The effect of artificial reduction of the somatic cell count, as a violation of authenticity, on milk quality indicators

Oto Hanuš, Hana Nejeschlebová, Veronika Legarová, Lucie Kejdová-Rysová, Jan Říha, Eva Samková, Gavin Thompson, Irena Němečková, Marcela Klimešová, Jaroslav Kopecký and Radoslava Jedelská
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Oto Hanuš: Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic
Hana Nejeschlebová: Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic
Veronika Legarová: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
Lucie Kejdová-Rysová: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
Eva Samková: Department of Food Biotechnologies and Agricultural Products' Quality, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Gavin Thompson: Bentley Czech Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic
Irena Němečková: Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic
Marcela Klimešová: Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic
Jaroslav Kopecký: Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic
Radoslava Jedelská: Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic

Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2025, vol. 70, issue 8, 319-334

Abstract: The somatic cell count (SCC) in raw milk is an important indicator of health and hygienic quality. Artificial reduction of the SCC (ARSCC) in milk, for the apparent improvement of milk quality for commercial reasons, is an undesirable phenomenon and a violation of authenticity both in the factual sense and legislatively. Analytical methods need to be developed to identify ARSCC as well as to assess the effects that ARSCC may have on milk. The aim of the work was to quantify the effects of ARSCC on cow's milk as a food raw material. The results presented are some of the first on the given problem. Raw bulk tank cow milk was sampled in two experiments, each time for the whole year (2021-2022 and 2023-2024, n = 66 and n = 53, respectively) from herds of Czech Fleckvieh and Holstein cows, 1 : 1. ARSCC in experiment 1 (n = 66) slightly reduced the fat content, in experiment 2 (n = 53) it did not, otherwise the milk indicators with the exception of SCC were almost (1) and completely (2) identical. All samples were negative for the presence of inhibitory substance residues. ARSCC under the specified technological conditions reduced SCC (1) from 772 ± 906 103/ml to 376 ± 630 103/ml, by -51.3% (P < 0.001) and (2) from 592 ± 798 103/ml to 304 ± 468 103/ml, by -48.5% (P < 0.001). Under these circumstances, the milk fermentation ability improved (1) from 28.52 ± 4.72 °SH to 31.0 ± 4.65 °SH, by 8.66% (P < 0.001) and (2) from 32.51 ± 2.61 °SH to 33.80 ± 2.88 °SH, by 3.97% (P < 0.001). Curd firmness was better for SCC ≤ 400 103/ml compared to higher SCC by 5.26% (P < 0.001). Nevertheless, it is not possible, for hygienic and health reasons, to allow such milk for human consumption and it is necessary to find effective identification analytical methods for ARSCC.

Keywords: centrifugation; milk composition; raw cow'; s milk; subclinical mastitis; technological properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:70:y:2025:i:8:id:90-2025-cjas

DOI: 10.17221/90/2025-CJAS

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