Introduction:

One of the most important parameters associated with the production of milk and its transformation, is to have adequate hygienic-sanitary conditions in terms of milk quality that allow improving the conditions of the producer and processing companies, and therefore to provide food safety to the consumers, guaranteeing their well-being and health.

Objetive:

Compositional, microbiological and sanitary characteristics of raw milk were evaluated during the second third of lactation in dairy cows.

Materials and methods:

Two milk samples were taken every 10 days from 7 dairy cows during their second third of lactation. Then the following tests were carried out: compositional analysis, adulterants, presence of antibiotics, somatic cell count (SCC/mL), identification of Staphylococcus aureus and antibiogram by the Kirby-Bauer method.

Results:

Staphylococcus aureus was evidenced in 66.2% of the samples, and 4.6% of them gave positive for Listeria sp. No traces of antibiotics, peroxides and starches were found. Positive samples were found for chlorides and neutralizers, and it was determined that for each kilogram of milk, 30, 25 and 84 grams of protein, casein and non-fatty solids (NFS) were obtained, with 83% of the protein formed by casein. In the case of SCC/mL, values higher than one million SCC/mL were found.

Conclusions:

The compositional, sanitary and microbiological quality of the studied raw milk in the second third of lactation in dairy cows was not adequate, because values found lied above the Colombian technical standard 399 of 2002, which establishes a maximum of mesophile and somatic cell count (SCC/ mL) of 700000/ml in raw milk, therefore not allowing its consumption and transformation.