Eighty-nine autumn-calving first calf and adult Friesian cows participated in an experiment on the effect of feeding over three lactations on milk production and live weight change. Fixed daily allowances of digestible energy (DE) formed two of the treatments (high, H; moderate, M). Diets of similar composition were used for both treatments and rations were weighed daily for each cow. The cows within these treatments were re-randomized to H or M at second and again at third parturition on experiment. A further treatment (ALF), applied continuously over three lactations, consisted of the M allowance of compound feed, weighed daily for each cow, plus ad lib. weighed, group-fed forages. The ALF animals were randomized for each lactation into two groups both of which received the same total compound feed allowance over the first 26 weeks of lactation. For one group (Flat) equal amounts were given daily whilst for the other group (Step) the daily amount was decreased monthly. After week 26 equal rations were fed. Hay, maize silage and grass silage formed the forages in winter. Grass, cut for the H and M groups but grazed for the ALF group, provided the summer forage. Energy intakes covered some 80–110% of requirements (Alderman et al. 1975)

Yields of milk and of milk solids responded similarly for both parities. In the first experimental lactation, treatment H led to greater yields compared with M. H also led to smaller losses of live weight in early lactation, equal gains in mid lactation, and smaller gains in late lactation and the dry period, compared with M. Extension of H into a second lactation increased the advantage in milk and solids yields observed in the first lactation on experiment. Recovery of body reserves on treatment M continued. Treatment H in a second lactation on experiment after M in the first lactation led to even greater compensatory gains in live weight at the expense of milk production. There was no effect in the third lactation on experiment of treatments applied in the first lactation. Treatments H and M applied factorially over lactations 2 and 3 gave the same pattern of treatment effects as in lactations 1 and 2. Treatment ALF broadly supported the same milk yield and live weight change as treatment H but improved fat, protein and lactose yields. Within treatment ALF, Flat and Step distribution of compound led to equal performance. Multiple lactation effects of ALF equalled those of H. The effects on milk composition of H compared with M treatment were variable. In general an advantage accrued to ALF over M but without long term effects.

The effect of variation in intake on performance of the dairy cow has been extensively documented for short periods within lactations (Broster, 1972), and more so for milk production than live weight change. However, the evidence on the size and development of effects of variation in feeding over protracted periods within the adult life span of the dairy cow, e.g. some four lactations in the UK, is extremely limited (Broster & Broster, 1984; Broster et al. 1984), both for plane of nutrition and for diet composition. The problem has added point with the introduction of simplified feeding systems which lead to the provision of less attention to the individual cow than hitherto (Johnson, 1982; Leaver, 1986). This dearth of information on the long term feeding of the adult contrasts with the widely gathered evidence on the effect of feeding during rearing on the performance of the mature cow, which is also an important long term relationship. More multi-lactation research is needed and in the present trial, with both young and adult lactating cows, the effects of amount and composition of feed allowance over three lactations were studied.

An automatic device, which infuses disinfectant into the mouthpiece of the liner of the milking machine cluster as teatcups are removed, is described. Application at this time avoids any delay in disinfection, reduces the workload in the parlour and increases reliability of application. The teats of 20 cows were contaminated before each milking by immersion in a suspension of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae and then disinfected manually or automatically with iodophor after milking. Str. agalactiae was recovered from < 5% of swabs and there was no difference between the results from the two methods. Neither method of disinfection was as effective against Staph. aureus and the recovery rate was significantly greater for the automatic method for both swabs from teat barrel (P < 0·05) and teat apex (P < 0·001). Rates of intramammary infection for quarters automatically or manually disinfected were similar and low (3/40 v. 6/40 respectively). The automatic method facilitates cluster removal by relieving vacuum and decreasing frictional contact at the mouthpiece lip, and utilizes approximately half the quantity of disinfectant used by manual dipping (0·9 v. 1·9 ml/teat). However, iodine contamination in the milk from the iodophor teat disinfectant was significantly increased from 14·4 to 102·2 μg I2/100 ml milk when no backflushing was practised.

When six cows were milked every 4 h over 48 h the average milk yield per cow increased by 1O·7% for the last 24 h period compared with the previous 5 d. Milk composition was similar to pre-experimental values although fat content was 0·5% lower in the last 24 h. The somatic cell count rose to twice the pre-experimental value over the first 24 h but was not significantly different by the second 24 h. It appears that cows responded quickly to an increased frequency of milking and milk of an acceptable composition was produced. This has implications for management of milk production where quotas are in operation and for robotic milking systems.

Heat stability of secreted bacterial proteinase is normally assessed using an oil bath test in which the sample is heated at a temperature and time representing the commercial UHT treatment of milk. The temperature/time (T/t) profiles of the oil bath and the commercial UHT process being represented are not taken into account. Two laboratory procedures were used to simulate a commercial UHT process in which milk was heated to 140°C and held for 3 s in a Spiroflo heat exchanger. They consisted of a conventional oil bath test and the use of a programmable, electronically temperature-controlled oven. T/t profiles were established for each heat treatment. The T/t profile of the oil bath test was predicted accurately using the governing heat transfer equation. B* and C* values, which measure the severity of a heat process, were calculated from the T/t profiles and used to compare the three different heat treatments. B* and C* values of 4·95 and 1·92 respectively were calculated for the Spiroflo heat exchanger. An oil bath test, in which the sample was immersed in a bath at 136°C for 73 s, gave approximately the same B* and C* values as calculated for the Spiroflo heat exchanger. B* and C* values of 5·01 and 1·73 respectively were calculated for the oven procedure. The oven test gave the better laboratory simulation of the Spiroflo UHT treatment. Despite the slight difference in each of the B* and C* values between the oven and the Spiroflo, the T/t profile of the oven test closely resembled that of the Spiroflo. The T/t profile of the oil bath was completely dissimilar. Although it was possible to use an oil bath test to replicate simultaneously both the B* and C* values of this particular UHT treatment, this would not be the case for other commercial processes.

Tryptic phosphopeptides were obtained from whole bovine casein by chromatography on the anion exchange resin QAE-Sephadex A 25. Salt gradient elution of the column allowed separation of non-phosphorylated peptides from phosphorylated species. The preparations obtained contained at least seven distinct phosphopeptides of which the following casein fragments were identified: αs1(43–58):2P, αs1(59–79): 5P, αs2(46–70): 4P, β(1–28): 4P, β(2–28): 4P, and β(33–48): 1P. Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on Mono Q HR 5/5 resin showed that the phosphopeptides were eluted in the same order as from the QAE-Sephadex resin. However, on the analytical column HR 5/5 the fragments αs1(59–79): 5P and β(2–28): 4P, having the same net charge under the conditions of chromatography, co-eluted, whereas they were at least partly separated on the preparative column HR 16/10. Following enzymic dephosphorylation, the peptides eluted at lower salt strength in the gradient. FPLC on Mono Q resin thus permitted dephosphorylation to be monitored and intermediates between the parent species and the fully dephosphorylated peptide to be identified.

Artificial casein micelles were prepared at a casein concentration of 2·5% with 10–40 mM-Ca, 12–27 mM-phosphate and 10 mM-citrate and cross-linking of casein by colloidal Ca phosphate (CCP) was examined. No casein aggregates cross-linked by CCP were formed at 10 mM-Ca, 12 mM-phosphate and 10 mM-citrate, which are the approximate concentrations found in the soluble phase of bovine milk. Although the amounts of casein aggregates cross-linked by CCP and of colloidal inorganic phosphate increased with increasing Ca and phosphate concentrations, the effect was not uniform. The incorporation rates of individual casein constituents into casein aggregates cross-linked by CCP were in the order > > β-casein. This was the reverse of the order of dissociation rates during dialysis of casein aggregates cross-linked by CCP reported previously.

A convenient and sensitive method for determining γ-casein content of skim milk is described. It is based on quantitative separation in which the soluble fraction obtained from skim milk (1·5 ml) in a solvent system consisting of 50% (v/v) ethanol, 0·4 M-Na thiocyanate and 0·15 M-CaCl2 was applied to a small column of DEAE-cellulose and eluted with 0·02 M-Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8·0) containing 0·03 M-NaCl and 6 M-urea. Protein in this fraction (5 ml) was measured from its absorbance at 280 nm. The method is applicable also to heated skim milk. Its availability for investigating proteolysis in milk is expected from the fact that incubation of skim milk with porcine plasmin at 37 °C for 3 h increased γ-casein content, an increase that was lowered by addition of soyabean trypsin inhibitor. Incubation of raw skim milk with 0·02% (w/v) NaN3 resulted in increase in γ-casein with time and with increasing temperature. This was accompanied by a time lag, the length of which increased with decreasing temperature. The degree of proteolysis in skim milk, expressed as the amount of increase in γ-casein after 20 h of incubation at 37 °C, showed two pH optima, one at pH 8·0 and the other at pH 7·2–7·5. These results suggested that the present method.of γ-casein determination can be used for more precise studies of the milk plasmin system in which important factors, such as plasminogen activator and inhibitors, are involved.

The milk clotting activity of chymosin in combined rennets was determined as the difference between the total and residual activity after specific inhibition of chymosin with the purified immunoglobulin fraction of chymosin antiserum. The milk clotting activity of bovine pepsin A was assessed in a similar manner. In bovine rennets milk clotting activity of chymosin was measured directly after immunochemical inactivation of bovine pepsin A. Any method may be used for the determination of milk clotting activity. High correlation was found between the proposed method, which is simple and rapid to perform, and Chromatographic assay.

Two slime-forming strains (T5 and MLS96) and a non-slime-forming strain (HA) of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris were investigated for autolysis and optimal conditions for the autolytic process were developed. The rate of autolysis was maximal in exponential phase cells in 0·01 M-Na phosphate buffer, pH 6·5–7·5, at 30–45 °C. Autolysis of the native exponential phase walls was activated by trypsin and inhibited by lipoteichoic acid and cardiolipin. Decreased trypsin activation was found in intact exponential phase cells and no activation in stationary phase cells. N-acetylmuramylhydrolase action in the autolytic system of Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris strains was indicated by the progressive release of reducing groups. No amidase or endopeptidase action was found. Great variation in the rate of autolysis of whole cells was observed between the two slime-forming strains. Intact cells of strain T5 exhibited decreased autolytic activity, but a higher rate of autolysis of isolated exponential phase walls. Autolysins from strain T5 walls exhibited lower hydrolytic activity against sodium dodecyl sulphate-treated walls of the other two strains as compared with strains MLS96 and HA. Quantitative analysis revealed higher protein and phosphorus and lower hexosamine and rhamnose in cell wall preparations of strain T5 compared with the other two strains. Results suggest that the decreased rate of autolysis of strain T5 cells may at least in part be caused by cell surface components other than cell-wall peptidoglycan. It is proposed that the difference in autolytic characteristics should be used as a criterion when selecting starter strains of lactococci (streptococci).

Eight commercially available yogurt starter cultures were examined for their ability to synthesize water-soluble vitamins. In order to yield comparable assaying conditions, 12·5% reconstituted whole milk was used for yogurt production throughout the experiments. When applying the traditional method of yogurt manufacture (short-time incubating at 42 °C/3–4 h) with all cultures the following vitamins were enriched during fermentation by more than 20%: thiamin (two cultures), pyridoxine (four cultures), folic acid (one culture), and biotin (two cultures). Two starter cultures were selected and used to compare vitamin profiles during the two different methods of fermentation. In contrast to short-time incubation, long-time yogurt production (30 °C/14–16 h) led to a lesser production of folic acid, but to increased concentrations of thiamin and of nicotinic acid.

The cheesemaking properties of recombinant chymosin from Kluyveromyces lactis (Gist-Brocades Chymosin 610) were Compared with those of standard rennet in parallel trials with the same milk and mixed culture starter. For each pair of cheeses the cheesemaking characteristics, mass balance results, composition of the cheeses at 6 weeks and maturation rates were similar. A taste panel was not able to differentiate between the cheeses at 3, 6 or 12 months.

By linear regression analysis, a highly significant negative correlation (r = −0·96) was found between the mean ash concentration values (g/100 g moisture) and water activity (aw) of six types of processed cheeses (low-fat, semi-fat, fat, extra-fat, double fat and special). The regression equation aw = 0·9951 − 0·0032* (ash), applied to 40 cheese samples, yielded aw values which differed by < 0·005 aw units from those measured experimentally in 75% of the samples. The maximum differences between the calculated and experimental aw values (found in only two samples) were ±0·01 aw units.