Caracterização da qualidade do leite cru refrigerado produzido em Municípios do Estado de Alagoas, Brasil.

Abstract

The state of Alagoas is an important producer of milk's derived of the country, but there are few researches about milk's quality, covering their several aspects, targeting the new legislation's requirements. The objective of this study was to assess the chilled raw milk quality in municipalities of this State, in view of, the standards established for the Normative Instruction nº. 51 (IN 51), published in September 18 of 2002 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supplying. In the first stage of the research, held between the months of september and december of 2006, 32 samples of chilled raw milk from eight dairy located in different municipalities of the state of Alagoas were analyzed for counting of somatic cells and determination of fat levels, protein, lactose and total solids and also was verified the existing correlation between them. In the second phase, held between the months of april and august of 2007, 55 samples of chilled raw milk from eleven dairy located in different municipalities of the State previously cited were analyzed for counting of aerobic mesophiles and psychrotrophic and also the determination of the density, cryoscopy and titratable acidity. Among the dairy analyzed, seven (87.5%) presented samples with counting of somatic cells, fat concentration, protein and total solids within the limits required for the legislation. However, one of the dairy analyzed (14.3%) was note that the medium value of somatic cells was finding outside of the default permitted by legislation. Was found a positive correlation (p<0.05) between counting of somatic cells and the fat concentration, while that for protein and total solids such correlation wasn't observed. Of the 55 samples, 35 (63.64%) were outside of the default permitted by legislation for the counting of aerobic mesophiles, seven (12.73%) for the counting of microorganisms psychrotrophic, 14 (25.45%) for the cryoscopy, 11 (20%) for the acidity and five (9.09%) for the density. As to the temperature of collection, there was not influence of it in the microorganisms counting. The analyze of the results found permit say that the majority of the dairy studied meet main requirements on the somatic cells counting, the components and the physicochemical properties of the milk. Meanwhile, about the milk's microbiological aspects, it is accepted that the changes found have their origin associated to the faults in the health management of the herds and the milk's manipulation, including the milking, refrigeration and its transport from farms to the dairy. The effective deployment of the requirements established for IN 51, with the participation of all members of the productive chain of milk, will promote, certainly, the improvement of milk's quality and their derivatives in the Alagoas state, contributing with the good health of the population and increasing the competitiveness of the milk products from this state in other marketplaces.