Abstract #M113

# M113
Increasing producer profitability through farm-level interventions designed for optimization of spore counts in raw milk.
Rachel L. Evanowski*1, David J. Kent1, Nicole H. Martin1, Kathryn J. Boor1, Martin Wiedmann1, 1Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Spore-forming bacteria, such as Paenibacillus sp. and Clostridium sp., can survive pasteurization and affect the quality of dairy products (e.g., spoilage in fluid milk and late blowing in certain cheeses). With the demand for higher quality finished products that can be distributed further and to new markets, dairy processors are becoming more concerned with low spore counts in raw milk. Some processors have begun to offer premiums to producers who can supply low spore count raw milk for certain applications. The present study used results from a previous data collection to develop and test intervention strategies aimed at reducing transmission of spore-forming bacteria from environmental sources into bulk tank raw milk. These strategies involved (1) training milking staff to focus on teat end cleaning during milking preparation, and (2) implementing changes in towel treatment (i.e., use of detergent, chlorine bleach, and drying). Study design included collecting bulk tank raw milk samples for a week before and a week after initiating the intervention strategies (e.g., milker training on the importance of teat end cleaning and towel treatment). The interventions were conducted 3 times over the course of 15 mo at 5 New York farms, each of which had varying management practices. Teat end condition and udder hygiene scores were also collected. The 288 raw milk samples to date were analyzed for mesophilic and thermophilic spore counts. Results showed bulk tank milk mean spore counts of 1.5 and 1.3 cfu/mL for MSC and TSC respectively before the intervention, and bulk tank milk mean spore counts of 0.9 cfu/mL after the intervention for both MSC and TSC for a spore reduction of 41% and 42% in bulk tank raw milk for MSC and TSC respectively. This was found to be significant using a mixed effects linear regression model. The intervention strategies tested provide an easy to execute milking hygiene enhancement (e.g., focusing on teat end hygiene and towel washing procedures) that can reduce bulk tank raw milk spore levels. Future studies on additional farms in a range of regions will be needed to further test these interventions.

Key Words: dairy, spore-forming bacteria, milk