A public health evaluation of food safety and hygiene practices in Maluti mountain brewery, Maseru, Lesotho

Food safety and good hygiene practices are salient in preventing the risks and hazards that cause food borne diseases, thereby protecting public health. This research examined some issues of food safety and hygiene in one of the main breweries in Lesotho, the Maluti Mountain Brewery. The pH values for tested beer samples ranged from 4.31–4.33 and the pH values for tested soft drink samples ranged from 2.79 – 2.82. The dissolved oxygen values for beer ranged from 0.23 mg/L to 0.25 mg/L (table 1), while the dissolved oxygen values ranged from 0.21mg/L to 0.23mg/L for soft drinks. The packaged beverages are stored at 14C. The hygiene practices were also generally acceptable. All parameters analysed were within acceptable ranges, except storage temperature that seemed high and requiring an adjustment.