Avaliação de indícios de adulteração e da estabilidade em leite cru comercializado informalmente em um município da Paraíba.

Abstract

Food adulteration poses a serious threat to public health. In addition to offering low nutritional value, fraudulent products may contain unauthorized substances or contaminants that render them unfit for consumption, resulting in health hazards and economic losses for consumers. This practice typically involves the addition, substitution, or omission of ingredients to reduce costs and maximize profits, which violates the identity and quality standards required by current legislation. Among the widely consumed foods in the country, raw cow's milk stands out for its recurrent history of fraud. The addition of water, reconstituting substances, and neutralizing agents represents a severe risk to consumer health. Given this context, the objective of this study was to analyze the occurrence of fraud in milk commercialized in a small-sized municipality in the state of Paraíba. This is a quantitative and experimental study in which nine samples of informal raw milk (labeled A through I) were collected from small retail establishments in the state of Paraíba. The samples underwent physicochemical analyses, including density determination using a lactodensimeter, starch fraud detection via the iodine test, and thermal stability/acidity verification using the 72% alizarol test. As results, no fraudulent practices were detected in the performed analyses, since 100% of the samples showed an absence of starch (iodine test) and density values compliant with current legislation (1.028 to 1.034 g/mL). Due to the absence of microbiological analyses, hygienic-sanitary quality could not be fully assessed; regarding the 72% alizarol test, eight samples were found to be adequate, while only sample I exhibited instability, characterized by an altered acidity state and loss of thermal stability, evidenced by a yellowish color and the presence of clots. In conclusion, most of the analyzed samples met the evaluated parameters; however, further testing is recommended for a conclusive determination of its safety for consumption.