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UDC 636.2.034

Received: May 15, 2026

Revised: May 22, 2026

Published: May 29, 2026

This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license

 

The study is focused on considering the issues of harmonization of domestic standards in accordance with EU requirements, the importance of studies of the quality of cow’s milk in relation to microbial contamination, and the informational capabilities of the indicator of the number of somatic cells in milk.

The normative documents establishing requirements for the quality of milk and dairy products in accordance with European standards, in particular, for indicators of total bacterial insemination, number of somatic cells, freezing point, fat and protein percentage, were considered. The main sources and the share of their impact on milk contamination, which spreads through the internal and external environment, are established in the study, as well as the means of their avoidance are indicated. The sanitary condition of milking equipment, the speed and quality of milk cooling after milking (in general, about 70%) have the greatest influence on the contamination of dairy products. Important influencing factors are proper care of the udder, the condition of the floor, the sanitary and hygienic condition of the location of the animals, feed, water, air in the premises, as well as the labour hygiene of the workers on the dairy farm. The important indicator of milk quality is the content of somatic cells, which is the main indicator of infection in the animal’s body and makes it possible to identify cows with mastitis in time. Regular control of the content of somatic cells in milk is especially important during the subclinical course of mastitis. In this sense, it is promising to use express methods of mastitis diagnosis, to establish relationships between the synthesis of milk components and the physiological state of the cow, to determine the genetic determinant of the sensitivity of cows to mastitis pathogens, and therefore to prevent mastitis by targeted selection of animals.

 

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