Seasonal evaluation of sanitary, physical-chemical, and microbiological quality of raw milk produced at the Southeast Federal Institute of Minas Gerais, Rio Pomba Campus

Abstract

Milk is a nutrient-rich food containing proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Its quality is essential to ensure that the food is considered safe for the consumer, presenting opalescent white color, homogeneity, containing no lumps or solid material, and not presenting any strange odors or flavors. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physical-chemical and microbiological quality of raw milk produced at the IF Sudeste MG, Campus Rio Pomba, in the dry and rainy season, according to Normative Instruction – NI nº 76/2018 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply – MAPA. The experiment was carried out from January 2017 to December 2018 in the Zootechnics department of the IF Sudeste MG, Campus Rio Pomba. The collections were carried out once a month directly in the milk storage tank and analyzed in the laboratory certified by MAPA, Milk Quality Laboratory (LQL), at Embrapa Gado de Leite in Juiz de Fora, MG. Physicochemical composition (contents, in % w/w, of fat, protein, lactose, and total dry extract) and microbiological (total bacterial count and somatic cell count) analyzes were performed to evaluate whether there was a significant difference (p > 0,05) between the parameters of milk in the dry and rainy periods. It was concluded that the evaluated fresh milk met all the criteria established by current legislation, obtaining the quality compatible with IN nº 76/2018 in different seasons.