Quality and safety of raw milk in a dairy production chan in a western province of Cuba

摘要

Substantial changes have been produced in the dairy sector of the country from the implementation of a new payment system and organization in the dairy chain. This led to the need of determining the quality and safety in the current production system. With this purpose, a study was conducted in a dairy cooperative of the western region of the country with tradition in milk production. Thirty producers, two carriers, and a point of sale, main links in the chain, were selected to be sampled. Milk samples were taken monthly for a year, and the physicochemical and hygienic-sanitary indicators were determined. The analysis of milk macrocomponents was made by MilkoScan minor by near infrared and the microbiological analyses through international standards for determining at 30°C microorganisms, total coliforms, coagulase positive Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp. The results showed that the milk physicochemical quality in the primary production was adequate, but milk deterioration occurred at the point of sale associated with adulteration with water and an inadequate hygienic quality by the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the raw milk. The results made evident the need of introducing the requirements of the Good Dairy Farming Practice established in the Integral Program for the Improvement of Milk Production and Quality (PROCAL) to control the safety of this product along the production chain.