Perceptions of rural and urban residents in Borana pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in Ethiopia related to milk adulteration

Kebede Amenu; Abagena Shibiru; Adem Kumbe; Silvenus Ochieng Konyole; Megarsa Bedasa Jaleta; Waktole Tiki

doi:10.1186/s40795-024-00876-4

Perceptions of rural and urban residents in Borana pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in Ethiopia related to milk adulteration

BMC Nutr. 2024 Apr 30;10(1):66. doi: 10.1186/s40795-024-00876-4.

Authors

Kebede Amenu¹, Abagena Shibiru², Adem Kumbe³, Silvenus Ochieng Konyole⁴, Megarsa Bedasa Jaleta^{5

6}, Waktole Tiki^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Bishoftu, Ethiopia. kebede.amenu@aau.edu.et.
² Elweya Pastoral Development Office, Borana Zone Administration, Oromia Regional State, Elweya, Ethiopia.
³ Yabello Pastoral and Dryland Agriculture Research Centre, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Yabello, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya.
⁵ College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
⁶ Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, Potsdam, Germany.
⁷ Ethiopian Civil Service University (ECSU), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
⁸ Tetra Tech ARD, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Milk is a nutritious food that plays a great role in the diets of a society largely dependent on livestock production. On the other hand, contaminants can enter milk naturally or intentionally, causing a negative impact on the health of consumers. Milk adulteration is a wide concern in the dairy industry in many countries, including Ethiopia, with a subsequent negative impact on its nutritive value and potentially affecting the health of consumers. This study was designed to assess the perceptions of rural and urban residents in Borana pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in Ethiopia related to milk adulteration. It was also aimed at identifying the potential reasons for milk adulteration in the area. A semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data, respectively, focusing on the types of substances added to milk and the reasons for the addition of the substances. In rural and urban areas, 73.1% and 91.7% of respondents reported suspicion of the addition of nonmilk substances or milk of other animal species to cow's milk before selling, respectively. According to the qualitative data, most reported adulterants were water and 'pasta or rice water' (a murky fluid left after boiling rice or pasta). Respondents mentioned that they identify adulterated milk by observation or tasting. Economic gain was the primary perceived reason to adulterate the milk according to the study participants. The respondents had concerns about the quality and safety of milk associated with adulteration in the area. The weak enforcement of regulations related to milk quality and marketing as well as the inadequacy of capacity for the detection of adulteration were mentioned as gaps toward mitigating the problems. Awareness creation about the negative impacts of milk adulteration among the community supported by strategies for regulation, such as improving regular testing of milk and taking actions on adulterated milk, is recommended to tackle consumer concerns around milk adulteration in the area.

Keywords: Dairy product; Ethiopia; Health; Informal milk market; Milk adulteration; Nonmilk substance.

Grants and funding

Agreement #AID-OAA-L-15-00003/The United States Agency for International Development Bureau for Food Security (Washington, DC) as part of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems (University of Florida, Gainesville).