Resumen

LUIGI, Teresita; ROJAS, Legna  y  VALBUENA, Oscar. Evaluation of the hygienic-sanitary quality of raw and pasteurized milk from Carabobo, Venezuela. Salus [online]. 2013, vol.17, n.1, pp.25-33. ISSN 1316-7138.

In the present study the hygienic-sanitary quality of raw and pasteurized milk from various areas of the State of Carabobo, Venezuela, was assessed. Following the methodology described by the APHA and COVENIN, 100 pasteurized milk samples and 40 raw milk samples were analyzed. Counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total coliforms, thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms, molds and yeasts were determined for pasteurized milk; for raw milk, only counts of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and methylene blue reduction test (MBRT) were carried out. The presence of Salmonella spp. was also investigated. Test results of pasteurized milk indicated that 92% of samples met the limits set for mesophilic aerobic bacteria established by COVENIN; however, 45% of samples were above the limit allowed in the Standard for total coliforms, and 72% of them exceeded the limit of acceptance in terms of thermotolerant coliforms; Salmonella spp. was not observed. With regard to raw milk, 72.5% of the samples had aerobic mesophilic bacteria counts above the limits, contrary to the MBRT results, which claimed that only 30% of samples did not comply with the norm. These findings strongly suggest the need for the country’s health authorities to implement more stringent sanitary control measures on milk from dairy farms and on the regional dairy industry, since the high microbiota found in raw milk and high counts of total coliforms and thermotolerant in pasteurized milk, in addition to diminishing the milk lifetime, could represent a potential risk to the consumer’s health.

Palabras clave : Milk; bacteria; Salmonella spp; microbiological quality.

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