The evaluation of composition and quality indicators of raw cows milk collected in Northern region of Lithuania

The research was performed in 2013 – 2016 as a part of master’s study program in company X in order to analyze the quality and the composition of milk collected in the Northern region of Lithuania. With the consumers demanding products of higher quality and safety it is important to identify the factors that determine a good quality products. Having in mind that the quality of milk is determined by many factors such as breed, age, lactation, climate conditions and seasonal aspect, this paper aims at determining the impact of seasonal aspect on the composition and quality of milk. Moreover, recently the farmers have been weary due to very low buying-in prices and they consider the possibility to process the milk themselves. For this reason it is important to know the changes in the indicators of milk composition and quality that depend on the indoor and free-range period and can help to orientate the direction of milk processing. The research showed that the milk bought in the company X has met the quality requirements (except for the content of antibiotics and antimicrobials). The analysis showed that the protein and fat content was higher in the indoor period. The variation in the indicators of milk density and acidity were slight and we cannot claim that these indicators are affected by the seasonal aspect. The somatic cell count was highest in July-August. During both years of research the total count of microorganisms was higher in the free-range period than compared with the indoor period. More samples with the residue of antibiotics and antimicrobials were found during the free-range period in 2014, while in 2015 more antibiotics and antimicrobials were found during the indoor period