Evaluation of limitations for improvement of milk quality in the area of Pirassununga-SP

Abstract

The objective of this research was to identify the principal difficulties to adequate milk producers in the micro region of Pirassununga to the rules of Normative Instruction nº 51 (IN-51). For this purpose 87 interviews with milk producers from Pirassununga, Porto Ferrreira, Santa Cruz das Palmeiras and Aguaí were made, between July and August 2002 among the universe of 591 producers. The SSC and TBC of all the visited farms were analyzed (1 analysis per farm) showing as result that 21% of the producers in the micro region had problems with higher TBC values, considering the initial limits recommended by IN-51. As for the levels of CCS, 11,1% of the producers would be disqualified, showing that in such region the microbiologic quality is the main problem of the milk quality. The main difficulties for the improvement of milk quality are the refrigeration tanks (only 28,5% of the farms had equipments for refrigeration), the low level of knowledge on aspects related to the quality of the product (origin, related losses, preventive methods of mastitis and bacterial contamination), and the lack of sources of information to the producers.