Characterization of family goat farms and determination of risk factors associated with the sanitary qualities of raw milk and fresh cheese in three production areas in Mexico

Vet World Vol.18 April-2025 Article-18

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(4): 927-938

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.927-938

Israel Daniel Ricardo González¹, Laura Hernández Andrade², Edith Rojas Anaya³, Gary García Espinosa⁴, and Susana Elisa Mendoza Elvira⁵

1. Department of Ruminant Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
2. National Center for Disciplinary Research in Animal Health and Safety, National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research, Mexico City, Mexico.
3. La Campana Experimental Field, North Central Regional Research Center, National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research, Chihuahua, Mexico.
4. Department of Poultry Medicine and Zootechnics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
5. Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Higher Studies of Cuautitlan, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico.

Background and Aim: Family goat farming typically involves small herds managed with minimal infrastructure, leading to products of lower hygienic quality. This study aimed to characterize family goat farms in three distinct regions of Mexico (Durango, Campeche, and Querétaro) and to evaluate hygienic-sanitary indicators and associated risk factors affecting the quality of raw milk and fresh cheese.

Materials and Methods: Seven representative family goat farms were selected based on specific inclusion criteria: Absence of reproductive management, seasonal milk production, manual milking, and artisanal cheese production. Paired samples of bulk raw milk and fresh cheese were collected from each farm. Samples underwent microbiological analyses, including total plate count (TPC), total coliform count (TCC), somatic cell count (SCC), and mold and yeast counts. Surveys addressing animal management, milking, cheese manufacturing, and sales practices were administered. Statistical analyses encompassed descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, cluster analysis, Fisher’s exact tests, and logistic regression.

Results: Among raw milk samples, only two farms met acceptable standards for TPC, SCC, and yeast counts according to Mexican regulations, while none complied for TCC. Similarly, cheese samples from two farms met standards for TPC, yeast, and molds, though none met the standards for TCC. Risk factors significantly associated with poor hygienic quality included inadequate pen hygiene, improper teat cleaning, failure to apply post-dip treatments, deficient hand washing, unsuitable milking techniques, lack of milk pasteurization, and insufficient refrigeration practices. Cluster analysis identified two distinct farm groups differentiated by management practices and hygienic standards, correlating with substantial differences in microbial quality indicators.

Conclusion: The study identified critical gaps in the implementation of good livestock and manufacturing practices among family goat farms in Mexico. Key risk factors contributing to elevated microbial contamination included poor infrastructure, insufficient hygiene during milking and cheese processing, and inadequate storage conditions. The findings emphasize the necessity of promoting standardized hygienic practices and infrastructure improvements to enhance the sanitary quality of milk and cheese products from family goat farming systems.

Keywords: family goat farms, fresh cheese, hygienic-sanitary quality, Mexico, raw milk, risk factors.

How to cite this article: Ricardo GID, Hernández AL, Rojas AE, García EG, and Mendoza ESE (2025) Characterization of family goat farms and determination of risk factors associated with the sanitary qualities of raw milk and fresh cheese in three production areas in Mexico, Veterinary World, 18(4): 927–938.

Received: 04-12-2024 Accepted: 13-03-2025 Published online: 23-04-2025

Corresponding author: Israel Daniel Ricardo González and Susana Elisa Mendoza Elvira E-mail: dricardo007@hotmail.com and seme@unam.mx

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.927-938

Copyright: Ricardo, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.