Seasonal stability of raw bovine milk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Seasonal variations in milk composition are frequently reported and have multifactorial causes. Literature reporting the effects of season on milk thermal stability and milk composition was systematically investigated. The studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Among 2,774 articles retrieved in the identification stage, 20 studies were used in the systematic review and 10 in the meta-analysis, in addition to one unpublished trial, totaling 11 trials with 14,932 milk samples evaluated. During the winter, the milk was more stable, coagulating into the test solutions with higher concentration of ethanol (75.52°GL) compared with summer (74.49°GL). Spring and autumn did not differ statistically from the others. Fat (r = 0.19), protein (r = 0.25), lactose (r = 0.42), and casein (r = 0.80) concentrations were linear and positively correlated (P < 0.05) with milk stability. There is seasonal variation in milk thermal stability, with the highest values coinciding with greatest nutrient intake and lowest heat stress.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol test
• milk stability
• raw milk
• season
• unstable non acid milk

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).