The impact of climatic factors of Dorna depression on the evolution of the hygienic-sanitary parameters of raw cow's milk

Abstract

The biodiversity of the mountain meadows together with the climatic factors of the Dorna region ensure high-quality milk favorable for obtaining traditional dairy products that are in great demand. The present research aimed to analyze the correlative evolution of some climatic factors and hygienic-sanitary parameters of several milk samples obtained from cows raised in the Dorna area. This study was carried out between December 2019 and November 2020 and aimed to evaluate the influence of seasonal fluctuations of climatic factors on the sanitary parameters of raw milk from households and commercial dairy farms in the Dorna region (southwest Bucovina-Suceava county). In this regard, we collaborated with two weather stations, which provided us with information on the fluctuations of temperature, humidity, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure by season. These aspects were correlated with the evolution of TBC (total bacteria count) and SCC (somatic cell count) values obtained when investigating some raw milk samples (n=30), and the obtained data were statistically analyzed. The results revealed more or less relevant seasonal influences of the investigated climatic factors on the hygienic-sanitary quality of the analyzed raw milk. Of these, we mention the recording of higher values in winter and lower in summer for TBC, and higher in autumn and lower in spring and summer for SCC respectively, but within the EU standards.