Abstract #T57

Section: Dairy Foods
Session: Dairy Foods IV
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Tuesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall B
# T57
Prevalence of sporeformers in raw milk in Nebraska: A year in perspective.
B. Martinez1, R. Crespo*1, J. Stratton1, A. Bianchini1, 1University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE.

The quality of dairy products is limited because of the ability of sporeformer bacteria to survive pasteurization and grow in these products. This growth causes changes in quality due to oxidation and proteolysis, leading to off odors and texture defects. Additionally, special sectors, such as the milk-powder industry, require low spore counts in their products to compete in a global market. To improve the quality of dairy products related to sporeformers, a better understanding of the factors associated with their entrance into the milk chain is needed. Previous research has indicated a seasonal variation associated with levels of sporeformers in dairy farms. However, it is not clear if this also occurs in Nebraska. Therefore, the objectives of this research were (1) to determine if the prevalence of different groups of sporeformers varies throughout the year in raw milk collected at farm level, (2) to observe the prevalence of sporeformers that are able to produce spoilage during refrigeration (7°C) and their dependence on seasonal variations, (3) to determine if environmental samples at farm level show a seasonal variation regarding different groups of sporeformers, and (4) to implement interventions at farm level that can potentially reduce sporeformers in raw milk. Results suggest that the prevalence of all tested groups of sporeformers are constant, regardless of the season in which samples were collected. Mesophilic spore counts ranged from 0.81 to 1.0 log cfu/mL, while thermophilic spore counts varied between 0.76 and 0.98 log cfu/mL in raw milk samples. The prevalence of psychrotrophic sporeformers was as high as 65% of the samples tested, with 45% of the samples showing counts > 6 log cfu/mL at 21 d of storage. A change in the sanitation protocols showed a statistically significant reduction in sporeformers in raw milk; while a change in sanitizing teat dips showed no difference. Overall, individual farm practices seem to exert an important effect on the level of sporeformers in raw milk. This observation suggests that careful implementation of better farm practices would have more impact on the milk quality than any perceived seasonal variation.