Study of the somatic cell count grade of goat milk in Korea

Abstract

The aim of this work was to establish the standard for goat milk somatic cell counts. The data were obtained from MGEN, which were collected from Dec. 2006 to Nov. 2007. A total of three hundred and forty somatic cell counts from 12 goat milk farms were analyzed. A goat milk grading system by somatic cell count is proposed; less than 1,000,000/mL, 1,000,000-1,500,000/mL, 1,500,000-2,000,000/mL, 2,000,000/mL-2,500,000/mL, and over 2,500,000/mL. Under the grading system, the ratio of first grade goat milk would be 26.2%, and that of the fifth grade would be 11.8%. The first grade ratio is low and the fifth grade ratio is high compared to the cow milk grading system. It is expected that somatic cell counts of domestic goat milk will be improved by the proposed grading system.