Question

Which of the following practices is effective for producing clean milk?

• A. Clean the udder and teats, wipe them with a clean towel, and then discard the foremilk
• B. Milking of animals having mastitis
• C. Pouring the milk of animals having contagious diseases
• D. coughing and sneezing while milking

Hint:

A key rule of clean milk production is:
\[ \text{Clean} \rightarrow \text{Dry} \rightarrow \text{Discard Foremilk} \rightarrow \text{Milk} \]
This routine minimizes environmental bacterial counts in harvested milk.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Clean milk production is defined as harvesting milk from healthy cows under hygienic conditions, minimizing bacterial contamination, dirt, and chemical residues.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- Option (A): Cleaning the udder and teats removes environmental dirt and bacteria, while wiping them dry prevents contaminated water from dripping into the milk. Discarding the first streams of milk (foremilk) is also vital, as the teat canal contains a high concentration of bacteria that should not enter the bulk tank. This is an effective, standard sanitary practice.
- Option (B): Milking animals with mastitis introduces large numbers of pathogenic bacteria and somatic cells into the milk, making it unsafe.
- Option (C): Pouring milk from diseased animals into the bulk supply poses a severe public health risk.
- Option (D): Coughing and sneezing during milking can introduce respiratory pathogens into the milk, compromising hygiene.

Step 3: Final Answer
The practice that ensures clean milk production is cleaning and drying the udder/teats followed by discarding the foremilk.