Blockchain, an emerging technology exhibiting swift growth, significantly bolsters transparency within a given supply chain, enabling secure traceability, backtracking, and info tracing. Blockchain technology holds substantial promise for the dairy sector, offering enhancements unnecessary market intermediaries, thereby broadening access to credit and insurance for farmers, particularly in developing economies Such advancements could lead to more sustainable, efficient, and resilient livestock practices. However, the technology faces challenges, including the need for sophisticated infrastructure, cross-platform software, and skilled personnel with advanced expertise. Divergence in technological capabilities between developed and developing nations may hinder trade and exacerbate disparities. Regulatory barriers could also restrict blockchain's application. Thus, it is imperative to enhance blockchain knowledge among trade authorities and policymakers to facilitate its broader adoption. The objective of this review is to discuss principles of blockchain and proposed future work pathways for its use in the dairy industry.

This study explores Turkish yoghurt varieties, emphasizing their cultural significance, historical roots, and regional diversity. Traditionally made with animal- and plant-based coagulants, Turkish yoghurt has evolved from its origins in Central Asia and the Ottoman Empire into a dynamic industry. Variations are classified by texture, fat content, and flavour, shaped by Türkiye's geographical diversity. Unique regional types exhibit distinct sensory and nutritional traits. The study also highlights the integration of traditional methods into modern production, ensuring the preservation and innovation of Turkish yoghurt in today's markets. Turkish yoghurt varieties have rich diversity and cultural significance, offering valuable insights into the gastronomy field. The findings emphasize the unique sensory and nutritional characteristics of regional yoghurts, which can inspire innovative culinary applications. For instance, chefs and product developers can incorporate traditional yoghurts like Antakya Salted Yoghurt or Tavas Smoked Sheep Yoghurt into modern recipes, creating novel dishes that balance authenticity and creativity. The study also sheds light on the potential of yoghurt-based products such as ayran and keş to serve as sustainable and nutritious alternatives in contemporary gastronomy. Additionally, understanding traditional production methods opens avenues for preserving and reviving artisanal techniques, fostering a deeper appreciation for local food heritage. By bridging tradition and innovation, this research contributes to the development of gastronomy as both an art and a science, enhancing the global visibility of Turkish cuisine.

Organic farming is believed by many to be an environmentally friendly production system that promotes the use of local forage while strongly limiting the input of chemicals, including allopathic treatments. As organic dairy farming has grown, farmers have realised that many available conventional breeds of cow are not well adapted to the new situations and that more ‘robust’ cows, able to function well in the constraining organic environment, are needed to yield acceptable longevity and productivity. In this review paper, the current breed diversity in organic dairy farming is analysed with the aim of identifying the types of cow that would best fulfil organic breeding goals. Unlike the conventional sector, organic dairy farming is very heterogeneous and no single type of cow can adapt well to all scenarios. There are advantages and disadvantages to the use of existing breeds (rustic Holstein-Friesian, other rustic breeds and crosses), and strong genotype × environment interactions demand different strategies for very diverse situations. Organic dairy farms producing milk for systems that recompense milk volume would benefit from using higher milk yielding cows, and rustic Holstein-Friesian cows may be the best option in such cases. Although most Holstein-Friesian cows are currently selected for use in conventional systems, this situation could be reversed by the implementation of an organic merit index that includes organic breeding goals. Farms producing milk either for systems that recompense milk solids or for transformation into dairy products would benefit from using breeds other than Holstein-Friesian or their crosses. Organic farmers who focus on rural tourism, farm schools or other businesses in which marketing strategies must be taken into account could benefit from using local breeds (when possible) or other rustic breeds that are highly valued by consumers.

Dairy cattle breeding has historically focused on relatively small numbers of elite bulls as sires of sons. In recent years, even if generation intervals were reduced and more diverse sires of sons could have been selected, genomic selection has not fundamentally changed the fact that a large number of individuals are being analyzed. However, a relatively small number of elite bulls are still siring those animals. Therefore inbreeding-derived negative consequences in the gene pool have brought concern. The detrimental effects of non-additive genetic changes such as inbreeding depression and dominance have been widely disseminated while seriously affecting bioeconomically important parameters because of an antagonistic relationship between dairy production and reproductive traits. Therefore, the estimation of benefits and limitations of inbreeding and variance of the selection response deserves to be evaluated and discussed to preserve genetic variability, a significant concern in the selection of individuals for reproduction and production. Short-term strategies for genetic merit improvement through modern breeding programs have severely lowered high-producing dairy cattle fertility potential. Since the current selection programs potentially increase long-term costs, genetic diversity has decreased globally as a consequence. Therefore, a greater understanding of the potential that selection programs have for supporting long-term genetic sustainability and genetic diversity among dairy cattle populations should be prioritized in managing farm profitability. The present review provides a broad approach to current inbreeding-derived problems, identifying critical points to be solved and possible alternative strategies to control selection against homozygous haplotypes while maintaining sustained selection pressure. Moreover, this manuscript explores future perspectives, emphasizing theoretical applications and critical points, and strategies to avoid the adverse effects of inbreeding in dairy cattle. Finally, this review provides an overview of challenges that will soon require multidisciplinary approaches to managing dairy cattle populations, intending to combine increases in productive trait phenotypes with improvements in reproductive, health, welfare, linear conformation, and adaptability traits into the foreseeable future.

The blood-milk barrier (BMB) forms at parturition when the gland switches form a non-lactating state to one of copious milk production and becomes leaky again when milk removal ceases and mammary involution is initiated. In this review the importance of the BMB in milk production and, in particular, its hormonal regulation is explored. Tight junctions (TJ) between adjacent mammary epithelial cells form a barrier to the two-directional paracellular movement of small molecules between the blood and milk and are responsible for establishing and maintaining the BMB. They form part of the cell's junctional complex and consist of transmembrane proteins that are linked to the mammary cell's cytoskeleton. This means that when, during lactation, TJ become “leaky” the resulting perturbation of the cytoskeleton interferes with the cell's secretory function. As such, TJ are involved in regulating and maintaining milk production. Mammary TJ are under hormonal control, with progesterone, glucocorticoids, prolactin, parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) and serotonin (5-HT) being the key hormones. Progesterone prevents closure of TJ and the immediate prepartum drop in its concentration is a prerequisite for TJ closure. A simultaneous increase in the levels of glucocorticoids and prolactin is necessary for full TJ closure and initiation and maintenance of lactation. Both PTHrP and 5-HT are important hormones in maintaining extracellular calcium concentrations, a requirement for maintaining TJ integrity. Whereas PTHrP reduces TJ permeability, necessary for establishing and maintaining milk production, 5-HT has an opening effect on TJ. The latter may help speed up mammary involution and facilitate the movement of immune factors into the gland, preventing intramammary infections. In summary, mammary TJ make up the BMB and play a role in establishing and maintaining milk production and are under hormonal control, with progesterone, glucocorticoids, PTHrP and 5-HT being key regulatory hormones and prolactin likely playing a supporting role.

Milk production intensification has led to several unwanted aspects, such as sustainability issues and environmental pollution. Among these, increased milk outputs that have been achieved over the last 70 years have led to several health and pathophysiological conditions in high yielding dairy animals, including metabolic diseases that were uncommon in the past. Increased occurrence of diverse metabolic diseases in cattle and other domestic animals is a key feature of domestication that not only affects the animals' health and productivity, but also may have important and adverse health impacts on human consumers through the elevated use of drugs and antibiotics. These aspects will influence economical and ethical aspects in the near future. Therefore, finding and establishing proper biomarkers for early detection of metabolic diseases is of great interest. In the present review, recent work on the discovery of fitness, stress and welfare biomarkers in dairy cows is presented, focusing in particular on possible biomarkers of energy balance and oxidative stress in plasma and milk, and biomarkers of production-related diseases and decreased fertility.

Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) are gaining importance in mastitis and public health, and some NAS have been reclassified as mammaliicocci (NASM). Bovine milk production has a major influence on the world economy, being an essential source of income for small, medium and large producers, and bovine mastitis caused by NASM can cause an economic impact. Mastitis generates financial losses due to reduced revenue, increased veterinary costs and expenses associated with animal slaughter. However, it is also a public health issue involving animal health and welfare, human health and the ecosystem. Furthermore, it is an increasingly common infection caused by NASM, including antimicrobial-resistant strains. Despite all these adverse effects that NASM can cause, some studies also point to its protective role against mastitis. Therefore, this review article addresses the negative and positive aspects that NASM can cause in bovine mastitis, the virulence of the disease and resistance factors that make it difficult to treat and, through the One Health approach, presents a holistic view of how mastitis caused by NASM can affect both animal and human health at one and the same time.

There is increasing demand for milk and dairy products and an associated increase in milk production in Asia and Africa, making them important emerging dairy markets for the future. To the best of our knowledge, there has been little effort to comprehensively review literature on dairy production in these regions despite the changing situation, growth and challenges that require sustainable solutions. Thus, the objective of this review was to present an overview and evaluation of the dairy industry in selected countries in Eastern Africa and Asia using recent literature. The countries were selected based on the potential of dairy production in the respective regions. It focused on two types of countries: those in East Africa, which are at different stages of intensification regarding the global production issue, and those in Asia, which have large dairy industries. Based on this, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania were selected from eastern Africa, while India, Pakistan and China were selected from Asia. The review revealed that dairy production in Eastern Africa predominantly relies on small-scale production systems. Factors such as inadequate feed, disease prevalence, poor access to breeding and formal/organized market pose significant challenges to this region's dairy industry. However, recent efforts have focused on improving productivity through technology adoption, livestock breeding programmes and market development initiatives. In contrast, Asia showcases a diverse range of dairy production systems. Countries like India are known for their large-scale dairy operations involving both indigenous and exotic dairy breeds. Additionally, cooperative models and public-private partnerships have contributed to the growth of the dairy sector in Asian countries. Nevertheless, challenges such as land/feed availability, environmental concern, and market competitiveness remain areas for improvement. While Eastern Africa aims to enhance small-scale farming systems through partly upgrading scale of production, innovation and market access, Asia seeks to bridge the gaps in productivity and sustainability.

Whey, a greenish-yellow liquid resulting from curd separation in cheese manufacturing, was historically considered economically insignificant in the dairy industry and often discarded into the environment without proper oversight. However, recognizing its high nutritional value, whey has become a valuable ingredient in the food industry. Unprocessed whey (raw material) is highly susceptible to contamination, as it can serve as a substrate for the multiplication of a range of microorganisms, including spoilage, spore forming, pathogenic and toxin producing bacteria, particularly if stored at inappropriate temperatures. Staphylococcus aureus is one of these potential pathogenic bacteria often associated to dairy, that can also persist in the environment through biofilm formation and, once reaching the food matrix, can grow and produce enterotoxins. During the processing of whey powder production, there are points where S. aureus might find its way into the final product. Here we demonstrate critical contamination steps, and we highlight the need for more research to assess the microbiological integrity of whey powder, especially in Brazil, where its production has been growing in recent years. Considering the increasing use of whey powder as an ingredient for various formulations, continuous surveillance for the presence of spoilage microbiota and potentially pathogens, including S. aureus and associated enterotoxins is indispensable to prevent food poisoning outbreaks.

This review provides an overview of the composition, structure, and biological activities of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) compounds with focus on the future application of this compound as a food ingredient. MFGM is a particular component of mammalian milks and is comprised of a tri-layer of polar lipids, glycolipids and proteins. In recent years, MFGM has been extensively studied for the purpose of enhancing the efficacy of infant nutrition formula. For example, infant formulas supplemented with bovine MFGM have shown promising results with regard to neurodevelopment and defense against infections. Components of MFGM have been shown to present several health benefits as the proteins of the membrane have shown antiviral activity and a reduction in the incidence of diarrhea. Moreover, the presence of sphingomyelin, a phospholipid, implies beneficial effects on human health such as enhanced neuronal development in infants and the protection of neonates from bacterial infections. The development of a lipid that is similar to human milk fat would represent a significant advance for the infant formula industry and would offer high technology formulas for those infants that depend on infant formula. The complexity of the structure of MFGM and its nutritional and technological properties is critically examined in this review with a focus on issues relevant to the dairy industry.

This study aimed to review hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) in the dairy industry for the production of yogurt. The food safety management system (FSMS) was implemented over the last several decades with several amendments. The need for practical and proactive procedures in the dairy industry was identified so that HACCP implementation could ensure that consumers would always have safe food. The concept of HACCP is a systemic and science-based method that can result in safe dairy products such as yogurt based on the complete analysis of manufacturing processes, recognition of hazards potentially present at all stages of production, and risk prevention. In yogurt production, raw milk receipt, pasteurization, packaging, and storage are the steps most susceptible to contamination and were considered critical control points. Further steps also need to be implemented to achieve other related control measures, and these will be discussed.

Milk is an important protein source in human diets, providing around 32 g protein/l (for bovine milk, which constitutes some 85% of global consumption). The most abundant milk proteins are α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, αs-casein, β-casein, and κ-casein. Besides their nutritional value, milk proteins play a crucial role in the processing properties of milk, such as solubility, water bonding, heat stability, renneting and foaming, among others. In addition, and most importantly for this review, these proteins are the main source of bioactive components in milk. Due to the wide range of proposed beneficial effects on human health, milk proteins are considered as potential ingredients for the production of health-promoting functional foods. However, most of the evidence for bioactive effects comes from in vitro studies, and there is a need for further research to fully evaluate the true potential of milk-derived bioactive factors. Animal genetics and animal nutrition play an important role in the relative proportions of milk proteins and could be used to manipulate the concentration of specific bioactive peptides in milk from ruminants. Unfortunately, only a few studies in the literature have focused on changes in milk bioactive peptides associated to animal genetics and animal nutrition. The knowledge described in the present review may set the basis for further research and for the development of new dairy products with healthy and beneficial properties for humans.

This review deals with the prospects and achievements of individual dairy cow management (IDCM) and the obstacles and difficulties encountered in attempts to successfully apply IDCM into routine dairy management. All aspects of dairy farm management, health, reproduction, nutrition and welfare are discussed in relation to IDCM. In addition, new IDCM R&D goals in these management fields are suggested, with practical steps to achieve them. The development of management technologies is spurred by the availability of off-the-shelf sensors and expanded recording capacity, data storage, and computing capabilities, as well as by demands for sustainable dairy production and improved animal wellbeing at a time of increasing herd size and milk production per cow. Management technologies are sought that would enable the full expression of genetic and physiological potential of each cow in the herd, to achieve the dairy operation's economic goals whilst optimizing the animal's wellbeing. Results and conclusions from the literature, as well as practical experience supported by published and unpublished data are analyzed and discussed. The object of these efforts is to identify knowledge and management routine gaps in the practical dairy operation, in order to point out directions and improvements for successful implementation of IDCM in the dairy cows' health, reproduction, nutrition and wellbeing.

One of the major challenges in lameness management is prompt detection, especially before visible gait disturbance. This scoping review describes the potential biomarkers for lameness in dairy cows reported in the literature, their relevance in lameness diagnosis, identifying cows at risk of developing claw lesions and monitoring recovery after treatment. Using specific keywords, a comprehensive literature search was performed in three databases: PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect to retrieve relevant articles published between 2010 and 2022. A total of 31 articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria were analysed. The categories of potential markers for lameness reported in the literature included acute phase proteins (APPs), nociceptive neuropeptides, stress hormones, proteomes, inflammatory cytokines and metabolites in serum, urine and milk. Cortisol, APPs (serum amyloid A and haptoglobin) and serum, urinary and milk metabolites were the most studied biomarkers for lameness in dairy cows. While APPs, nociceptive neuropeptides and blood cortisol analyses assisted in elucidating the pain and stress experienced by lame cows during diagnosis and after treatment, evidence-based data are lacking to support their use in identifying susceptible animals. Meanwhile, metabolomic techniques revealed promising results in assessing metabolic alterations occurring before, during and after lameness onset. Several metabolites in serum, urinary and milk were reported that could be used to identify susceptible cows even before the onset of clinical signs. Nevertheless, further research is required employing metabolomic techniques to advance our knowledge of claw horn lesions and the discovery of novel biomarkers for identifying susceptible cows. The applicability of these biomarkers is challenging, particularly in the field, as they often require invasive procedures.

Greek yogurt is one of the fastest growing products in the dairy industry. It is also known as strained yogurt, which is obtained after draining the whey. As a result of the draining process, Greek yogurt has higher total solids and lower lactose than regular yogurt. Since it is a concentrated yogurt, its sensory characteristics are different from regular yogurt. However, there is little information about factors influencing the quality of Greek yogurt and sensory evaluation techniques applied to Greek yogurt. This review aims to describe the effects of ingredients, starter cultures, processing techniques and other parameters on quality characteristics and sensory properties of Greek yogurt. In addition, advantages and limitations of novel sensory evaluation techniques applied to Greek yogurt products are discussed. In particular, we take a look at advanced techniques such as the electronic nose and electronic tongue and the benefits of these techniques with regard to Greek yogurt. This review should help the Greek yogurt industry to improve its current products and develop innovative products based on appropriate food evaluation techniques.

Milk and dairy products have great importance in human nutrition related to the presence of different nutrients, including protein, fatty acid profile and bioactive compounds. Dietary supplementation with foods containing these types of compounds may influence the chemical composition of milk and dairy products and hence, potentially, the consumer. Our objective was to summarize the evidence of the effect of supplementation with antioxidants and phenolic compounds in the diets of dairy animals and their effects on milk and dairy products. We conducted a systematic search in the MEDLINE/PubMed database for studies published up until July 2022 that reported on supplementation with antioxidants and phenolic compounds in diets that included plants, herbs, seeds, grains and isolated bioactive compounds of dairy animals such as cows, sheep and goats and their effects on milk and dairy products. Of the 94 studies identified in the search, only 15 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The review revealed that supplementation with false flax cake, sweet grass, Acacia farnesiana, mushroom myceliated grains and sweet grass promoted an effect on the milk lipid profile, whereas supplementation with dried grape pomace and tannin extract promoted an effect on the milk and cheese lipid profiles. In six studies, the addition of Acacia farnesiana, hesperidin or naringin, durum wheat bran, mushroom myceliated grains, dried grape pomace and olive leaves increased the antioxidant activity of milk. In conclusion, supplementation with bioactive compounds had a positive impact which ranged from an increase in antioxidant capacity to a decrease in oxidative biomarkers such as malondialdehyde.

Alpha-lactalbumin (α-LA) and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) are contained in bovine milk whey. Chemical and physical treatments are known to alter the conformation of these proteins and we have previously reported that α-LA denatured with trifluoroethanol (TFE) and isolated from sterilized market milk inhibited the growth of rat crypt IEC-6 cells. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of TFE-treated α-LA and β-LG on cell growth using cultured intestinal cells and on their safety using a suckling mouse model. First, we investigated the effect of the TFE-treated whey proteins on human colonic Caco-2 cells at various differentiation stages. In the undifferentiated stage, we assessed cell growth by a water-soluble tetrazolium-1 method. The native whey proteins enhanced cell proliferation, whereas the TFE-treated whey proteins strongly inhibited cell growth. We investigated cell barrier function in the post-differentiated stage by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). Not only native but also the TFE-treated whey proteins increased TER. Next, we evaluated whether the TFE-treated α-LA and β-LG have adverse effects on healthy suckling mice. No mice given by the TFE-treated samples showed any adverse symptoms. We also performed a safety test using a human rotavirus infected gastrointestinal disease suckling mice model. Even the TFE-treated whey proteins appeared to prevent the development of diarrheal symptoms without any adverse effects. Although we cannot know the effect of long-term ingestion of denatured whey proteins, these results suggest that they have no adverse effects on differentiated intestinal cells and digestive tract, at least in short-term ingestion.

This review describes the potentials of a new omics science in the dairy sector, particularly regarding the improvement of animal health and welfare. The three-dimensional network of water hydrogen bonds is a dynamic entity, subject to the influence of its components and properties of the environment. For this reason, it is sensitive to any chemical, physical or biological perturbation of the system. Therefore, the aqueous matrix acts as a sensitive sensor, reflecting the state, behaviour, and functionality of the system and providing similar information on its components. Aquaphotomics builds upon these underlying assumptions. It is a scientific discipline that combines spectroscopy with multivariate spectral analysis to extract the absorbance spectral pattern of water, which describes how water molecular structure changes in response to perturbations. Many studies assessed the applicability of this approach, including veterinary diagnostics. The water spectral pattern can be used as a multidimensional biomarker for rapid and non-invasive discrimination between healthy and diseased systems, even in the subclinical phase. Adopting such an approach, focused on precision farming, can foster subsequent optimisation of animal production performance and improve the overall profitability of farming operations.

Staphylococci have been isolated from various sites of the body of healthy sheep, as well as from many infections of those animals, the main one being mastitis. The objective of this review is to appraise the importance and significance of staphylococci in causing mastitis in ewes. The review includes a brief classification and taxonomy of staphylococci and describes the procedures for their isolation and identification, as well as their virulence determinants and the mechanisms of resistance to antibacterial agents. Various staphylococcal species have been implicated in staphylococcal mastitis and the characteristics of isolates are discussed with regards to potential virulence factors. Staphylococcal mastitis is explicitly described, with reference to sources of infection, the course of the disease and the relevant control measures. Finally, the potential significance of staphylococci present in ewes’ milk for public health is discussed briefly.