Qualidade Microbiológica do Leite in natura comercializado na cidade de Castro Alves-BA

Abstract

Background: Milk is a food of exceptional nutritional value, widely consumed by the population; however, is also an excellent culture medium for many microorganisms. The existence of problems related to poor hygienic conditions during the process of obtaining, handling and storage are the main reasons for the loss of milk quality. Objective: Considering the importance that milk takes in food, took place this work in order to assess the microbiological quality of raw milk obtained by milking, marketed in the city of Castro Alves, Bahia, and compare the results with the values established by RDC No. 12, which regulates the microbiological standards for foods. Methodology: We analyzed 20 samples of raw milk, from January to May 2011. After acquiring the samples along with local businessmen, they were placed under-cooling, and sent to the Food Microbiology Laboratory to determination of total and fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli isolation, Staphylococcus aureus on plates and direct detection of Salmonella. Results: All samples (100%) showed elevated levels of total coliforms and fecal coliforms above those recommended by the legislation. Six samples (30%) confirmed the presence of E. coli, an important enteropathogen of fecal origin. It was also shown that six samples were contaminated with S. aureus. Salmonella spp. was found in 5 samples (25%), the microorganism should be absent in other foods for human consumption. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that the microbiological quality of milk is considered unsatisfactory, since no sample meets the requirements established by legislation, mainly due to high fecal coliform counts and the presence of Salmonella spp.. These findings constitute a cause for concern in public health,