Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene 2476-3241 8 2 2022 08 10 132 143 Fatemeh Shahvandari TUMS, SPH Nader Akbari Tehran University of Medical Sciences Gholamreza Jahed Khaniki Division of Food Safety and Hygiene, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AND Iranian Scientific Association of Food Safety and Hygiene, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran Nabi Shariatifar Division of Food Safety and Hygiene, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Seyedeh Maryam Mirsharifi 3Food Security Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran 2022 05 26 2022 09 07 Raw milk is sterile when secreted by healthy cows however it is contaminated with different microorganisms and Streptococci commonly present in the milk ducts as well as teats. The bacterial count in raw milk ranges from a few hundred to several thousand per mL of milk however it is harmful to human health under unpasteurized conditions. Milk sanitization methods rely on the principle of preventing the growth and development of microbes and thus maintaining their nutritional quality. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of microwave radiation on the microbial quality and safety of bovine raw milk. To do so, the effect of microwaves at a frequency of 35 KH and powers of 180, 300 and 850 W for 0, 30, 60 and 90 s on the destruction of pathogens and reduction of microbial load of milk (total bacterial count, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, molds and yeasts) was investigated. The results showed that microwave treatment had a significant effect on reducing the number of microorganisms in milk samples (p <0.0) with the power of  850 W being the most effective power for reducing the number of S. aureus, coliforms, molds, yeasts as well as total bacterial count. Faster heating with higher energy efficiency is the main advantage of the microwave process for foods. In fact, the microwave method can be a potential and effective method for decreasing the microbial load of raw milk. https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/384 https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/download/384/194