The effects on milk composition and processing characteristics of varying grass supply by changing stocking density and of offering a concentrate supplement were investigated. The experiment was conducted over 28 weeks of the lactation (April–October) using 48 spring-calved Friesian–Holstein cows. Three herds each of 16 cows were offered a restricted grass supply, a standard grass supply and a standard grass supply with a supplement of 3 kg concentrate/d. Treatment groups were grazed separately with a residence time of 3 d/paddock. Milk production, composition and processing characteristics such as renneting properties, ethanol stability and plasmin activity were measured weekly. Increasing stocking density above the standard system resulted in significant reductions in milk fat and protein yields, the concentrations of total protein, casein and whey proteins, and a deterioration in most processing characteristics. Imposing concentrate supplementation on the standard system increased total protein, casein and whey protein concentrations but generally did not improve processing characteristics except for ethanol stability. These results suggest that the standard grass supply in a rotational grazing paddock system can support efficient production of quality milk, and concentrate supplementation will not improve processing characteristics when an adequate supply of good quality herbage is available.

Many psychrotrophic bacteria contaminating raw milk produce phospholipase that withstands pasteurization and UHT treatments. This enzyme acts on the milk fat globule membrane and exposes triacylglycerides to the action of lipase. Phospholipase production by various isolates of Pseudomonas was investigated. The isolates were cultured aerobically at 8 °C in nutrient broth, McKellar's minimal salts medium, Chrisope's medium, and skim milk. Each strain produced phospholipase during the 50 h incubation. Enzyme production varied significantly (P < 0·001) with strain and growth medium. Strains varied significantly (P < 0·001) in their enzyme production in each medium and during the incubation time as well. Strain, incubation time, and the growth medium significantly influenced (P < 0·001) heat stability of the enzyme activity. Pasteurization reduced the activity, but did not eliminate it in skim milk.

The aim of this study was to identify and rank the various factors, in particular those involving feeding, that affect the proportion of caseins in milk true protein. Twenty-nine feeding trials involving 821 lactations were assessed, and lactoprotein genetic variants were known for 551 of these. The main factor affecting the casein: protein ratio was the genetic variant of β-lactoglobulin: once corrected for other factors, the milk of BB type animals had a ratio nearly 30 g/kg total protein higher than AA animals. κ-Casein variant B also had a positive effect (+12 g/kg in favour of BB relative to AA animals). Except in the last weeks of pregnancy and the first weeks of lactation, the casein[ratio ]protein ratio varied little during lactation. It was significantly reduced when milk cell count exceeded 200000 cells/ml, even in the absence of clinical mastitis. It also decreased slightly with parity. Among the various dietary factors studied (level and type of nitrogen and energy supplies, forage type and preservation method), none had any significant effect on the milk casein[ratio ]protein ratio, except in drastic dietary situations. That ratio increased very slightly in parallel with the animals' milk yield and milk protein content. In practice, measuring the milk protein content in animals free from clinical mastitis remains a very precise predictor of casein content, accounting for 93% of its variation.

Milk gels varying widely in firmness were examined by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and a close correlation was found between their ultrastructure and firmness. In gels containing 40 and 50% total solids (14 and 17% protein respectively), casein micelles appeared as individual entities linked by some bridging material. At 60% total solids (20% protein), the micelles were fused and offered a considerably higher resistance to a penetrometer probe. Likewise some additives to gels, such as ammonium persulphate and CaCl2, caused the micelles to fuse. These chemicals appreciably increased firmness of such gels. In gels containing hexametaphosphate, a known inhibitor of gelation, most of the casein micelles were disintegrated; these gels were soft.

The susceptibility of the casein in milk to proteolysis was shown to be greatly influenced by its state of aggregation. In normal milk, where the casein is largely in micellar form, the αs1- and β-caseins are almost inaccessible to proteolysis. On removal of the colloidal phosphate, the casein micelles disintegrate, rendering the components, especially the αs1-casein, accessible to proteolysis. The role of colloidal calcium phosphate in the casein micelle is believed to be that of a non-specific aggregating agent which can be effectively replaced by calcium. Dissolved colloidal phosphate can be effectively reformed by elevation of the pH of colloidal phosphate-free (CPF) milk before equilibrium dialysis. Addition of κ-casein to CPF milk also causes aggregation of the component caseins but the micelles formed are smaller than those of normal milk.

The behaviour of micellar β-casein differs considerably from that of micellar αs1-casein. The evidence suggests that part of the β-casein freely dissociates either outside or within the micelle when the temperature is reduced. The temperature dependence of the susceptibility of β-casein to proteolysis was similar in skim-milk and in solutions of sodium caseinate, and increased as the temperature was reduced. αs1-Casein was quite resistant to proteolysis in normal milk but became susceptible when the micelle structure was disrupted on removal of colloidal phosphate.

It is concluded that limited proteolysis may prove a valuable technique in the study of casein micelle structure.

The whole N fraction of six samples of hard and semi-hard pressed cheeses was analysed using PAGE, polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing and immuno blotting with polyclonal antibodies against β- and αs1-casein. The origin of some electrophoretic bands corresponding to peptides produced from the enzymic degradation of the casein fractions was established. A number of these peptides were also present in the in vitro hydrolysates of casein with plasmin and chymosin. Thus, it was also possible to determine which casein was the source of each peptide and which enzymes were active in cheese. Compared with the traditional Coomassie staining procedures, immunoblotting is more sensitive and specific, making the interpretation of each electrophoretic profile easy. Thus, it was also possible to obtain a clear picture of the state of each casein fraction in a cheese variety. Two main peptides were isolated from the pH 4·6-insoluble N fraction of Parmigiano-Reggiano using DEAE-cellulose chromatography and identified, from the amino acid sequence of the N- and C-terminal ends, as γ3-casein (β-casein(f108–209)) and αs1-PL1 (αs1-casein(f80–199)). In both cases, a Lys–X bond was hydrolysed, indicating the action of a trypsin-like enzyme in β- and αs1-casein hydrolysis during the ripening of this variety of hard pressed cheese.

Several peptidase activities in the 3 species of Group N streptococci were partly separated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The peptidases identified were a general aminopeptidase of wide specificity, a tripeptidase, a proline iminopeptidase (prolyl-β-naphthylamidase), a proline iminodipeptidase and an aminopeptidase-P. The effects of temperature and pH on the stability of the enzyme activities, and the influence of the type of N source used in the growth medium on the elution pattern of the enzymes were examined.

The rate of acid production by a slow variant of Streptococcus cremoris in milk was raised to that of the fast parent strain when peptone or acid hydrolysed peptone were added. Lactose utilization was similarly affected. However, the stimulation took place without any change in the rate of growth. Other sources of available nitrogen gave similar results.

It is concluded that the change from a fast to a slow culture which occurs on continued transfer is due to the loss of ability to utilize the nitrogen compounds of milk.

Bacteriology, somatic cell counts (SCO) and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAGase) activity determinations were conducted on milk samples collected from does in three dairy herds with caprine arthritis–encephalitis virus (CAEV) infection. In two herds, CAEV-infected does were more likely to have a subclinical bacterial infection of the udder than CAEV-free does (P < 0·05). Does with CAEV but no bacterial udder infection had significantly greater mean SCO and NAGase activity than CAEV-free does without udder infection (P < 0·01). In two herds, changes in milk SCC and NAGase associated with CAEV infection were similar to those produced by coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections. The findings confirm that indirect indicators of bacterial mastitis infection may have reduced specificity in dairy goat herds with CAEV.

This review provides an overview of the composition, structure, and biological activities of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) compounds with focus on the future application of this compound as a food ingredient. MFGM is a particular component of mammalian milks and is comprised of a tri-layer of polar lipids, glycolipids and proteins. In recent years, MFGM has been extensively studied for the purpose of enhancing the efficacy of infant nutrition formula. For example, infant formulas supplemented with bovine MFGM have shown promising results with regard to neurodevelopment and defense against infections. Components of MFGM have been shown to present several health benefits as the proteins of the membrane have shown antiviral activity and a reduction in the incidence of diarrhea. Moreover, the presence of sphingomyelin, a phospholipid, implies beneficial effects on human health such as enhanced neuronal development in infants and the protection of neonates from bacterial infections. The development of a lipid that is similar to human milk fat would represent a significant advance for the infant formula industry and would offer high technology formulas for those infants that depend on infant formula. The complexity of the structure of MFGM and its nutritional and technological properties is critically examined in this review with a focus on issues relevant to the dairy industry.

Microbial diversity of the raw milk for the production of Fior di Latte di Agerola and its changes during cheesemaking were studied. Viable counts showed that at the end of curd ripening, loads of lactic acid bacteria, both mesophilic and thermophilic rods and cocci, higher than those commonly evidenced in similar cheeses produced by using natural or commercial starters, were detected. Identification of 272 isolates, supported by molecular diagnostic aids, evidenced representative cultures of a high number of bacterial taxa of interest as participating in the process, although most of the isolates belonged to Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus helveticus species. RAPD-PCR and REA-PFGE biotyping were performed for the isolates of the above species and it was shown that most of the strains isolated from the raw milk occurred during the whole cheesemaking process, and an active role of these strains in the fermentation was supposed. The results offer further proof of the importance of the raw milk as source of technologically interesting strains of lactic acid bacteria capable of driving the fermentation of traditional cheeses.

Twenty-four dairy Leuconostoc strains isolated from French commercial starters and four reference strains were screened for 58 morphological and biochemical characters. Hierarchical clustering analysis was performed on the results of dextran production and carbohydrate fermentation tests. Most strains fitted into three clusters at a similarity level of 65% and were identified as belonging to the species lactis or mesenteroides. Fourteen strains were then selected and further characterized for their technological properties. They were examined for growth, acidification kinetics and proteolytic capacity when growing in milk, and peptidase activities and diacetyl production after growth in MRS broth. Principal component analysis was carried out to group strains and compare their technological properties. This allowed selection of strains of dairy interest. Special attention was given to the flavouring capacity of Leuconostoc lactis isolates that could be useful in designing commercial starters.

β-Lactoglobulin (β-lg) in aqueous solution under pressure showed a marked depolarization of intrinsic fluorescence assigned to a gradually increased rotational diffusion of tryptophyl moieties in pressure-unfolded states. The corresponding change in anisotropy provided a new and more accurate method for determining denaturation volume which, for β-lg in neutral aqueous solution with ionic strength 0·16 (NaCl) at 25 °C, was ΔV°=−73 (SE 3) ml mol−1, corresponding to half denaturation at 123 MPa. The pressure unfolding led to exposure of hydrophobic regions to the protein–water interface that could be probed by fluorescence intensity of a β-lg–1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonic acid (ANS) complex with 1:1 stoichiometry, as determined by Job's method of continuous variation. The unfolding of β-lg impaired the binding capacity of the inner calyx, with a reduction in binding capacity of 50% at 50 MPa, as shown by decreasing cis- parinaric acid fluorescence, decreasing anisotropy and decreasing radiationless energy transfer from tryptophans to this probe with increasing pressure. The pressure-induced reversible exposure of hydrophobic groups to the protein–water interface may, at least partly, explain the initial aggregation reactions, evident from increased Rayleigh scattering from ∼50 MPa, prior to irreversible pressure-induced gel formation of β-lg. Using results from this and previous studies, we propose a three step pressure denaturation model for β-lg for neutral solution at ambient temperature, including an initial pressure-melted state (up to 50 MPa) with partial collapse of the inner calyx and solvent exposure of the free thiol group, followed by a reversible denaturation with exposure of hydrophobic regions (half denaturation at 123 MPa) and with irreversible denaturation with thiol–disulphide exchange becoming increasingly important at higher pressures. Effects of pressure on β-lg, as measured by fluorescence depolarization, were found for the reversible denaturation steps to be similar to the effects of chemical denaturants but different with respect to shift in ANS emission maxima.

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by lactic acid bacteria on the microstructure and rheology of Karish cheese, a soft acid coagulated cheese made using skim milk. An EPS-producing strain of Streptococcus thermophilus, and its EPS non-producing genetic variant were used to make comparable batches of the cheese. EPS in cheese was visualized by cryo-SEM as a large, dense, filamentous mass. Cheese made with the EPS non-producing culture was characterized by a dense protein network with smaller pores compared to that prepared with the EPS-producing culture. High elastic and viscous moduli measured by dynamic rheology were observed for EPS negative cheese and was attributed to its dense protein network. Creep test experiments demonstrated that cheese prepared with the EPS non-producing strain was more rigid and recovered its deformation, while cheese made using the EPS producing culture was more deformable. These results indicate that EPS-producing cultures can improve the physical properties of Karish cheese by reducing undesirable rigidity.

Lactose could not be detected in the urine of non-lactating cows but was invariably found, though usually in low concentration, in the urine of lactating cows; the highest values were observed with cows of high lactation number. Towards the end of an extended milking interval of 39 h, the lactose concentration in the blood and the excretion of lactose in urine increased markedly, but on milking there was a rapid return to original values. Lactosuria was observed in pregnant cows from about 20 days before parturition, and at parturition there was a temporary, marked increase in the excretion of lactose in urine.

The homogenization of milk and cream with a piston-type homogenizer has been studied. An examination has been made of the influences upon the mean fat globule diameters of changes in milk fat content, flow rate and homogenization temperature. The results are discussed in terms of the variations in the parameters q and P0 of the empirical equation d = (P0/P)q relating the globule diameter d to applied pressure P.

1. Commercial samples of milk of Swiss origin, sterilized by rapid heating to high temperatures, developed a positive phosphatase reaction on storage.

2. The optimum temperatures of storage for the development of this positive phosphatase reaction was 30° C.

3. These commercial samples were sterile when received and remained sterile during storage.

4. The developed phosphatase is apparently identical with the normal alkaline phosphatase of raw milk as judged by (a) heat stability, (b) pH optimum and rate of hydrolysis at different pHs, (c) comparison of results by Kay-Graham and Aschaffenburg & Mullen tests.

The effects of the addition of either 5 or 10% ‘oleic acid’ (78% pure) or 10% of a mixture of saturated fatty acids (64% palmitic acid, 31% stearic acid) to the dietary concentrate mixture on the yield and composition of the milk and milk fat and on the pattern of fermentation in the rumen were investigated in a feeding experiment with 8 cows in mid-lactation. The concentrate mixtures were given with a high-roughage diet that supplied 9·1 kg of hay/day.

The addition of 5% ‘oleic acid’ to the concentrate mixture resulted in increased yields of milk and solids-not-fat (SNF); the percentage of fat in the milk was decreased but the yield of milk fat was unaltered. The addition of 10% ‘oleic acid’ to the concentrate mixture decreased both the yield and percentage of fat in the milk. In contrast, the concentrate mixture containing 10% of the mixture of saturated fatty acids increased the yield of milk fat.

When the concentrate mixture containing 5% ‘oleic acid’ was given to the cows, the yields and percentages of the fatty acids from 4:0 to 16:0 (except 12:0) in the milk fat were decreased, but the yields and percentages of 18:0 and 18:1 were increased. Similar but more pronounced effects on the yields and percentages of the fatty acids from 4:0 to 16:0 (except 12:0) in the milk fat were observed when the cows were given the concentrate mixture containing 10% ‘oleic acid’, but under these dietary conditions the yield and percentage of only 18:1 in the milk fat were increased. The addition of the mixture of saturated fatty acids to the concentrate mixture decreased the percentages of the fatty acids from 4:0 to 14:0 (except 12:0) in the milk fat but decreased the yields of only 10:0 and 14:0; the yields and percentages of 16:0 and 18:1 were increased.

When the cows were given the concentrate mixture containing 5% ‘oleic acid’ there was a small but significant decrease in the acetic acid:propionic acid ratio in the rumen liquor. A similar but more pronounced change in the acetic acid:propionic acid ratio in the rumen liquor was observed when the cows were given the concentrate mixture containing 10% ‘oleic acid’, but in this instance there was a significant reduction in the concentration of total volatile fatty acids in the rumen liquor. Apart from a small increase in the relative proportion of propionic acid, the addition of the mixture of saturated fatty acids to the concentrate mixture had no effect on the concentrations of volatile fatty acids in the rumen liquor.

Two trials were conducted to investigate the effect of pre-milking teat dipping (PMTD) on mastitis caused by environmentally associated pathogens. The first trial showed considerable variation in effect between herds, so a second, larger trial was conducted. In this second trial a comparison of the rate of clinical mastitis was made between nine matched pairs of dairy herds over 24 weeks of the winter housed period. All herds were near the national average incidence of mastitis before the trial. One member of each pair used their normal method of udder preparation throughout the trial and disinfected all teats after milking with an iodophor disinfectant. In the other nine herds the preparation of all teats, at all milkings, included dipping in a 0·25% available iodine disinfectant, which was left on the teat for 30 s. Every teat was then wiped with a paper towel before cluster attachment. There was no difference in the overall rate of mastitis or the incidence of mastitis caused by any particular type or group of pathogens between the trial groups of herds. Both groups showed a reduction in mastitis compared with the previous winter. Although there were apparent benefits in some pairs of herds there was no overall benefit. In comparison with the previous winter the control herds reported a greater reduction in mastitis than the PMTD herds. The effect of trial supervision on normal practice gave a benefit which overwhelmed any effect of PMTD. There appeared to be no effect of PMTD on the total bacterial count, cell count or iodine content of bulk tank milk. There appears to be no justification for wholesale use of PMTD although most farms and risk groups could benefit from better attention to conventional mastitis control.

Whole cells of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CNRZ 397 (Lb. bulgaricus CNRZ 397) are able to hydrolyse α- and β-caseins. We have isolated a mutant of Lb. bulgaricus altered for growth in milk and unable to hydrolyse α- or β-casein. Normal growth was restored by adding amino acids or tryptone to milk. No significant difference between the peptidase activities of parent and mutant strains was observed. The cell surface caseinolytic activities of three lactobacilli species and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (Lc. lactis) were compared. As expected, the characteristics of the cell surface proteinase activity of Lb. casei were similar to those of Lc. lactis. We showed that the cleavage specificities of the cell surface proteinase activities from lactobacilli were species-dependent and at least three types of activity were distinguished. The regulation of the biosynthesis of cell surface proteinase activities was medium-dependent and different within the Lactobacillus genus and even within the Lb. delbrueckii species. In contrast to Lb. bulgaricus, the cell surface proteinase activity of Lb. lactis was totally inhibited in a medium rich in peptides or amino acids. In contrast, the cell surface of Lb. helveticus probably displayed two proteinases with different cleavage specificities and with a biosynthesis regulation sensitive to different medium components.