Main Article Content
Keywords
Array
Abstract
Objective: Evaluate whether CMT values for bulk milk depend on its somatic cell content. Evaluate if the composition of the milk changes as a function of the number of somatic cells.
Design/methodology/approach: 48 samples of bulk milk from different dairy farms and cheese factories in Tabasco, Mexico were taken randomly. Measured parameters were: California Mastitis Test (CMT), the somatic cell count (CCS), fat, protein, non-fat solids, lactose. The values of CCS were grouped in 3 intervals: (<500,000), (>500,000-1,000,000), (> 1,000,000) to be compared with qualitative data of CMT (0, 1, 2) in a two-way contingency table. Milk samples were also grouped in 4 categories according to their number of somatic cells A (0-250,000), B (>251,000-500,000), C (>500,000-750,000) y D (> 750,000) to compare fat, protein, non-fat solids, lactose by one-way ANOVA and Tukey test at a 5% confidence level.
Results: The CMT values were dependent on its somatic cells content intervals; (x2 = 88.1, p < 0.05). A lower amount of non-fat solids, lactose and protein was observed in the group D, with highest category of somatic cells (p ?0.05).
Limitations on study/implications: The CMT test depend on the somatic cell content in cow´s bulk milk. Milk with high somatic cell content had less non-fat solids, and less lactose.
Findings/conclusions: The CMT have been traditionally used to assess the udder´s health of individual cows; in this research, we validate to use CMT to assess bulk milk samples. Samples with high somatic cell content had less non-fat solids, less lactose and less protein. That is important knowledge for cheese producers because high somatic cell content is linked to less cheese yield.
