Effect of somatic cell removal by microfiltration on the lipolysis of milk

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of raw milk somatic cell removal by microfiltration on lipolysis of pasteurized milk during refrigerated storage. A completely randomized design was used, with 3 repetitions and a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial arrangement of treatments as follow: milk fat level (skimmed and whole milk), two different levels of somatic cell counts - low somatic cell count (LSCC) and high somatic cell count (HSCC) - and, use of microfiltration or not. LSCC raw milk - 75,000 cells/ml - and HSCC raw milk - 1,150,000 cells/ml - were obtained from selected cows, skimmed and submitted to vacuum microfiltration. Milk from all treatments was pasteurized and kept refrigerated at 6ºC for 21 days. Repeated measures during storage time were taken from pasteurized milk at days 1, 7, 14 and 21. The application of milk microfiltration was efficient on somatic cell removal, with reduction of 92,5 and 99,5% for LSCC and HSCC, repectively. Lipolysis of milk was increased during storage period and was higher for milk submitted to microfiltration, however no effect of SCC was observed. Lipolysis in pasteurized milk increased independently of SCC, during its refrigerated storage period.