Tanker milk variability according to farm feeding practices: Vitamins A and E, carotenoids, color, and terpenoids

Summary

This observational study demonstrates that bulk tank milk composition, particularly fat-soluble micronutrients and volatile compounds, varies substantially according to farm feeding practices in a French alpine region. Milk produced during the grazing season was significantly richer in beta-carotene (2.0 ± 1.2 μg/g fat), lutein (0.23 ± 0.12 μg/g fat), vitamin E (6.1 ± 5.0 μg/g fat), and sesquiterpenes compared to winter milk, with strong correlations between grass-based forage proportion and these micronutrient concentrations. The findings suggest that feeding systems can be leveraged to modify the nutritional and sensory profile of milk even within industrial bulk supply chains, with implications for product differentiation.

Regional applicability

The study was conducted in a French alpine region with variable altitude and forage systems; findings are relevant to UK pastoral dairy systems, particularly in upland and mixed farming regions with seasonal grazing. However, UK farm structure, breed composition, and forage management practices differ, so direct application of quantitative benchmarks would require validation in United Kingdom conditions. The methodological approach is readily transferable to UK milk quality assessment and marketing differentiation strategies.

Key measures

Vitamins A and E (μg/g fat), beta-carotene, lutein, sesquiterpenes, and 32 identified terpenoid compounds; milk colour; forage composition (proportion of grazed grass, grass silage, concentrate, corn silage); farm altitude; herd breed and lactation stage

Outcomes reported

The study measured concentrations of vitamins A and E, carotenoids, and terpenoids in bulk tank milk samples collected across 50 tanker loads from 204 farms, and investigated their relationships with herd feeding practices and production conditions.

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