Quality of raw refrigerated milk based on SCC and TBC indicators in the southwest of Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Abstract

Subclinical mastitis is a disease of dairy herds that causes serious financial losses to the producer, resulting in reduced production and, in some cases, discarding of milk. Due tothis problem, the aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of mastitis in cattle of raw refrigerated milk producers in a total of 11 dairy farms in the southeast of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2012, and verify suitability to Brazilian StandardsIN-62.Duplicated samples were collected every month from April to November 2012 in 11 dairy farms in southwest of Minas Gerais, bringing a total of 188 milk samples. These samples were collected in cooling tank and stored in sterilized bottles preserved in bronopol for SCC testing and azidiol for coliform microbiological and TBC testing. Among all the analysed variables, SCC results from all the dairy farms differed most from the control group (p<0.001). Consequently, according to legislation, all the dairy farms can be classified as contamination risk areas for subclinical mastitis considering that they all exceeded the limit values established by law. The analysed milk indicates lack of control for mastitis in the studied dairy farms.