Quality control of organic milk: qualitative approaches for fraud prevention

Abstract

The growing appreciation of organic foods has increased the consumption of organic milk, underscoring the need for effective strategies to ensure its authenticity and quality. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the analytical feasibility and validate classical qualitative methods for detecting adulterants in organic milk. Commercial samples were experimentally adulterated with density-reconstituting agents (starch, chloride, and sucrose), an acidity neutralizer (sodium bicarbonate), and preservatives (formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide), following protocols described in official analytical methods. The colorimetric assays were optimized and subsequently validated by evaluating parameters including sensitivity, selectivity, limit of detection, false-negative rate, accordance, and concordance. The results indicated that classical methods exhibited satisfactory analytical performance in the organic milk matrix, with detection limits comparable to those reported for conventional milk. Therefore, the evaluated assays proved suitable as screening tools for the preliminary detection of adulterants, contributing to quality control and authenticity monitoring of organic milk.