Evaluation of physical-chemical and microbiological parameters of raw milk from the producer to the consumer, in the city of Cuenca.

The consumption of milk by the Cuenca citizenship, places said product within the food group of the basic basket, since according to INEC (2014), 68% of people consume this product in their liquid presentation, and considering that it can be easily altered or contaminated, the qualitative and quantitative determination of the polluting agents present in the product for consumption in the city can be easily altered. It is intended to do physical-chemical and microbiological analysis (mesophilic aerobes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and salmonella), of a first sample taken in farm, the second and third, at the beginning and end of the distribution respectively. The study sample will be determined based on carriers who carry milk from the producing areas to the city, the analysis of the samples will provide us with the result referred to the moment in which the greatest contamination and bacterial proliferation or alteration occurs. The data obtained will be tabulated, and analyze through the corresponding statistical calculations for each distributor. The present investigation is proposed with the purpose of establishing whether the milk that is sold informally in the city of Cuenca is within the parameters established by the INEN 9 standard, food security parameters for raw milk, in order to alert the regulatory entities of such circumstances and to the general citizenship.

XIII UNIVERSITY COMPETITION FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS