POTENCIAL PRESENÇA DE BACTÉRIAS PSICROTRÓFICAS NO LEITE CRU OBTIDO NA REGIÃO DO INTERIOR DO ESTADO DE GOIÁS

Abstract

Abstract: The production of bovine milk in Brazil, vital for the agricultural sector and social and economic development, totals 35.3 billion liters, benefiting over 4 million people. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological conditions of the milk from producers supplying a dairy plant in the municipality of Goiatuba, Goiás. The experiment was conducted in a microbiology laboratory at a dairy plant in Goiatuba and at the Milk Quality Laboratory (LQL) in Goiânia, Goiás. A survey was conducted on milk supply, revealing 14 routes with 155 rural producers in 11 cities in the region. Two routes were randomly selected for analysis. Samples were collected from each producer and analyzed for psychrotrophs in the microbiology laboratory and for somatic cell count and standard plate count in plates at the LQL. Samples were diluted and incubated in Plate Count Agar (PCA) for 10 days at 5-7 ºC (psychrotrophs). Overall, the producers evaluated showed positive results for psychrotrophs, with UFC/mL counts ranging from 10¹ to 10³. The somatic cell count (SCC) results of 81.81% of the producers showed elevated counts and were outside the standard established by legislation, mostly exceeding 500,000 CS/ml, indicating possible health problems in the herd, except for P7, P9, P10, and P12, which accounted for 36.36% and maintained the SCC at acceptable levels. The values obtained for standard plate count (SPC) were mostly low, ranging from 2,000 to 125,000 UFC/ml, suggesting good hygiene and milking practices. Producer P3 had elevated results for all analyses. This study highlights the importance of proper hygiene and constant monitoring of milk quality to prevent economic losses and ensure consumer safety.