Milk Iodides: Effects of Iodophor Teat Dipping and Udder Washing, and Dietary Iodide Supplementation

Abstract

In a small research herd, where dietary iodide intake was approximately 8 mg/head/day, and where management practices for 2½ years had included iodophor products for both udder washing and teat dipping, milk iodide values averaged 6.31 μg/100 ml, with a range of 1.0 to 24.0. The average iodide level (in μg/100 ml) in milk after udder washing and teat dipping was 3.7 with water and 3.9 with hypochlorite, with ranges of 1.6–9.6 and 1.6–9.2, respectively. Use of the iodophor udder wash under controlled conditions did not result in a detectable increase in milk iodides. Fluctuations associated with use of a commercial iodophor teat dip were essentially within the range of values obtained in the absence of iodophor use. The effect of iodide supplementation on milk iodide levels grossly overrode any contribution attributable to the use of a properly formulated iodophor teat dip product. Use of such products would seem of limited significance in the total human dietary iodide intake.