Abstract
The somatic cell count (SCC) of refrigerated raw milk reflects the occurrence of mastitis in the herd and the management of rural property. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the SCC of the refrigerated raw milk and its determinant factors in dairy properties of Viçosa, State of Minas Gerais. Monthly, milk samples were taken from 44 cooling tanks during 2012. A structured questionnaire was applied to evaluate the production and management characteristics of the herds. There was a significant variation (p < 0.05) in the mean SCC of the milk, which was lower from June to August. Higher mean SCC and percentages of samples above the limit set by the legislation were observed in months of higher rainfall and ambient temperature (p < 0.05). Mechanical milking, lower milk yield, productivity, inadequate milking procedures, equipment hygiene, and water quality were all factors that influenced (p < 0.05) the SCC of raw refrigerated milk. Milker training is required for production of low SCC milk.
Highlights
The production of quality milk results from several factors related to the management in the rural property, which determines the health of the mammary gland of the cows
This results in higher somatic cell count (SCC) in the milk of expansion tanks (Bueno, Mesquita, Oliveira, Nicolau, & Neves, 2008), being able to extrapolate the current maximum parameter of 500,000 cells mL-1 set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA)
células somáticas (CCS) was determined by flow cytometry using the Bentley Combi System 2300® (Bentley Instruments Incorporated, Chaska, USA) according to the methodology established by the International Dairy Federation (IDF)
Summary
The production of quality milk results from several factors related to the management in the rural property, which determines the health of the mammary gland of the cows. These are the epithelial cells of desquamation of the mammary gland and defense cells of the organism, such as neutrophils, macrophages and lymphocytes These cells impair the processing of dairy products, altering taste and industrial yield (Paiva, Cerqueira, Souza, & Lana, 2012). The incidence of the disease is higher in times of higher rainfall and temperature, due to the accumulation of organic matter in the environment and favoring the proliferation of infectious microorganisms This results in higher SCC in the milk of expansion tanks (Bueno, Mesquita, Oliveira, Nicolau, & Neves, 2008), being able to extrapolate the current maximum parameter of 500,000 cells mL-1 set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the evolution of the CCS of the refrigerated raw milk and the factors related to the production and management characteristics of dairy herds in Viçosa, State of Minas Gerais
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