Composição mineral de leite bovino submetido a diferentes processamentos térmicos: análise comparativa de cálcio, fósforo e ferro na região do Cerrado do Alto Paranaíba, Minas Gerais

Bovine milk plays a fundamental role in human nutrition as an essential source of micronutrients. This work investigated the impact of industrial thermal processing (pasteurization and UHT in whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed and lactose-free forms) on the mineral profile (calcium, phosphorus and iron) of bovine milk samples produced in the Cerrado of Alto Paranaíba (MG). Mineral concentrations were quantified by colorimetric spectrophotometry and the data were submitted to one-factor ANOVA followed by Dunnett's multiple comparison test (control: raw milk in natura). The results showed stability of calcium contents in UHT modalities, lower concentrations of iron detectable by the colorimetric procedure employed in all processed milk types compared with raw milk (R² = 0.88; p < 0.0001), the causes of which could not be established in the present design, and a significant increase in total phosphorus in pasteurized and UHT zero-lactose milk, associated with the use of phosphate salts as industrial stabilizing additives. It is concluded that thermal processing is compatible with the global mineral integrity of milk, but alters the concentration of detectable soluble iron, reinforcing the importance of spectrophotometric monitoring for the validation of the nutritional quality of the commercialized product.