Effect of Farming System and Season on Proximate Composition, Fatty Acid Profile, Antioxidant Activity, and Physicochemical Properties of Retail Cow Milk
Eleni Kasapidou,
Roxani-Aikaterini Stergioudi,
Vasileios Papadopoulos,
Paraskevi Mitlianga,
Georgios Papatzimos,
Maria-Anastasia Karatzia,
Michail Amanatidis,
Vasiliki Tortoka,
Ekaterini Tsiftsi,
Antonia Aggou,
Zoitsa Basdagianni
Affiliations
Eleni Kasapidou
Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia, Terma Kontopoulou, 53100 Florina, Greece
Roxani-Aikaterini Stergioudi
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Koila, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Vasileios Papadopoulos
Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia, Terma Kontopoulou, 53100 Florina, Greece
Paraskevi Mitlianga
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Koila, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Georgios Papatzimos
Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia, Terma Kontopoulou, 53100 Florina, Greece
Maria-Anastasia Karatzia
Research Institute of Animal Science, HAO-Demeter, 58100 Giannitsa, Greece
Michail Amanatidis
Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia, Terma Kontopoulou, 53100 Florina, Greece
Vasiliki Tortoka
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Koila, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Ekaterini Tsiftsi
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Koila, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Antonia Aggou
School of Agriculture, Department of Animal Production, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Zoitsa Basdagianni
School of Agriculture, Department of Animal Production, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Consumers differentiate milk-quality characteristics in relation to the production system, but data on retail milk composition are limited. This study investigated how farming methods and seasons affect proximate composition, fatty acid profile, antioxidant activity, and physicochemical characteristics of commercial cow’s milk. Milk samples, both conventional (n = 84, 7 manufacturers) and organic (n = 24, 2 manufacturers), were collected monthly over a year. Farming system did not significantly affect milk composition other than fat content, whereas seasonal effects were notable, impacting the contents of ash, protein, and added water. Fatty acid composition exhibited variations influenced by both production system and season. Compared to conventionally produced milk, organically produced milk exhibited higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (4.54 vs. 3.88, p p p p p p < 0.001) milk pH, electrical conductivity, refractive index, and freezing-point depression. In conclusion, this study showed that the farming system has a limited impact on retail milk quality compared to the significant influence of season.
