Use of indicator microorganisms for the hygienic-sanitary conditions evaluation in the milk primary production

The indicator microorganisms present in the food notify on the inadequate manipulation of the commodity or the food, the presence of a hazard for the consumer or a processes deficiency. These indicator microorganisms are important tools to develop historic microbiologic records, from which own values of compassable reference with the methodology of work developed in each business can be established. These values will permit, besides, to implement the systems that guarantee the food safety, as is the case of the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP). The objective of this work was to study the main hygiene indicator microorganisms in raw milk as tool to evaluate the sanitary conditions in the primary production, in such a way that they permit to devise a diagnosis of the initial situation like prior step to the implementation of a HACCP system. For the study, and to way of pilot experience, raw milk originating from a producing establishment of the Santa Fe Province, Argentina, was utilized. The samples were collected directly from the udder, after the first cooling, bulk tank, milker hands, teat cup and water employed in the dairy farm. One sampling was carried out for week until completing 44 samplings distributed along the year. The indicator microorganisms studied were: psychrotrophic count, mesophilic count, thermoduric, molds and yeasts, coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus. It was determined, besides, the presence of sulphite-reducting clostridia and Salmonella spp. The correlation analysis among the indicator microorganisms did not permit to establish predictions on the behavior of a microbe group based on the behavior of another. Nevertheless, the information that each one of the indicator microorganisms turned out to be adequate to evaluate the sanitary conditions in the milk primary production and to generate records that will be useful for the HACCP system implementation.