EFFECT OF TYPE OF MILKING AND ENVIRONMENT ON THE RAW MILK QUALITY BASED ON SOMATIC CELLS COUNT

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the type of milking and the environment on raw milk quality by identification of Somatic Cells Count - CCS in the samples obtained from farms in the mesoregion of south goiano and correlate it with the different types of milk, milk components, and time of year. The research was developed in 229 farms associated with the Catalão Cooperative, divided for types of milking: manual and mechanical. A monthly sample was collected in each property in the expansion tank, totaling 8244 samples. Mechanical milking presented the highest number of samples with CCS > 500.000 cells / mL. There was a positive correlation between CCS and fat and total solids - TS, but there was a negative correlation between CCS and protein and lactose. During the rainy season CCS increased compared to dry season. Also, the rise of temperature and humidity index - THI caused a reduction in fat and TS. In conclusion, hand milking was more feasible to obtain the milk CCS parameters required by the legislation and CCS and milk components suffer interference from the time of the year.