Milk and dairy product interceptions due to agricultural product transport inspections carried out in Maranhão State

Article history The aim of the current study is to perform a systematic investigation about the interception of milk and dairy products during agricultural product transport inspections carried out in Maranhão State. A retrospective study was conducted over a five-year period; it recorded 90 mobile monitoring events that together intercepted 3,500 liters of milk, 500 liters of kitchen butter, 2,836 kg of cheese, 1,700 kg of yogurt and 100 kg of yogurt ice cream. Most of these products (n = 13/16; 75%) were intercepted during their transportation from one city to another. The most recurring law violations regarded products transported in inappropriate vehicles (e.g., in the trunk of passenger buses and minibuses and in trucks used for animalfeed transportation) and in inappropriate packages such as garbage bags, rice-packing bags, cardboard boxes and non-reusable containers for micronutrients. All law violations recorded during the interceptions resulted in product confiscation, in fine issuing and, in specific cases, in product destruction through povidone iodine application. Fines issued due to irregular transportation of animal products during the assessed period accounted for R$ 11,688.00. It was possible concluding that the transportation of milk and dairy products in Maranhão State is not in compliance with the Brazilian legislation (ordinances, decrees), a fact that may endanger public health in the investigated State, as well as in other Brazilian cities that trade these products. It is essential intensifying these inspections to help suppressing the illegal trade of milk and dairy products. Received 19 March 2019 Accepted 13 August 2019


INTRODUCTION
The illegal entry of animal products (AP) into a given territory, and its association with the introduction of different diseases in it, have been the object of several studies, mainly of international studies such as the ones conducted by (HUESTON; TRAVIS; VAN KLINK, 2011;MUR;MARITENZ-LOPEZ;SANCHEZ-VISCAINO, 2012;SMITH et al. 2012;DE MELO et al., 2016;and DE MELO et al., 2018). Research about APs entering Brazil without health certification, as well as about the risks of this practice and its possible consequences for public and animal health, remain scarce (DE MELO et al., 2014a;DE MELO et al., 2014b;DE MELO et al., 2015;EIDT et al., 2015).
According to De La Rocque et al. (2011), multiple routes such as active and passive dispersion of vectors, international mobility of infected humans, animal transmigration and freight transport, can introduce different pathogens in a given territory. Based on Blancou;Pearson (2003), etiological agents can be displaced from any part of the planet, in any type of package such as a mailing envelope, plastic bottles or nose wipes; which, by the way, was the way the Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD) agent spread in New Zealand in 1996.
Therefore, the irregular trade and transportation of APs through means in non-compliance with health regulations in force can lead to worrisome situations. For instance, the 2001 Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis in the United Kingdom, whose losses were estimated at £ 4 billion (THOMPSON et al., 2002); as well as the case of dioxin found in pork meat in Ireland in 2008, which resulted in economic losses of approximately € 100 million (WALL et al., 2009).
Given the lack of studies about this subject and the unprecedented nature of this work in Maranhão State, the aim of the current research was to carry out a retrospective study on the interception of milk and dairy products during agricultural product transport inspections conducted in the aforementioned state.

Retrospective Data on Agricultural Inspections
The herein analyzed retrospective data were collected in AGED-MA's agglomeration sector. Collection procedure was based on conversations with the person in charge of the agency, as well as on information found in AP confiscation terms recorded by mobile agricultural inspection teams during inspections supported by a specific and active surveillance structure. It did not include activities performed by AISs and roadblocks carried out by Local Animal and Plant Health Units (ULSAV).
Data about the interception of all milk and dairy products by state agricultural inspectors in Maranhão State highways for five years (from October 2013 -when the mobile agricultural inspections started in Maranhão State -to November 2017) were stored in Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets.
According to Decree N. 30608 -from December 30 th , 2014 -, products and by-products of suspected and infected animal origin, or transported without animal health certification, or in non-compliance with provisions set by the federal law, must be confiscated and destructed (MARANHÃO, 2014).
Variables analyzed in this retrospective study comprised the number of performed mobile inspections, origin of the transported cargo, law infringement type, legal framework, places where mobile inspections were carried out and value of issued fines.

Data Analysis
The collected information was stored in a database developed in Microsoft Access ® software. Descriptive statistical analysis based on absolute and relative distributions was used to express the collected data.

Study Permits
The Board of Directors for the Defense of Animal Health Inspection (DDISA / AGED-MA) and AGED-MA's agglomeration sector authorized the study. Information that could violate carries' privacy was not accessed in the study.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The current study recorded 90 mobile agricultural inspections from October 2013 to November 2017, which intercepted milk and dairy products, fish and fish products, meat and meat products, bee and veterinary products, among others (miscellaneous). Milk and dairy products, which are the object of study in the present research, were intercepted 16 times during the assessed period.
Intercity transportation was the main origin of intercepted milk and dairy products (n = 13/16; 75%). Bacabal, Bom Jardim, Caxias, Igarapé Grande, Imperatriz, Pedreiras, Poção de Pedras, Santa Luzia do Tide, Timon and Vitorino Freire counties were the origin of the intercepted products (milk, cheese, yogurt and yogurt ice cream). These counties, except for Caxias and Timon, are part of the large dairy producer region in Maranhão State.
Among the aforementioned counties, only Caxias and Imperatriz have milk and dairy product establishments registered in either State (SIS) or Federal (FIS) Inspection Services; thus, they are officially authorized to trade with other counties in Maranhão State and with other states, respectively. This information characterizes the illegal transportation of milk and dairy products in Maranhão State, as well as highlights the likelihood of having clandestinely manufactured dairy products that lack origin-associated documents such as health certificates. Even dairy products from Imperatriz County, which has legalized dairy establishments, were intercepted because they did not have their origin confirmed.
It is important highlighting that underground manufacturing is featured by two premises that often come together, namely: (i) non-inspection by sanitary inspection services; and (ii) tax evasion. Food production in "illegal establishments" account for costs that go beyond tax collection and unfair competition over legally operating companies. Moreover, the intake of contaminated APs can lead to the development of several diseases, and it can add significant costs to health systems and impairs one's work capacity. Accordingly, laws (standards and ordinances) were drafted to curb, or even eliminate, illegal food production; however, underground food production "subsists" and remains competitive.
It was possible noticing the irregular interstate transportation of milk and dairy products (cheese and kitchen butter) to Teresina County, Piauí State. The carrier failed to present documents proving the origin of the product in a specific cheese interception case.
According to Eidt et al. (2015), knowing the origin of animal products is essential to help estimating the risk posed by their irregular entry in a given territory. Based on these researchers, trading activities between countries, regions and cities have been going on since the dawn of human civilization, both formally and informally; however, informal trade can be established illegally, extra legally or in parallel markets. Data recorded in the present study allowed identifying the illegal trade of milk and dairy products between counties in Maranhão State, as well as with Teresina County, Piauí State.
According to Hueston; Travis; Van Klink (2011), smuggling is a typical example of illegal trade -a given product ends up entering the country despite the ban on it. On the other hand, parallel markets are the ones often outside of regulatory jurisdictions, such as animal collectors who exchange specimens. Extralegal trade is the technically illegal trade, which ends up being ignored. An example of this trade type was identified in the current study: food products such as artisanal cheese -whose entry in the country is regulated, although authorities do not always intercept them -were transported in passengers' luggage. Despite the awareness about the risks posed by the informal trade of these products, they remain poorly evaluated.
In total, 3,500 liters of milk, 500 liters of kitchen butter, 2,836 kg of cheese, 1,700 kg of yogurt and 100 kg of yogurt ice cream were intercepted from 2013 to 2017 (Table 1). The variety and number of products listed in the current study show the relevance of inland animalproduct transportation to animal and public health defense.
Cheese confiscation stood out during the investigated period -2,836 kg, in total. According to some confiscation terms, curdle cheese was the most intercepted type.
Curdle cheese was likely the most intercepted dairy product because it is a typical product in Northeastern Brazil. According to Dantas et al. (2013), this cheese type integrates daily meals, either as food supplement or delicacy, and it presents relevant socioeconomic and cultural value, whose foundations are rooted in its own history, given its cultural transfer from parents to children. If one takes into consideration that products were intercepted due to some non-conformity in transportation, such as lack of origin certification, it was possible perceiving the significant risk of having these products transmitting different pathogens to consumers. In addition, since Maranhão State is endemic to Brucella abortus (CARVALHO et al., 2016), these products can be associated with the state's health status. According to Sugiura;Murray (2011), determining whether, or not, a given pathogen is likely to be found in the place of origin of a certain product, and identifying the product spreading such pathogen, is essential to help classifying microbial agents as hazardous.
It is essential mentioning that precautions taken, or not, during AP manufacturing are associated with the risk of contamination in different food production and handling stages; consequently, they cannot be neglected. Thus, is it necessary conducting strict sanitary inspections in food industries, as well as making systematic reviews of food production processes in order to assure safe products. With respect to safe production, pasteurization is mandatory for all milk and dairy products manufactured in Brazil, since it helps eliminating spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Table 2 presents the law infringements that have resulted in the interception and subsequent confiscation of milk and dairy products. The association between inappropriate vehicle and inappropriate packaging was the most recurring law violation recorded for milk and dairy product transportation in Maranhão State. The most often product transportation law infringements concerned transport in inappropriate vehicles such as passenger buses and minibuses, and trucks used for animal-feed transportation. Inappropriate packaging comprised garbage bags, rice-packing bags, cardboard boxes and non-reusable micronutrient containers.
Six (85.70%) out of seven confiscations resulting from product transportation in inappropriate vehicles were associated with the transport of dairy products in luggage racks of buses and minibuses -the weight of the transported cargo ranged from 48 to 300 kg, which likely means that products were transported for commercial purposes. It is necessary intensifying the inspection on these vehicles in Maranhão State. The confiscation of milk and dairy products transported in suitable vehicles resulted from lack of documents proving the origin of the products or from lack of refrigeration (refrigeration unit was switched off).
According to Evangelista Barreto et al. (2012), health issues caused by AP intake mainly result from poor production, transportation and storage practices. This is the reason why food security has been gaining space and global attention due to the incidence of foodborne diseases (FBDs).
Transport of food for human consumption purposes, whether refrigerated or not, must prevent product contamination and deterioration. Thus, it is necessary highlighting Ordinance n. 15 issued by the Sanitary Surveillance Center (CVS -Centro de Vigilância Sanitária) in November 7 th , 1991, according to which: (i) it is essential controlling the hygiene conditions, the cold temperature and the transport time; (ii) food and foreign substances that may contaminate or damage such food cannot be kept in the same container or transported in the same compartment in a vehicle. This requirement is not applicable to food packed in hermetically sealed, waterproof and resistant containers, except for toxic products; (iii) Transported food products must clearly and visibly display on their right and left sides (within a 30-cm-high by 60-cm-long rectangle) the following information: Food Transportation, Company Name, Address and Telephone Number, Perishable Product (whenever applicable) (BRASIL, 1991).
With respect to milk and dairy product packaging in nonreusable containers for micronutrients, it is worth mentioning Decree N. 4074 from January 4th, 2002 (BRAZIL, 2002), which forbids reusing pesticide packaging to pack any type of food or liquid for consumption purposes. This prohibition is based on the risk of having residues transferred from the packaging to the food, as well as of poisoning consumers.
All law infringements resulting from interceptions and recorded by official veterinary service during the assessed period (2013 to 2017) resulted in the confiscation of transported products, in fine issuing and, in specific cases -such as obvious signs of food deterioration -in the destruction of the transported products with 2.6% povidone iodine. Maranhão State has a large territory and significant strength in the agricultural scenario; thus, it needs to develop more efficient public policies focused on protecting its livestock heritage, mainly due to multinationalization processes, whose flow of people, goods and information is very intense. Therefore, mobile agricultural product transport inspections are health defense tools that should be systematically used to guide, inspect and monitor AP circulation, as well as to inform carriers about the importance of legally trading relevant products and by-products for agricultural defense.
Health education activities should be carried out with milk and dairy product carriers in Maranhão State, as well as with the general population, since education is an active and continuous process capable of enabling and developing critical awareness in a target group. Therefore, the debureaucratization of legal AP transport regulations, through educational activities, can help minimizing traffic violations and, above all, it can contribute to the consumption of better-quality food.

CONCLUSIONS
The interception of milk and dairy products during mobile agricultural product transport inspections reflects the non-compliance of the animal product transport activity in Maranhão State with national and state regulations. The recurring law violations recorded during the assessed period comprised the transportation of milk and dairy products without health certificate in inappropriate and poorly conditioned vehicles, a fact that compromises the sanitation of these products and exposes the population to the intake of poor sanitaryquality food. Thus, agricultural product transport inspections must be intensified in Marahão State.