Hygienic Control of Raw Milk from Small Farms

The production of raw high quality milk is a requirement not only to the consumer as a safe and healthy product but also to support a profitable dairy industry. The Albanian law On rules of producing and selling milk and milk-based products and the Regulation No. 853 / EC / 2004, defines the criteria of raw milk hygiene. This legal basis requires that the number of somatic cells per ml (cytological indicator) must not exceed 400,000 (SSC) and Total Bacterial Count (TBC) must not be more than 100.000 UFC / ml. This study was conducted by testing of 108 samples of milk collected in farms in Lushnja, Fier and Kavaja. This study was supported by the center of Livestock and Rural Development. The results obtained showed that 54/108 milk samples had values over the limits for cytological indicator, while 68/108 showed values above the limits prescribed by law for the total bacterial load. In positive samples were verified changes in physical and chemical indicators, resulting in decrease of lactose content in 37 samples of milk and of protein percentage decline in 41 samples. Given the fact that the production of milk and its derivates of these areas provides most of milk production of Albania, this situation calls for effective measures to help farmers to produce milk that meets the standards for customer and for milk industry.