Effect of udder treatment on reducing microbial contamination and the number of somatic cells in cow's milk

When accepting milk on the milk processing plant, modern normative documents provide control of quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms as well as somatic cells in each batch. Raw milk that meets modern requirements of the national standard provides safe dairy products in terms of microbiological parameters. Mastitis prevention in dairy cattle makes it possible to produce milk in accordance with the requirements. As for the farms affected by mastitis in cows, the need in modern agents for udder treatment increases to improve sanitary and hygienic conditions of milk production. The work presents the study results of domestic agent use for the cow’s udder treatment before and after milking in a dairy farm. One control group and two experimental groups of dairy cows have been taken for the research. In summer and autumn, the udders of milking cows in the experimental groups have been treated with special detergents and disinfectants. Udder hygiene of the dairy cows in the control group has been maintained by washing the nipples with warm water, which is customary on the farm. It is established that the udder treatment of the dairy cows in the experimental groups with special agents has decreased the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms as well as somatic cells in milk.