under cold
conditions; downstream (at sales or processing points), particular emphasis
should be placed on the use of cold, and the hygiene of staff and equipment.
Another equally important action is the regular application of hygiene controls
by state services, leading to certification or official recognition of
producers who apply good hygiene measures, or the application of sanctions
against those who do not.
Promoting
healthy wagashi
Guaranteeing
the quality of dairy products is a major challenge for the industry. To this
end, the improvement actions to be carried out must focus on hygiene
conditions, appropriate ways of preserving, presenting and distributing the
product, its quality and its adaptation to the new eating habits of different
categories of consumers.This is one of the main thrusts of the « Wagashi
sain pour une Optimisation des revenus des Ménages Exploitant le lait local au
Nord Togo » (WOMEN) project, implemented by the NGOs Vétérinaires Sans
Frontières Suisse (VSF-SUISSE) and Gestion de l'Environnement et Valorisation
des Produits Agro Forestiers (GEVAPAF), with financial support from ECOWAS and
the Swiss Cooperation. One of the aims of this project is to improve the
availability and quality of local dairy products such as Wagashi.
Abel
OZIH
