The relationship between milk somatic cell count and cheese production, quality and safety: A review

Abstract

Milk somatic cell count (SCC) is a well-established criterion commonly used for evaluation of the intramammary health status, both in individual animals and in bulk milk tanks, since there is a direct correlation between milk quality and SCC. Different standards have been established for upper permissible or acceptable limits of SCC by different countries. High SCC may involve significant risks to the consumers’ health, and generally impairs the production of fluid milk due to low stability, sensory acceptance and shelf life. The quality of cheese is mainly associated with the quality of the raw milk used in its manufacture, and thus, the milk somatic cells may have an important function as a quality indicator. This review summarises the effects of using milk with different SCC on safety, coagulation, manufacturing, textural/sensory properties and formation of biogenic amines in cheeses manufactured with milk of different ruminants.