Journal of food protection最新文献

{"title":"What Drives the Use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides and Farmers’ Beliefs About Crop Contamination in Punjab, Pakistan? Implications for Sustainable Agriculture and Public Health","authors":"Yasir Mehmood ,&nbsp;Muhammad Arshad ,&nbsp;Stefan Sieber","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pesticides are extensively used in agriculture to improve crop yields and protect against pests. However, the excessive and indiscriminate application of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) poses serious threats to farmers, the environment, and consumer health—risks that are particularly acute in developing countries where awareness of pesticide hazards is limited. Using farm household-level survey data, this study investigates the factors that drive the use of HHP and farmers’ beliefs about crop contamination in Punjab, Pakistan. Ordered logistic regression models were applied for analysis. Results show that media exposure, participation in Farmer Field Schools (FFS), perceived effectiveness, and yield-maximization intent significantly increase the likelihood of HHP use. Retailer recommendations also have a positive influence (<em>β</em> = 0.495, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), while farmers’ awareness of pesticide risks reduces usage (<em>β</em> = −0.432, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Beliefs about crop contamination are positively influenced by education level, media exposure, FFS participation, and label reading, whereas retailer advice exerted a strong negative influence (<em>β</em> = −0.850, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). Overall, farmers demonstrated limited knowledge of pesticide hazards, with 76% and 71% of farmers citing yield gains and economic necessity, respectively, as their primary motivations for HHP use. These findings highlight the need for targeted policy interventions and institutional support to raise awareness of pesticide-related health risks and to promote safer, more sustainable agricultural practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100646"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145368106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mature Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms Exhibit Reduced Susceptibility to Sanitizers – Relevance to the (Leafy Green) Fresh Food Supply Chain","authors":"Lucy Sutton,&nbsp;Megan Humphreys,&nbsp;Callum Highmore,&nbsp;Sandra Wilks,&nbsp;Charles William Keevil","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salads and herbs are important for a healthy diet but during their processing and packaging, they may be exposed to environmental contamination from foodborne pathogens. Of particular concern <em>is Listeria monocytogenes</em>, a Gram-positive, facultative anaerobe, found ubiquitously in the environment. <em>L. monocytogenes</em> can survive and grow under harsh conditions such as refrigeration temperatures, low oxygen or nutrient concentrations, which is why it is a problem in the fresh food supply chain. Infection with <em>L. monocytogenes</em> can result in listeriosis, potentially fatal in immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, newborn babies, and the elderly. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of common sanitizing methods used in the fresh food supply chain, where biofilm formation has raised concerns, using appropriately developed laboratory models of <em>Listeria</em> biofilms. <em>L. monocytogenes</em> Scott A, <em>L. monocytogenes</em> CECT 936, and <em>L. innocua</em> NCTC 12210 biofilms were grown at 20 °C or 4 °C, on stainless steel coupons for 7 days, and treated with high concentrations of chlorine (up to 300 ppm) or peracetic acid (up to 500 ppm) on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. Coupons were then processed for culturable cell counts on treatment days, and imaged using episcopic differential interference microscopy, coupled with epi-fluorescence microscopy (EDIC/EF) on day 7 of growth. This determined that temperature affects biofilm growth on stainless steel, as biofilm growth reached ∼8 log₁₀ CFU/cm² at 20 °C, but was significantly lower at 4 °C (∼4 log₁₀ CFU/cm²) – highlighting the importance of maintaining a cold chain. Chlorine and peracetic acid were shown to be effective at treating <em>Listeria</em> in the planktonic form but were not effective at treating aged biofilms at both temperatures and the high concentrations of sanitizers used. This work provides important information on sanitizing efforts in the fresh food supply chain, concerning factory temperature, processing surfaces, and the age of biofilm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100652"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145370326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular Detection of Salmonella","authors":"Hongjian Fu ,&nbsp;Wenjuan Xu ,&nbsp;Mintao Huang ,&nbsp;Yanguang Cong","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100659","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100659","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The genus <em>Salmonella</em> consists of a group of globally significant foodborne pathogens that pose substantial public health risks. Traditional detection methods are inadequate for rapid diagnosis and effective epidemic surveillance due to limitations such as time-consuming procedures and insufficient sensitivity. In recent years, the development of molecular techniques has driven innovations in <em>Salmonella</em> detection. Nucleic acid-based detection methods including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR), whole genome sequencing (WGS) and more emerge as crucial approaches for <em>Salmonella</em> detection due to their high sensitivity, specificity, and rapidity. Our review systematically summarized technological advancements in molecular detection of <em>Salmonella</em>, including specific genetic targets and drug resistance genes used for molecular detection, typing technologies, and emerging techniques such as CRISPR-Cas systems and microfluidic chips. This review comprehensively covers a wide array of molecular detection and characterization technologies, including conventional PCR, qPCR, multiplex PCR, digital PCR (dPCR), isothermal amplification techniques (such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification), genotyping methods (including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, etc.), WGS, melting curve analysis (MCA), and other emerging technologies. The review also discusses the balance between sensitivity and specificity in complex samples, challenges regarding the cost and accessibility of advanced technologies, as well as prospects for future development directions including portable point-of-care testing devices, automated detection equipment. Ongoing optimization of molecular detection technologies will provide critical support for the prevention and control of <em>Salmonella</em> infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100659"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145401102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the Dynamics of Salmonella Contamination During Commercial Pork Harvest Using Qualitative and Quantitative Detection Methods","authors":"J.A. Brown,&nbsp;S.C. Ricke","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animals can be reservoirs for pathogens such as <em>Salmonella</em>, creating the potential for cross−contamination during harvest. Antimicrobials are used to limit this risk, but validation of interventions in commercial settings can be challenging. The objective of this study was to develop a bio-map to evaluate the presence and concentration of <em>Salmonella</em> during harvest in commercial market hog facilities. Carcass swabs were collected from three commercial market hog facilities, five times a day for five days, at nine locations throughout harvest from exsanguination to chilling (<em>N</em> = 675). At each sampling interval, a single carcass was tracked through harvest by swabbing the ham, shoulder, and jowl. Samples were analyzed for quantitative and qualitative <em>Salmonella</em> using Gene-Up Quant (log₁₀ CFU/swab; limit of quantification (LOQ) = 1 log₁₀ CFU/swab) and Gene-Up SLM2 (present/absent; limit of detection (LOD) = 1 CFU/swab), respectively. Prevalence data were analyzed in R Studio using linear mixed effect models, with carcass as a repeated measure, and ANOVA with means separated by Tukey’s HSD (<em>p</em> ≤ 0.05). Due to the limited number of quantitative results above the LOQ (<em>n</em> = 7; 1.15–1.56 log₁₀ CFU/swab), statistical analyses were not performed. <em>Salmonella</em> prevalence was impacted by facility (<em>p</em> = 0.006), location (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), and the interaction between facility and location (<em>p</em> = 0.004). Across all facilities, <em>Salmonella</em> prevalence was highest on incoming pigs and decreased most significantly after external decontamination. These results indicate that while concentrations may be low, <em>Salmonella</em> contamination is prevalent throughout the pork harvest process, highlighting the need for effective detection systems to develop and evaluate process control strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100665"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response to: Letter to the editor regarding “Testing Program Critical Control Points (TP-CCPs): Characterizing and Optimizing Decision-making Power in Food Safety Testing (Mosso et al., 2025)”","authors":"Joelle Mosso ,&nbsp;Gustavo A. Reyes ,&nbsp;Barbara Kowalcyk ,&nbsp;De Ann Davis","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100664","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100664","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100664"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145471035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal and Environmental Drivers for Survival of Escherichia coli in Florida Soils Amended with Heat-Treated Poultry Pellets and Composted Poultry Litter","authors":"Harsimran Kaur Kapoor ,&nbsp;Charles Bency Appolon ,&nbsp;Cameron A. Bardsley ,&nbsp;Karuna Kharel ,&nbsp;Keith R. Schneider ,&nbsp;Manan Sharma ,&nbsp;Aditya Kumar Mishra ,&nbsp;Govindaraj Dev Kumar ,&nbsp;Alda F.A. Pires ,&nbsp;Laurel L. Dunn ,&nbsp;Abhinav Mishra","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous studies have shown that field environmental conditions influence pathogen survival in the soils amended with biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAOs). To address this, a two-year completely randomized design field study in Florida was conducted with plots amended with heat-treated poultry pellets (HTPPs), composted poultry litter (PL), and unamended (UN), all inoculated with <em>E. coli</em>. Onion bulbs were transplanted into selected HTPP plots (O-HTPP) and field cured after harvesting. Soil samples were enumerated for <em>E. coli</em> on days 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, 84, 112, 140, 147 (harvest day), and 161 (after curing). The <em>E. coli</em> data were used to fit a linear mixed effect model (LME) with five weather variables: cumulative rainfall (cmrain₄), average air temperature (at60₁₂₃₄), relative humidity (RH₁₂₃₄), wind speed (W₁), soil temperature (ast₁). Overall, <em>E. coli</em> levels were 1.8 and 1.6 log₁₀CFU or MPN/g higher in HTPP than UN plots in Year 1 and Year 2. The LME for soil amendment plots identified weather parameters that significantly influenced <em>E. coli</em> survival; cmrain₄ and W₁ increased and decreased survival by 0.698 and 0.712 log₁₀CFU or MPN/g (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), in Year 1. In the LME that compared plots with and without onions, W₁ significantly increased survival in soils by 0.504 log₁₀CFU or MPN/g (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) in Year 1 (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05)<em>.</em> These robust LME models (R²: 0.88–0.92) can predict the <em>E. coli</em> population in soils amended with poultry-litter−based amendments with or without onions. However, future studies will benefit from frequent samplings at later time points.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100639"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145318377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A New Approach to Estimate Salmonella Inactivation Parameters During Dynamic Elevated Heat Treatment: A Case Study With Flaxseed","authors":"Natoavina T. Faliarizao ,&nbsp;Yawei Lin ,&nbsp;E. Shaney Rump ,&nbsp;Nolan B. Schinderle ,&nbsp;Hui Zeng ,&nbsp;Teresa M. Bergholz ,&nbsp;Kirk D. Dolan","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100666","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100666","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Limited studies have been conducted on treating <em>Salmonella</em> in low-moisture foods (LMFs) at elevated temperature (&gt;90 °C) without direct contact with the heating medium. However, nearly all LMFs are heated under nonisothermal conditions (above 90 °C) during commercial processes such as baking, toasting, roasting, etc. In this study, flaxseeds were equilibrated to a water activity of 0.55 ± 0.03 after being inoculated with <em>Salmonella enterica</em> Enteritidis PT 30. Heat treatment was performed using a heated circulator with silicon oil at 95, 105, or 120 °C for 11 evenly spaced time points with intervals of 15–30 s. Two aluminum test cells with 0.8 g of inoculated flaxseed and one thermocouple-equipped cell with 0.8 g of uninoculated flaxseed per time point were used for each biological replicate. Two secondary inactivation models (log-linear/Bigelow and Weibull/Bigelow) and three primary inactivation models (log-linear, Weibull, and Geeraerd) were compared for dynamic elevated temperature conditions. <em>Salmonella</em> inactivation parameters in flaxseed were estimated using ordinary least squares (OLSs). Statistical analysis indicated that the log-linear/Bigelow model was the model that best described the thermal inactivation kinetics at higher temperatures, based on the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC_c) values. A tenfold increase in the lethality rate for <em>Salmonella</em> at elevated temperatures in flaxseeds (<em>D</em>_105°C-value = 24.17–30.02 s) required a 35.9 °C increase from the reference temperature of 105 °C. Because the scaled sensitivity coefficients are larger, experiments at higher oil bath temperatures are better for estimating the <em>D</em>-value, <em>z</em>-value, and <em>n</em>. Overall, this new approach allows estimation of <em>Salmonella</em>’s inactivation parameters at elevated temperatures under dynamic conditions. Food processors can use these findings to develop or refine <em>Salmonella</em> prediction models for real-world processing of low-moisture foods under high-temperature conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100666"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145530360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food Safety Practices Among Small-Scale Produce Growers Exempt from Federal Regulations: A Systematic Literature Review","authors":"Jesica Temple ,&nbsp;Tim P. Boltz ,&nbsp;Jessica M. Blythe ,&nbsp;Christopher M. Ashwell ,&nbsp;Cangliang Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100648","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100648","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Small-scale produce growers exempt from the Food Safety Modernization Act (<strong>FSMA</strong>) Produce Safety Rule (<strong>PSR</strong>) are not required to follow federal food safety standards, yet their practices have direct implications for public health. The extent to which knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (<strong>KAB</strong>) influence voluntary adoption of PSR-aligned practices in this group remains unclear. This systematic literature review aimed to examine self-reported food safety behaviors and willingness to adopt practices among FSMA-exempt small-scale growers. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (<strong>PRISMA</strong>) guidelines, six databases (ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, AGRIS, AGRICOLA, and ProQuest) were searched for studies published from 2013 to 2025. Eligible studies included cross-sectional surveys reporting on food safety behaviors and KAB across three high-risk domains: agricultural water (<strong>AW</strong>), cleaning and sanitation (<strong>CS</strong>), and storage and transport (<strong>ST</strong>). Out of 133 records screened, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Six reported findings on AW, five on CS, and five on ST. Use of tested well water ranged from 28.9% to 39.4%; 71–74% of respondents reported managing sanitation or packing produce in designated facilities; and 64% reported managing transport sanitation. Despite widespread awareness of food safety importance, the adoption of specific practices was inconsistent. Findings underscore a gap between intention and implementation, reinforcing the need for targeted outreach and affordable infrastructure solutions to support voluntary compliance among FSMA-exempt growers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100648"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145329412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research on the Identification of Composite Spices Based on Terahertz Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Algorithms","authors":"Bin Ma ,&nbsp;Yi Ding ,&nbsp;Ling Feng ,&nbsp;Zhaogai Wang ,&nbsp;Pengfei Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100668","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100668","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The similar appearance and composition of pungent spices frequently give rise to adulteration, which not only causes market confusion but also results in inconsistent product quality. This study employed terahertz time-domain spectra and absorption spectra coupled with three machine learning algorithms—Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Deep Neural Network (DNN)—for the classification and identification of five spices (garlic, green pepper, <em>Zanthoxylum bungeanum</em>, <em>Toona sinensis</em>, and Qin pepper) as well as their binary mixtures. For single-component spices, all three models achieved classification accuracies exceeding 95% for both time-domain and absorption spectra. Among these models, the SVM model exhibited the best performance, with accuracies of 96.82% for time-domain spectra and 98.75% for absorption spectra. When classifying binary mixtures, models based on time-domain spectra significantly outperformed those based on absorption spectra. Notably, the DNN model demonstrated superior capability in this context, achieving an accuracy of 94.97% for the green pepper-<em>Zanthoxylum bungeanum</em> mixture. To further improve classification accuracy, an innovative multimodal classification model integrating time-domain and absorption spectra was developed. This multimodal model achieved an outstanding accuracy of 98.85%. Collectively, these results confirmed the effectiveness of terahertz spectroscopy combined with machine learning for spice identification, thereby providing robust technical support for nondestructive testing and quality monitoring in the global spice industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100668"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145530392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Milk Safety in Rwanda: Examining Practices, Microbial Contamination, and Antibiotic Residues Along the Milk Value Chain","authors":"Eugene Niyonzima ,&nbsp;Kizito Nishimwe ,&nbsp;Armitra Jackson-Davis ,&nbsp;Janvier Mugisha ,&nbsp;David Mugabo ,&nbsp;Sylvie Nkundizanye ,&nbsp;Theogene Ndayishimye ,&nbsp;Olivier Kamana ,&nbsp;Anselme Shyaka ,&nbsp;Lamin S. Kassama","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Milk is widely recognized as a vital source of animal protein; however, it can also act as a conduit for foodborne infections. This study evaluated the microbiological quality and prevalence of antibiotic residues in raw cow milk along Rwanda’s dairy value chain, including farms, milk transporters, milk collection centers (MCCs), and retail outlets. The research was conducted across four major milk sheds (regions) in Rwanda: Gicumbi, Gishwati, Nyagatare, and Nyanza. A total of 144 dairy farmers, 70 milk transporters, 12 MCCs, and 46 retail points were randomly selected. Data on milk production and handling practices were gathered using a structured questionnaire, and 390 milk samples were analyzed for hygiene indicator bacteria, <em>Salmonella</em>, and antibiotic residues. Milk was found to be transported from farms to MCCs without refrigeration. At the farm level, microbial counts for Total Mesophilic Bacteria (6.10 ± 0.08 log CFU/mL), Total Coliforms (4.85 ± 0.09 log CFU/mL), and <em>Escherichia coli</em> (3.79 ± 0.09 log CFU/mL) exceeded national safety thresholds. Contamination levels increased during transportation and peaked at MCCs, where the Total Mesophilic Count (TMC) reached 6.97 ± 0.14 log CFU/mL, and <em>Salmonella</em> was detected in 18% of samples. However, microbial quality improved at the retail level, likely due to boiling practices. Antibiotic residues were present in 48.5% of milk samples. Tetracyclines were the most frequently detected (40.0%), followed by Streptomycin (6.2%) and β-lactams (2.3%). Additionally, 95.8% of <em>Salmonella</em> isolates showed resistance to at least one antibiotic, and 54.2% exhibited multidrug resistance. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance on-farm hygiene, establish cold chain systems for milk transportation, and implement routine screening for antibiotic residues throughout the dairy value chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 12","pages":"Article 100641"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145313054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}