Abstract
Milk production in Ecuador has enormous economic importance and large-, medium- and small-scale producers all participate in the market. There are multiple climatic regions, and dairy production is present in every one of them. High ambient temperatures in the Ecuadorian tropics represent a key challenge to the conservation of milk in the custody of smallholders. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of the application of a chemical activator of the Lactoperoxidase System (LP-s) in the conservation of raw milk, at room temperature, in the Ecuadorian tropics. In the present study, sodium thiocyanate—0.36 g·L-1 of milk—and sodium percarbonate—1.36 g·L-1 of milk—as an activator of LP-s were used and the pH and microbiological characteristics (total coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, total aerobes, molds and yeasts) of the milk at different storage times (0, 4 and 8 hours). The results obtained in the present study showed a significant difference between the two groups under study at 8 hours of storage at room temperature in all parameters (except yeasts where there was no growth in the two treatments), being relevant the significant decrease of the bacterial content. Thus the present study shows that the use of sodium thiocyanate and sodium percarbonate in the above described concentrations could be modulating the activation of LP-s that provides an efficient alternative for the conservation of the raw milk without refrigeration, improving the income for losses of the product and obtaining a raw material of good quality for sale or for further processing, mainly for small producers who do not have the economic resources to have refrigeration means for their product and who must transport their milk for considerably longer distances until they arrive at the collection centers or the processing plants for sale, thus showing that the method used in the present study is not only effective but also has a relatively low cost and easy application.
Highlights
Milk is secreted from the mammary gland of female bovines and constitutes the only nutrition for mammals in the first days of their lives; it is capable of providing energy and nutrients necessary for neonatal development [1]
With respect to the microbiological characteristics in this study, the total coliform presence was elevated in milk without the added activator of the LP system; values of 100.5, 338.75 and 477.25 × 103CFU/cm3 were registered at 0, 4 and 8 hours of storage, respectively
With respect to the presence of coliforms and total aerobes, a significant difference was observed between the treatments, signifying that the utilization of the activator of the Lactoperoxidase System (LP-s) permitted a reduction in the presence of microorganisms in milk
Summary
Milk is secreted from the mammary gland of female bovines and constitutes the only nutrition for mammals in the first days of their lives; it is capable of providing energy and nutrients necessary for neonatal development [1] These nutrients constitute an ideal culture medium for contamination by, and subsequent growth of, bacteria. The resulting decomposition converts contaminated milk into a foodstuff that is apt for neither human consumption nor use in manufacturing derivatives [2]. This occurs because milk is secreted from the udder at a temperature of 37 ̊C—ideal for bacterial growth. Raw milk is defined as milk that has not been submitted to any type of heat and whose temperature has not exceeded 40 ̊C [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
