MILK QUALITY AT THE ANIMAL, ENVIRONMENT, AND CONSUMER INTERFACE: A ONE HEALTH APPROACH TO FOOD SAFETY

Resumen

Milk quality is an essential component of food safety, as it reflects the interaction among animal health, the production environment, hygienic-sanitary management, and consumer protection. From a One Health perspective, milk should be understood not only as a food of high nutritional value, but also as a potential vehicle for microbiological and chemical hazards when produced, stored, or marketed under inadequate conditions. An integrative literature review was conducted through searches in SciELO, Scopus, and Google Scholar, considering publications from 2014 to 2026. Priority was given to articles addressing the microbiological quality of milk, bovine mastitis, somatic cell count, antimicrobial residues, raw milk, food safety, and One Health. Studies with no direct relationship to milk, public health, or food safety were excluded. The literature shows that milk quality is influenced by animal-related factors, especially mastitis and antimicrobial use; environmental factors, including water quality, milking hygiene, refrigeration, and equipment cleaning; and consumer-related factors, mainly the risk associated with the consumption of raw milk and uninspected dairy products. Pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and agents associated with mastitis are of sanitary relevance. Milk quality should be addressed as an integrated issue involving animal health, environmental health, and public health. The One Health approach strengthens surveillance, the prevention of foodborne diseases, and the sustainability of the dairy chain.