Content
The need to reduce somatics in cows' milk is very urgent for the producer after changes were made to GOST R-52054-2003 on August 11, 2017. The requirements for the number of such cells in premium products have been significantly increased.
What are somatic cells and why are they harmful to milk?
These are the “building blocks” that make up multicellular organisms. For brevity, they are often called simply somatics. Although this is a misnomer. If we approach the issue strictly, somatics does not exist at all. There is “soma” - body and “somatic” - bodily. Everything else is a free interpretation.
Somatic cells are constantly renewed, old ones die off, new ones appear. But the body must somehow remove dead particles outside. One of these “outputs” is milk. It is impossible to get rid of the somatics in it. The product contains dead cells of the epithelial layer lining the alveoli. Leukocytes, which are also somatic, also spoil the picture.
Previously, relatively little attention was paid to somatic indicators.But it turned out that dead cells in milk significantly worsen the quality of the product. Because of them, they decrease:
- fat, casein and lactose;
- biological usefulness;
- heat resistance;
- technological properties during processing;
- acidity;
- coagulability with rennet.
A large number of cells slows down the development of lactic acid bacteria. Because of this number of somatics, it is impossible to prepare high-quality dairy products: from cheese to kefir and fermented baked milk, but it is not this that reduces the productivity of the cow. Any inflammation causes an increase in leukocytes. The cow's productivity decreases due to illness. But an increase in somatics in milk indicates the development of internal inflammation, which can be diagnosed at an early stage. A large number of cells in milk helps to detect mastitis at a stage when there are no flakes or a decrease in milk yield.
Taking milk samples from each nipple into a separate cup helps determine in which lobe the inflammatory process begins
Norms of somatics in cow's milk
Before changes were made to GOST, the somatic content of premium milk was allowed at the level of 400 thousand per 1 ml. After tightening the requirements in 2017, the indicators should be no more than 250 thousand per 1 ml for premium milk.
Many factories left the standards at the same level due to poor conditions for keeping cows in Russia. And this does not have the best effect on the dairy products they produce.
A completely healthy cow has somatic indicators of 100-170 thousand per 1 ml.But there are no such animals in the herd, so for industrial milk production the norms are slightly lower:
- highest grade - 250 thousand;
- first – 400 thousand;
- second – 750 thousand.
Truly good products cannot be made from such raw materials. And if you consider that many factories continue to accept milk with a somatic index of 400 thousand, the situation is even sadder. In developed countries, the requirements for the highest grade are much higher. This can be easily seen in the table below:
Given Swiss milk requirements, it is not surprising that cheeses produced in this country are considered the best in the world
Causes of high levels of somatic cells in milk
Explaining the reasons for high somatics will sound sad for many milk producers, but this is a violation of housing conditions and milking techniques. In rare cases, it can be attributed to heredity. In Western countries, they try to cull cows with this genotype from the herd.
Genetic reasons also include the shape of the udder, which is inherited. If the mammary gland is irregularly shaped, the nipples are damaged during milking. Such a cow is poorly milked, and the milk remaining in the udder and microcracks provoke the development of mastitis. The same applies to the low-lying gland. Low-hanging udders are often damaged by dry grass stems or stones. Through scratches, an infection penetrates into it, causing inflammation.
Other reasons that provoke an increase in somatic levels in milk include:
- improper feeding, which leads to metabolic disorders, decreased immunity and the development of acidosis and ketosis;
- poor udder care;
- poor quality milking equipment;
- violation of machine milking technology;
- general unsanitary conditions not only in the barn, but also poor maintenance of milking equipment;
- the presence of sharp edges of bars and smooth floors in the barn, which lead to udder injuries.
Since the true reasons for the high somatic content in milk are by no means mystical, if desired, the manufacturer can fight to reduce this indicator in the product.
Keeping livestock in inappropriate conditions does not help reduce the number of somatic cells in milk, and the health of such animals leaves much to be desired
How to reduce somatics in cows' milk
The choice of method depends on whether you really need to reduce the content of somatic cells in milk or whether you just want to mask the problem. In the latter case, manufacturers use special filters that reduce them by 30%.
Filtration helps milk pass inspection when delivered to the plant, but does not improve its quality. Not only deficiencies remain, but also pathogenic bacteria. In particular, with mastitis, milk contains a lot of Staphylococcus aureus. When this microorganism enters the oral cavity, it causes a sore throat in a person, similar to a sore throat.
But there are also honest ways to reduce somatics in milk:
- carefully monitor the health of cows and the onset of mastitis;
- provide livestock with good living conditions;
- use high-quality, working equipment for milking;
- maintain udder hygiene;
- remove the device from the nipples without pulling;
- monitor the absence of dry milking at the beginning and end of the procedure;
- treat teats after milking;
- monitor personal hygiene compliance by staff.
It is possible to improve somatic indicators in milk, but this will require serious efforts.In most complexes, something is bound to go wrong with proper cow management.
Preventive actions
With regard to somatics, prevention essentially coincides with measures to reduce this indicator in milk. The number of somatic cells, especially leukocytes, increases sharply during inflammation. And the prevention of such diseases lies precisely in eliminating traumatic factors. Compliance with sanitary requirements in the barn will reduce the chances of infection entering through damaged skin. It is also necessary to conduct regular rapid somatic testing of milk.
Conclusion
Reducing somatics in cows' milk is often difficult, but not impossible. It is unlikely that in modern Russian conditions it will be possible to achieve the indicators of Switzerland. However, this is something to strive for. And the serviceability and high quality of milking equipment is the key not only to a healthy udder, but also to the highest possible milk yield.
