Determination of the presence / absence of antibiotics and foreign substances in milk and finished product of dairy producing plants in Juticalpa, Olancho, Honduras in 2017

Abstract

The quality of the dairy products produced in Honduras has always been questioned. The department of Olancho, (producer of milk) and the Municipality of Juticalpa, are the scenarios of dairy production plants which determine the presence/absence of antibiotics and foreign substances in dairy products. Through physicochemical analysis carried out in the quality control laboratory of the CURNO-UNAH, to the different samples of 3 plants with export level (A, B and F), and 4 artisan & national production plants (C, D, E, and G), using samples in 3 replications, it was possible to demonstrate the absence of antibiotics of the samples, presuming that the producing herds are being responsible for the production management. It is determined that both producers and processors of dairy products are not using some substances run by consumers, such as urine and hydrogen peroxide as additives for the preservation of the dairy product. However, the presence of formalin added to dairy products is presumed, resulting quite alarming due to the evaluation on effects of formalin, made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, who concluded that the carcinogenicity of this chemical does not raise any doubts. With the same investigation, the presence of starch was verified as an alternative substance of the cheese and cream yield. This is not the case for analysis of the presence of Xanthan gum for the cream. In all the samples analyzed, the absence of chlorinated substances was also determined.