The composition of casein in Irish milk for manufacturing was examined throughout the year. Large changes in composition were observed in the final quarter of the year as a result of the influence of late lactation when the proportion of αs- and β-caseins declined and the proportion of κ- and γ-caseins and of minor casein components increased. Similar changes in casein composition were induced by treatment of milk with porcine plasmin. The activity of plasmin-like milk proteinase in milk was quantified from the rate of conversion of added [14C]β-casein to [14C]γ-caseins. This activity was considerably higher in a late lactation milk than in a mid lactation milk and was ∼ 20 times higher at 37 °C than at 4 °C. It was concluded that casein compositional changes in late lactation were largely the result of proteolysis of individual caseins by plasmin-like milk proteinase.

Unsatisfactory milking conditions, including high milking vacuum, ineffective pulsation, heavy clusters, unsuitable liners, poor teat preparation and over-milking, are known to create poor, but undefined, teat conditions and pose a risk to an increased probability of intramammary infection (IDF, 1994). It has been shown that poor teat condition, seen as discolouration, abnormal firmness or thickened rings of tissue distally, after cluster removal may be common in a variety of commercial milking operations (Hillerton et al. 2000). That field study was observational and teat conditions were influenced by a number of variables. A small experimental study has been undertaken to develop an experimental model, under controlled milking conditions, to allow investigation of potential causes of teat trauma. Over-milking was suggested as highly important in the field observations and so has been examined in this study.

A total of 480 samples of milk from 10 organically and 10 conventionally producing dairy farms in Denmark and covering 8 sampling periods over 1 year (triplicate samplings) were analysed for 45 trace elements and 6 major elements by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Sampling, sample preparation, and analysis of the samples were performed under carefully controlled contamination-free conditions. The dairy cattle breeds were Danish-Holstein or Jersey. Sources of variance were quantified, and differences between production systems and breeds were tested. The major source of variation for most elements was week of sampling. Concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, Mo, Rb, Se, and Zn were within published ranges. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Mn and Pb were lower, and concentrations of Co and Sr were higher than published ranges. Compared with Holsteins, Jerseys produced milk with higher concentrations of Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, P, Rh, and Zn and with a lower concentration of Bi. The organically produced milk, compared with conventionally produced milk, contained a significantly higher concentration of Mo (48 v. 37 ng/g) and a lower concentration of Ba (43 v. 62 ng/g), Eu (4 v. 7 ng/g), Mn (16 v. 20 ng/g) and Zn (4400 v. 5150 ng/g respectively). The investigation yielded typical concentrations for the following trace elements in milk, for which no or very few data are available: Ba, Bi, Ce, Cs, Eu, Ga, Gd, In, La, Nb, Nd, Pd, Pr, Rh, Sb, Sm, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, Y, and Zr.

Prevalence of mastitis pathogens in milk samples from dairy cows and heifers was studied over a period of 1 year (Aug 2005–Aug 2006) in ten dairy herds in Germany. Milk samples (n=8240) were collected from heifers without clinical mastitis at parturition (n=6915), from primiparous cows with clinical mastitis (n=751) and from older cows with clinical mastitis (n=574). Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) were the predominant group of bacteria isolated (46·8% of samples) from clinically healthy quarters of primiparous cows around parturition, followed by streptococci (12·6%), coliforms (4·7%) and Staphylococcus aureus (4·0%). Thirty-three percent of samples were negative on culture (range on farm level, 12·0–46·4%). In cases of clinical mastitis in primiparous and older cows, streptococci were the predominant finding (32·1 and 39·2%) followed by CNS (27·4 and 16·4%), coliforms (10·3 and 13·1%) and Staph. aureus (10·0 and 11·7%). Negative results were obtained from 21·3% (range, 0·0–30·6%) and 19·5% (range, 0·0–32·6%) of these samples. Results indicated substantial differences in the prevalence of pathogens among herds. There was a positive within-herd correlation between the monthly prevalences for Streptococcus dysgalactiae between the three groups of samples. This correlation was also found between clinical samples of primiparous and older cows for Staph. aureus. These correlations were not found for the other pathogens. Besides herd, prevalence of pathogens was influenced by parity, type of sample and season.

Whole milks concentrated 1·5–4-fold and acidified and citrated milks concentrated 2·8-fold by ultrafiltration at 50 °C were analysed for chemical changes relevant to further processing, storage or nutrition. Fat and protein were entirely retained in the concentrate. The retention of water-soluble vitamins, Ca, Mg, phosphate and trace minerals depended on the proportion bound to the protein. Ascorbic acid was rapidly destroyed during concentration. Because of the differential retention of nitrogenous components, protein comprised a progressively higher proportion of the total N as the milk became more concentrated. No denaturation of whey protein or disruption of casein micelles was detected during concentration of whole milk, but some solubilization of the casein occurred after citration. Reduction of fat globule size occurred early in the concentration process, damage to the fat globule membrane was indicated and the milk became more susceptible to lipolysis. Apart from a tendency for preacidified or precitrated concentrates to gel, no change in the susceptibility of the milks to heat damage was detected.

The maximum and minimum heat stability exhibited by most milks over a relatively narrow range of pH values is shown also by synthetic colloidal calcium caseinate-calcium phosphate systems and even by simple caseinate systems, provided all possess adequate contents of β-lactoglobulin, soluble calcium and phosphate. The phenomenon is not, however, dependent on the presence of the characteristic micellar structure of the casein of milk. The minimum stability observed, usually around pH 6·9, is the most characteristic feature of the phenomenon and arises from heat induced deposition of calcium phosphate on a caseinate/β-lactoglobulin complex. This reaction, which tends to occur to a marked degree at relatively high pH values and calcium ion concentrations, sensitizes the complex to precipitation by calcium ions. The precise pH values at which the maximum and minimum stabilities occur can vary depending on the salt composition of the serum, since the latter can influence the solubility of calcium phosphate.

Somatic cell count (SCC) is generally regarded as an indicator of udder health. A cut-off value of 100×103 cells/ml is currently used in Germany to differentiate between normal and abnormal secretion of quarters. In addition to SCC, differential cell counts (DCC) can be applied for a more detailed analysis of the udder health status. The aim of this study was to differentiate somatic cells in foremilk samples of udder quarters classified as normal secreting by SCC <100×103 cells/ml. Twenty cows were selected and 72 normal secreting udder quarters were compared with a control group of six diseased quarters (SCC >100×103 cells/ml). In two severely diseased quarters of the control group (SCC of 967×103 cells/ml and 1824×103 cells/ml) Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were detected. DCC patterns of milk samples (n=25) with very low SCC values of ⩽6·25×103 cells/ml revealed high lymphocyte proportions of up to 92%. Milk cell populations in samples (n=41) with SCC values of (>6·25 to ⩽25)×103 cells/ml were also dominated by lymphocytes (mean value 47%), whereas DCC patterns of milk from udder quarters (n=6) with SCC values (>25 to ⩽100)×103 cells/ml changed. While in samples (n=3) with SCC values of (27–33)×103 cells/ml macrophages were predominant (35–40%), three milk samples with (43–45)×103 cells/ml indicated already inflammatory reactions based on the predominance of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) (54–63%). In milk samples of diseased quarters PMN were categorically found as dominant cell population with proportions of ⩾65%. Macrophages were the second predominant cell population in almost all samples tested in relationship to lymphocytes and PMN. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating cell populations in low SCC milk in detail. Udder quarters classified as normal secreting by SCC <100×103 cells/ml revealed already inflammatory processes based on DCC.

Extrinsic factors such as maternal microbiota, bacterial load of the environment, diet and medication modulate the intestinal microbiota. Maturation and function of the immune system is influenced by established gut microbiota. In this work we describe the immunological effects of the dietary deprivation of fermented foods of healthy volunteers. Significant decreases in faecal lactobacillus and total aerobes counts and concentration of short chain fatty acids were observed following deprivation of fermented food of the normal diet. Moreover, a decrease in phagocytic activity in leukocytes was observed after two weeks of restricted diet. Therefore, the dietary deprivation of fermented foods could induce a decrease in innate immune response that might affect the capacity to respond against infections. The ingestion of a probiotic product containing the strains Lactobacillus gasseri CECT5714 and Lactobacillus coryniformis CECT5711 or a standard yogurt containing a conventional starter Lactobacillus delbrueckii sp. bulgaricus counteracted the fall in the immune response, although the probiotic product was more effective than the standard yogurt.

Mammary cistern anatomy derived from ultrasound measurement, milk ejection in response to exogenous oxytocin and oxytocin release and milking characteristics with and without manual prestimulation in early (months 2–4) and late (months 5–8) lactation were investigated in Lacaune and Ostfriesian dairy ewes. Vertical ultrasound cisternal cross sections of the cisternal cavities did not differ in the two breeds, whereas the cisternal area fraction located lower than the exit into the teat channel was larger in Ostfriesian than in Lacaune sheep. The cisternal area enlarged within 1 min in response to i.v. oxytocin injection, indicating milk ejection. During milking, oxytocin concentrations in Lacaune generally increased dramatically within 0·5 min from the start of prestimulation or milking, whereas only slight or no oxytocin release was detected during milking without prestimulation in Ostfriesian ewes. Prestimulation induced oxytocin release in Ostfriesian sheep within 1–2 min after the start of milking, indicating delayed response to stimulation. Two peaked milk flow curves were observed when oxytocin release and milk ejection occurred only after removal of cisternal milk. This type of milk flow was more frequent in Ostfriesian than in Lacaune ewes and was reduced in both breeds by prestimulation, while the frequency of one peaked milk flow curves increased. During the course of lactation, milk yield, main milk fraction and milk flow rates decreased, while stripping yield was almost unchanged. Although milk yield was similar in both breeds, milk flow was lower and stripping yield was higher in Ostfriesian than in Lacaune ewes. We conclude that milk ejection in ewes occurred in response to elevated oxytocin concentrations. In Ostfriesian ewes reduced and delayed oxytocin response to teat stimulation resulted in milk ejection only during stripping. Therefore, and probably because a larger volume of the cistern was located below the teat exit in the Ostfriesian breed, stripping yield was higher in Ostfriesian than in Lacaune sheep.

Total and differential cell counts were obtained for approximately 38000 fore-milk samples taken from cows of the Institute herd during a period of 12 years.

For most of the period of the experiment the incidence of subclinical mastitis associated with coagulase-positive staphylococci was about 5% of all the quarters in milk, but for a period of about 12 months in the 7th and 8th year of the experiment the herd was free from infection with coagulase-positive staphylococci.

The average cell count for cows in each lactation up to the 7th was calculated, and in addition each lactation was divided into 4 equal periods, and the average cell count for each period determined.

It was found that the average total cell count increased from one lactation to the next, and that this rise was due mainly to an increase in the number of polymorphs in the samples, the counts of cells other than polymorphs remaining relatively constant.

It was also found that the average total cell count rose during the course of any one lactation; but this was due to an increase in both the number of polymorphs and the number of cells other than polymorphs.

During the period when the herd was free from infection with coagulase-positive staphylococci the average lactation age of the cows was 4·3 lactations, and the average total cell count was 0·30 million cells/ml, a figure which was the same as that obtained throughout the experiment for animals in their 1st lactation.

Possible relationships between the rise in cell counts and the pathology of mastitis are discussed.

The effects of level of fish oil inclusion in the diet on grass silage intake, and milk yield and composition of dairy cows offered either 5 or 10 kg concentrates/d were evaluated in a ten treatment, partly balanced, changeover design experiment involving 50 cows in early lactation. Concentrates were prepared to provide 0, 150, 300 or 450 g fish oil/cow per d or 300 g fish oil/cow per d from a premix when each animal was offered 5 kg/d. The fish oil was predominantly from herring and mackerel caught in the North Atlantic while the fish oil premix was obtained from a commercial source and used palm kernel expeller as a carrier. Increasing fish oil supplementation decreased silage dry matter intake and the concentrations of milk fat and protein, and increased milk yield and diet digestibility. There were significant interactions between concentrate feed level and level of fish oil for silage intake and milk yield. Other than for the concentrations of milk fat and protein, and 20[ratio ]4n−6 fatty acids, the source of fish oil did not affect forage intake or animal performance. Fish oil supplementation also decreased the concentrations of milk protein by 0·9 g/kg for each 100 g increase in fish oil supplementation, the depression being similar at each level of concentrate feeding. Supplementing the feed of dairy cows with 450 g fish oil/cow per d decreased the concentration of milk fat by 15 g/kg. This study also showed that feeding dairy cattle with fish oil is an efficient method of increasing eicosapentaenoic acid in the human diet through transfer into milk.

1. Twelve Shorthorn cows were used for an investigation into the effect of diets low in roughage and high in concentrates on the fat content of milk.

2. An experiment was conducted with initial and final control periods. During the control periods all the cows received daily 17 to 21 lb. of hay, 30 lb. of mangolds and 4 lb. of a balanced concentrate mixture per 10 lb. of milk. In the period of experimental treatment, lasting 4 weeks, a control group of four cows remained on this diet. Two other similar groups received daily only 6 and 2 lb. of hay, but this was supplemented with 9 lb. of a concentrate mixture low in fibre and protein. The same allowances of mangolds and of concentrates for production were given to these as to the control group.

3. The mean fat content of milk produced in the last 2 weeks of the period of experimental treatment by cows receiving the diets low in roughage was 0·49 % (group receiving 6 lb. of hay) and 0·59% (group receiving 2 lb. of hay) below that produced by the cows receiving the control diet, these differences being statistically significant. In the group receiving daily 6 lb. of hay the drop in fat content was accompanied by an increase in the yield of milk and there was only a small fall in the yield of milk fat, but in the group receiving daily 2 lb. of hay there was a significant fall in the yield of fat. The latter fall represented a loss of 18·9% of the fat as compared with the control group. The fat content of the milk and the yield of milk rapidly returned to normal when the cows reverted to 18 lb. of hay per day.

4. The butterfat produced by the cows receiving diets low in roughage had a higher iodine value and lower softening point than that from the control cows. The fat from the group receiving daily 2 lb. of hay, but not that from the group receiving 6 lb. of hay, had a distinctly lower Reichert value than fat from the control group. The treatments caused no change in the saponification value.

5. The level of solids-not-fat in the milk was not affected by reduction in the roughage intake.

β-Casein is highly resistant to proteolysis in Cheddar cheese. A decrease in NaCl concentration reduced its resistance, but even in the absence of salt the amount of proteolysis of β-casein was slight. Proteolysis in Cheddar cheese increased when the moisture levels were raised by adding water. The relative susceptibility of β-casein to proteolysis by rennin was reduced considerably when the concentration of a sodium caseinate solution was raised from 10 to 20%. Sequestering the Ca2+ by means of EDTA had no significant effect on proteolysis of β-casein. It would appear that the resistance of β-casein to proteolysis is due to the substrate rather than the enzyme and it is suggested that the reduced relative susceptibility to proteolysis is due to some concentration-dependent physical change in the casein molecule which renders the β-casein inaccessible. The salt concentration would also appear to influence this change.

Cheddar-cheese flavour is largely independent of rennet concentration and it is possible to manufacture cheese of satisfactory quality using half-normal rennet levels.

Cheese has been successfully made from raw and pasteurized milk by a process similar to that employed for Cheddar or Cheshire-type cheese but omitting the starter inoculum.

In the preferred method gluconic acid lactone was used as the acidifying agent during the setting of the curd and after milling.

The flavour of the best products was acceptable to a number of people not necessarily experienced in cheese-tasting, but it was different from that of normal Cheddar.

No improvement in flavour was achieved by inoculation of the cheese milk with a strain of L. casei and L. brevis.

Further detailed investigation is needed to perfect the process and to determine whether its use in industry is justified or desirable.

1. A study has been made of the interrelationships between persistency and maximum yield as components of the lactation curve, and of the importance of environment and heredity in determining the shape of the lactation curve of Ayrshire cows.

2. Persistency was defined as the linear constant of the exponential curve expressed as a percentage, maximum yield as the highest 30-day yield as calculated from the records, and total yield as the yield of milk from 15 days to 8½ months after calving.

3. The study was based on milk records computed by the official method of the Scottish Milk Records Association. The data used in much of the work was obtained from five herds of Ayrshire cows and involved 2392 lactations during the period 1920–39.

4. In an exploratory test involving 100 lactations it was found that the exponential curve fitted ninety-five of the lactation curves and that the fit was improved in forty-eight of these ninety-five curves by using the parabolic exponential curve. Five of the lactations were too erratic to be fitted by any simple mathematical curve.

Milk protease, the naturally occurring proteolytic enzyme from fresh raw bovine milk, was purified 629-fold. Purification methods are described which included acid precipitation, ion-exchange and gel chromatography and ammonium sulphate fractionation. It was necessary to use a large-scale purification as the amounts of enzyme in milk are very low.

The basic properties of the enzyme were elucidated from experiments on this partially purified fraction. Under the conditions of assay these showed a wide pH optimum from 6·5 to 9·0 and a temperature optimum of 37°C. The protease was fairly heat stable, the stability being pH dependent.

The source of the enzyme appeared to be the mammary gland, where the enzyme was also detected.

The following summary of the effect of increasing quantities of oxygen in producing ‘off’ flavour in gas-packed full-cream milk powder during storage for long periods has been based on observations made in the present series of experiments, supplemented to some extent by results from later work on the gas storage of spray-dried powder which is not here reported in detail.

(a) Full-cream powders stored in the presence of up to 0.01 ml. of oxygen per g. of powder kept very well at both normal and high temperatures. This figure corresponds to 1 % of oxygen (after completion of desorption) in the free-space gas of a can of spraydried powder packed to a bulk density of 0.55 g./ml., or to 0.5 % of oxygen in a can of roller powder packed to a bulk density of 0.35 g./ml. Tallowiness was never definitely detected under such conditions, and there seems to be little or no advantage to be gained, at least so far as palatability is concerned, by improving on this figure. An atmosphere containing not more than 0.01 ml. of oxygen per g. of powder can therefore be considered an ideal pack for milk powder.

The effect of freeze-drying on viability and probiotic properties of a microbial mixture containing selected bacterial and yeast strains isolated from kefir grains (Lactobacillus kefir, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus) was studied. The microorganisms were selected according to their potentially probiotic properties in vitro already reported. Two types of formulations were performed, a microbial mixture (MM) suspended in milk and a milk product fermented with MM (FMM). To test the effect of storage on viability of microorganisms, MM and FMM were freeze-dried and maintained at 4°C for six months. After 180 days of storage at 4°C, freeze-dried MM showed better survival rates for each strain than freeze-dried FMM. The addition of sugars (trehalose or sucrose) did not improve the survival rates of any of the microorganisms after freeze-drying. Freeze-drying did not affect the capacity of MM to inhibit growth of Shigella sonnei in vitro, since the co-incubation of this pathogen with freeze-dried MM produced a decrease of 2 log in Shigella viability. The safety of freeze-dried MM was tested in mice and non-translocation of microorganisms to liver or spleen was observed in BALB/c mice feed ad libitum during 7 or 20 days. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the effect of freeze-drying on viability, in vitro probiotic properties and microbial translocation of a mixture containing different strains of both bacteria and yeasts isolated from kefir.

During an outbreak of mastitis due to Streptococcus uberis the organism was frequently isolated from samples of straw bedding used by the cattle. More than one million Str. uberis/g straw were isolated from 36% of samples. The organism was also recovered from 34% of samples of bovine faeces, but usually in low numbers. An examination of straw samples collected from cattle yards on 32 other dairy farms demonstrated that this was not an isolated occurrence since Str. uberis was found in 24% of samples from 56% of the herds. No correlation was found between counts of Str. uberis and coliforms. The significance of these observations is discussed.

To improve acid clotting properties, enzymic dephosphorylation of caseins with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CAP) or potato acid phosphatase (PAP) was investigated. Greater dephosphorylation was achieved using αs1- or β-casein as substrates, compared to whole casein or skim milk. Electrophoresis of PAP-modified caseins revealed bands with lower mobility and a multibanded pattern in the β-casein region which was similar to that of human β-casein. On the other hand, CAP modification produced electrophoretic bands having lower mobility of the β-casein component, but with higher mobility in the αs1-casein component as well as increased net negative charge in the CAP-casein. PAP-casein formed a fine dispersion upon acidification to pH 4. with a microstructure similar to that of acidified human casein. Greater initial rates of hydrolysis by pepsin at pH 4 were observed for both CAP- and PAP-modified caseins, compared to bovine and human caseins. The rate and extent of hydrolysis remained high for CAP-casein but tended to level off with PAP-casein during sequential digestion with pepsin and pancreatin. There may be advantages in the use of partial dephosphorylation to improve acid clotting and digestibility properties of bovine casein for infant feeding.