The Research Column

Worldwide whole milk powder (WMP) is a dairy product which overcomes the problem of seasonality of raw milk. Additionally, it serves as a product with high nutritional value to remote areas. It has a long shelf life which depends on the conditions of storage and transportation, recommended to be in a range from 0 to 10°C. At higher temperatures, the quality of WMP deteriorates because of an increase in the degradation of fat and protein fractions. A range of low negative temperatures for storage have not been systematically investigated.

Digital cushion thickness (DCT) at the typical sole ulcer site beneath the distal phalanx is a strong predictor of lameness and the claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL’s) of sole ulcers and white line disease in dairy cows. These CHDL’s are the most prevalent claw diseases associated with lameness and pain. Previous studies are inconsistent as to the thickness which is optimum. Apparently thin digital cushions predispose animals to lameness and lesions later in lactation.

Because of concerns regarding increasing antimicrobial resistance and the need for responsible use of antibiotics, there is a need to investigate the feasibility of selective dry cow therapy and non-antimicrobial alternatives. The most common alternative to antibiotics at the time of dry-off is internal teat sealants that contain bismuth sub-nitrate, a heavy metal compound, in a paraffin-based substance. They have proven to be effective at preventing new dry-period infections.

Mycotoxins are a diverse group of secondary metabolites produced by many fungi in the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium. They may cause toxic responses when ingested by humans and farm animals. Among the mycotoxins, those produced by Fusarium spp.

In a report by Dr Indur Goklany who was a founding member of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the effects we currently experienced and other evidence which are considered as evidence of climate change, the author challenged the interpretations. The reference to the paper is: I.M. Goklany, 2021. Impacts of Climate Change: Perception and reality. Report 46, The Global Warming Policy Foundation. The question is what should we make of this.

Mastitis in dairy cows is costing the industry. It leads to treatment costs, milk production losses, and early culling of cows. For many years, blanket dry cow therapy (BDCT) has been the accepted treatment in mastitis control. It involves administering long-acting antibiotics to all cows and quarters at dry-off, regardless of their infection status or incidence risk during the dry period.

Trends in consumer food choices are sometimes spontaneous, not always rational, but nevertheless evoke changes in the food industry. In supermarkets with abundant product choices and information overload on labels, consumers are confused and mostly do not have the background to understand what the information means. Moreover, because of the industrialization of the agri-food industry, consumers lost contact with farm life and are often unfamiliar with the processes behind food production.

In the study the authors used a simulation model to estimate the potential economic benefit of using timed AI in combination with conventional unsorted or sexed semen in heifers only, and in both heifers and lactating cows. These scenarios were compared with a conventional reproductive programme in which heifers and cows were inseminated with conventional unsorted semen after oestrus detection (Control). A sensitivity analysis was also used to estimate the effect of hormone costs from timed AI use on the profitability of each programme relative to the conventional.

Discipline: yogurt; Keywords: lactic acid bacteria, stirring, low-speed agitation, process time, acidity profile, microbiological dynamics.

Is agitation during fermentation beneficial to yogurt characteristics? This question was addressed by E.J. Aguirre-Ezkauriatza and coworkers in a study entitled: Effect of mixing during fermentation in yogurt manufacturing, which was published in the Journal of Dairy Science (2008), Volume 91, pages 4454-4465.

Discipline: sensory; Keywords: texture, aroma, flavour, taste, scorecard judging, analytical sensory tests, descriptive analysis.

Is sensory analysis a valuable tool to the dairy product manufacturer? M.A. Drake was invited by the American Dairy Science Association to review the work done on sensory appraisal. The title of his Review which was published in the Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 90 of 2007, page 4925 to 4937, was appropriately: Sensory Analysis of Dairy Foods.