Bacteriological quality of raw milk: legal requirements and payments systems. Situation in the EU and IDF member coutries

The milk quality is determined by aspects of composition and hygiene. The qualitative/hygienic requirements to be met by raw milk vary between categorical postulates for protecting human health and desirable properties which are, from the nutritional point of view, conducive for optimal consumption. The main criteria for raw milk of high qualitative/hygienic value are: low number of saprophytic microorganisms, absence or very low number of pathogenic microorganisms including mastitis pathogens and avoidance - as far as possible - of residues and contaminants and/or keeping them below maximum residue limits (MRLs).The saprophytic bacteria (spoilage agents) in milk are subdivided according to their main points of attack on the major milk constituents in the following groups: -Glycolytes (e.g. streptococci and lactobacilli), proteolytes (e.g. pseudomonads, enterobacteriaceae, aerobic spore formers) and lipolytes (e.g. pseudomonads, micrococci, aeromonads, corynebacteria). Presence and multiplication of saprophytic bacteria in raw milk might change the milk composition and influence the quality of the products. Moreover, the flavour of the raw milk may be adversely influenced and heat-stable bacterial enzymes may continue to act in the product, particularly during long storage and adversely affect stability and/or flavour of cream and UHT milk. The pathogenic bacteria include classical microorganisms and emerging pathogens. Salmonella, pathogenic Escherichia coli strains, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus are the most important ones. The legal requirement for the bacteriological quality of raw milk and the payment systems are described on the basis of the Milk Hygiene Directive 92/46 EEC and the results of IDF Questionnaire 2893/A (Group of Experts A8). The information concerning milk payment systems for ex-farm milk in the Bulletin of the International Dairy Federation No. 305/1995 gives the factual situation in the different IDF countries for the period 1992/93. The report highlights the disparate nature of the payment systems.