Browsing by Author "Kurwijila, Lusato"

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Integrated food safety and nutrition assessments in the dairy cattle value chain in Tanzania
(Elsevier, 2018) Häsler, Barbara; Msalya, George; Garza, Maria; Kimberly, Fornace; Eltholth, Mahmoud; Kurwijila, Lusato; Rushton, Jonathan; Delia, Grace
The consumption of even small amounts of animal-source foods has the potential to improve nutrition, especially in vulnerable households. However, scaling up their production bears food safety risks that are often overlooked due to a disconnect between human nutrition and animal sciences. The aim of this scoping study in Tanzania was to identify opportunities for nutritional and food safety benefits from cow milk. Questionnaires were administered to 156 producers and 157 consumers in 10 villages in Lushoto and Mvomero districts. Farmers reported that veterinary medicines such as oxytetracyclines, penicillin and strep- tomycin were frequently given to cattle, and a majority did not discard milk during or after treatment. Less than half of the producers boiled milk, although sale of fermented milk, made by spontaneous fermentation of raw milk, was common. Cattle management was characterised by low levels of biosecurity, hygienic practices and disease control. A majority of consumers reported not to have enough food to meet their family needs. The Food Consumption Score was acceptable for all households, but significantly higher for households with dairy cattle. When making purchasing decisions, the appearance of milk and trust in the supplier were more important considerations than hygiene practices observed. A total of 26% of consumers reported to consume raw milk “usually” or “sometimes” and 54% of consumers reported to drink fermented milk “usually” or “sometimes”. Consumers had a positive attitude towards milk and concern for quality but most thought there was no risk of illness from milk consumption. The findings promote understanding of the complexity surrounding the local food environment and practices related to the production and consumption of dairy products and allow shaping recommendations for nutrition- sensitive livestock interventions.
Using participatory rural appraisal to investigate food production, nutrition and safety in the Tanzanian dairy value chain
(2019) Häslera, Barbara; Msalya, George; Roeseld, Kristina; Fornacea, Kimberly; Eltholtha, Mahmoud; Sikira, Anna; Kurwijila, Lusato; Rushtona, Jonathan; Grace, Delia
Identifying and implementing interventions that create co-benefits in terms of food and nutrition security as well as food safety requires an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach. This study was part of a larger project that applied an integrated framework for combined nutritional, food safety and value chain analysis to assess the dairy value chain in two regions of Tanzania, namely Morogoro and Tanga. Here, we report on the use of participatory rural appraisals (PRAs) with producers and consumers to investigate seasonality, constraints and opportunities in cow milk production and consumption in ten villages in Tanzania and describe attitudes and practices surrounding milk quality and safety. The PRAs allowed identifying strong seasonal milk production and consumption practices reflecting rainfall patterns and a dependence on the natural environment. A wide range of production constraints were described by producers including insufficient technical know-how, poor quality breeds, cattle diseases, lack of capital, feed, water and reliable markets. While milk availability had a strong influence on milk consumption, findings showed that there are a range of other factors such as the consistency of milk, purchasing power and the availability of other foods which also influence consumer choice. A dependence on sensory milk quality attributes in the absence of other systems of certification was described. Both producers and consumers showed little concern regarding potentially contaminated milk despite an awareness of the ex istence of milkborne disease risks. The results indicate great potential for upscaling dairy production and at the same time highlight that any such interventions should carefully consider mitigation measures for food safety risks