Achieving sustainable production of milk Volume 1

Cow’s milk is one of the world’s most important agricultural food products. Its importance in the diet is widely acknowledged and it is an essential ingredient in a wide range of foods. In meeting rising demand, more intensive dairying systems face a range of challenges such as maintaining high standards of safety in the face of the continuing threat from zoonoses entering the food chain, whilst sustaining nutritional and sensory quality. At the same time farms need to become more efficient and sustainable. Finally, farming must also meet higher standards of animal health and welfare. Smallholder systems in developing countries face problems such as poor cattle nutrition, low productivity and vulnerability to disease which impact on safety, quality, sustainability and animal welfare.

Drawing on an international range of expertise, this book reviews research addressing these challenges. It begins by discussing the composition of milk including proteins and bioactive components, the wide range of ingredients produced from milk, as well as aspects sensory quality. It also reviews current understanding of genetic factors affecting protein and other aspects of milk composition, other desirable traits such as fertility and advances in breeding to achieve improvements in quality and productivity in dairy farming.

Achieving sustainable production of milk Volume 1: Milk composition, genetics and breeding will be a standard reference for animal and dairy scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in milk production. It is accompanied by two further volumes which review safety, quality and sustainability issues as well as dairy herd management and welfare.

• Summarises latest research on the composition of proteins and components in milk
• Reviews advances in understanding factors affecting milk quality eg. breeding and nutrition
• Discusses current research on genetic factors affecting dairy cattle growth and health as well as ways to optimise breeding to improve the productivity of dairy cows
  

Part 1 The composition and quality of milk
1.The proteins of milk: Shane V. Crowley, James A. O ’ Mahony and Patrick F. Fox, University College Cork, Ireland;
2.Bioactive components in cow’s milk: Young W. Park. Fort Valley State University, USA;
3.Ingredients from milk for use in food and non-food products: from commodity to value-added ingredients: Thom Huppertz and Inge Gazi, NIZO food research, The Netherlands;
4.Understanding and preventing spoilage of cow’s milk: G. LaPointe, University of Guelph, Canada;
5.Sensory evaluation of cow’s milk: Stephanie Clark, Iowa State University, USA;

Part 2 Genetics, breeding and other factors affecting quality and sustainability
6.Using genetic selection in the breeding of dairy cattle: Julius van der Werf, University of New England, Australia and Jennie Pryce, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (Government of Victoria) and La Trobe University, Australia;
7.Genetic factors affecting fertility, health, growth and longevity in dairy cattle: Joel Ira Weller, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Israel;
8.Breeding and management strategies to improve reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle: D. J. Ambrose, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, University of Alberta, Canada and J. P. Kastelic, University of Calgary, Canada;
9.Nutritional strategies to improve nitrogen efficiency and milk protein synthesis in dairy cows: James D. Ferguson, University of Pennsylvania, USA;