Factors influencing raw milk quality and dairy products

Abstract

In the Western world today, cow's milk is produced on an industrial scale, and is by far the most commonly consumed form of milk. Commercial dairy farming using automated milking equipment produces the vast majority of milk in developed countries. The largest producers of dairy products and milk today are India followed by the United States, Germany, and Pakistan. The dairy industry is a large and dynamic segment of the agricultural economy of many nations. The widespread consumption of dairy products and well-publicized recent epidemics of animal disease has increased consumer concern about the quality of foods of animal origin. Coincident to these trends, globalization has influenced the definition of "high-quality" milk and consumer expectations are increasingly affecting animal management practices. An understanding of concepts regarding milk secretion and milk quality is necessary to meet evolving consumer expectations.