Abstract
Possible differences between composition of raw milk due to dairy farming system (organic vs conventional) as well as seasonal variations were investigated. The samples were analysed during one year. A total of 6.782 samples of raw milk were collected (4.496 from organic farming). Dairy farms were located in the northern part of Republic of Serbia (Province of Vojvodina). The principle of analysis of raw milk samples was in accordance with the methodology by midinfrared spectrometry and flow cytometry. The fixed effect of system of farming and season (winter, spring, summer and fall) have shown a high statistical significance (P < 0.01) on all examined milk parameters except fat, total solids and somatic cell count, where the impact was slightly lower (P < 0.05). Significant difference wasn't found in number of bacterial colonies (P > 0.05). Composition of milk is also affected by a number of other factors, therefore it is recommended to involve factors such as nutrition of dairy cows, breed and farm management.
Highlights
Milk production in accordance with the principles of organic production demands that the livestock production system adapt to specific technology-in first line origin of feed, reproduction, health, welfare and behavior of animals (Rosati and Aumaitre, 2004)
The aim of this paper is to investigate possible differences between composition of raw milk due to dairy farming system as well as seasonal variations
Milk produced in organic dairy farming had a significantly lower concentrations of SFA (2.52 – 2.64) but more UFA (1.38 -1.29)
Summary
Milk production in accordance with the principles of organic production demands that the livestock production system adapt to specific technology-in first line origin of feed, reproduction, health, welfare and behavior of animals (Rosati and Aumaitre, 2004). The number of cattle in organic farming in the EU for the last decade had a growth rate of over 12% The share of this production in 2014 accounted about 3% compared to conventional cattle, the share of dairy cows accounted for about 0.7 million certified animals (Eurostat data, 2014). The mentioned group of fatty acids (especially omega-3) has positive effects on human health. Their activity is associated with improvement of neurological function (Contreras and Rapoport, 2002), decreases the risk of diabetes, prevents the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, improves function of the immune system Paris, 2003; Wahl et al 2004). A positive influence of nutrition can be expected on content and ratio of fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and CLA, lipophilic vitamins, β-carotene, lutein as well as high level of antioxidants (Bloksma et al 2008; Sakowski et al 2012; O'Donnell et al 2010; PopovićVranješ et al 2011)
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