A study of the stability of Record of Performance milk samples for infrared milk analysis

The effect of switching individual cow Record of Performance milk samples from on-farm Babcock analytical system to centralized infrared analysis was investigated. The effects of lipolytic activity on the signals of the fat (5.73/5.58 and 3.48/3.56 microns) and protein (6.46/6.68 microns) wavelengths of filter instruments showed that lipolysis decreased the infrared fat signal and concurrently increased the protein signal. The chain length (3.48/3.56 microns) signal was unaffected by lipolysis due to the concordant movement of the reference wavelength baseline with the changes in the sample wavelength signal. Storage trials (3 d) of preserved milk samples indicated no direct relation between fat signal depression and chemically determined free fatty acid levels. Microbial growth and agitation also contributed to changes observed in samples studied under controlled conditions. Based on concurrent infrared, Babcock, and Mojonnier analyses of approximately 900 samples on d 1 and 3, there was a consistent but marginal drop in the carbonyl (5.73/5.56 microns) fat signal and an increase in the amide (6.46/6.68 microns) protein signal, but these changes were of limited significance. A study of 3-d and older samples indicated that significant levels of acid were produced, indicative of microbial growth. A comparison of Babcock results carried out on-farm, Mojonnier analyses in the laboratory, and their corresponding infrared results did not show statistically significant differences. Other than the inherent variability present in the individual cow samples, there were minor quality changes occurring under the present sample handling system due to a combination of lipolysis, microbial growth, and acid production. Refrigeration of Record of Performance samples during transport and at the central laboratory is recommended to minimize these changes.