Varela Alpi, Alejandra

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  • Publication
    Caracterización química de la leche de cabra producida en diferentes regiones agrícolas de Puerto Rico
    (2023-12-08) Varela Alpi, Alejandra; Plaza Delestre, María; College of Agricultural Sciences; Rodríguez Carías, Abner; Ponce de León González, Leyda; Department of Food Science and Technology; Velázquez Augusto, Wesley
    Goats produce approximately 2.4% of the global milk supply. There is evidence that in Puerto Rico (P.R.) there is consumer interest in goat milk and its derivative products. However, there is no literature on the composition of goat milk produced in P.R. This project sought to analyze and compare the chemical characteristics of goat milk produced in 5 agricultural regions of the island. Between January and June 2022, 6 samples were collected from each region (N=30). For these, the moisture content, total solids, water activity (aw), crude fat, crude protein, lactose, minerals, lactic acid, and pH were evaluated. The results show that there are significant differences for certain characteristics between the regions. It is inferred that these variations are due to differences in feeding and herd management. However, the studied goat milk contains similar values of water (88.04 ± 1.75%), aw (0.9945 ± 0.001), crude fat (3.34 ± 1.07%), crude protein (3.03 ± 0.42), lactose (2.95 ± 0.43%), pH (6.78 ± 0.22), sodium (59 ± 11mg/100g), magnesium (14 ± 4mg/100g) and iron (0.08 ± 0.1mg/100g) when compared with the literature. In addition, it contains higher values of total minerals (0.84 ± 0.08%). Meanwhile, it has lower values of lactic acid (0.11 ± 0.05%) and calcium (105 ± 36mg/100g). This study suggests that the composition of milk produced in P.R. varies in certain characteristics from those produced in other countries, including the United States. Also, its composition may vary between agricultural regions. Therefore, establishing routine analyzes such as these would help to standardize and optimize the goat milk industry in P.R. In addition, knowing the composition of milk allows for the correct labeling and marketing of milk and its derivative products.