Assessing milk quality from organic production

Publication date: 18/02/2025
Extent: 18 pages

Contributions by: Gillian Butler and Hannah Davis, Newcastle University, UK

Chapter synopsis:

This chapter explores the concept of quality in organic milk. Quality encompasses many extrinsic properties of dairy production like animal welfare, the impact on biodiversity, climate change, and fair treatment of everybody along the supply chain. This chapter focuses on composition of the milk and asks how far organic milk varies from non-organic products and what potential there is to improve quality further. This chapter reviews key research relating to differences in protein, fatty acid and mineral composition between milk from organic and conventional production, as well risks from drug and pesticide residues. It also explores how implementation of calf-cow-contact (CCC) systems on welfare grounds affects milk quality.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2024.0138.05