Automatic Milking Systems in the Production of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: Effects on the Milk Quality and on Cheese Characteristics

Abstract

The adoption of innovative processes, such as the automatic milking system (AMS), in the production of typical PDO cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, needs to be evaluated and tested, to verify its influence on milk quality and the typicality of the product. The present research was aimed to study the effect of the introduction of the AMS on the cheesemaking characteristics of the milk and the ripening process and the sensory properties of the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese. Six cheesemaking trials were performed and, in each trial, two different separated pools of milk were submitted to the cheesemaking process in parallel, one from AMS and the other from a traditional milking parlor (TMP). AMS milk, in comparison with TMP one, showed higher content of lactose and calcium and lower contents of somatic cells, thermophilic lactic acid bacteria and chloride. Nevertheless, these changes were too small to influence the efficiency of the cheesemaking process and the cheese composition and its sensory profile. Moreover, cheeses made with AMS milk fully complied with the sensory characteristics of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese PDO, as defined by the PDO rules.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Chestnut and Quebracho Tannin Supplementation on Neonatal Diarrhoea in Preweaning Calves

“…The nutritional content of the milk used in the present study exhibited nutrient levels similar to the Italian average for Holstein cow milk quality, especially in the context of Parmigiano Reggiano production [50][51][52]. The inclusion of tannins in milk in preweaning calves did not affect the growth curve over 30 days of the trial.…”

Proteomics Parameters for Assessing Authenticity of Grated Grana Padano PDO Cheese: Results from a Three-Year Survey

“…The peptide fraction also evolves throughout typical pathways during the ripening period of GP cheese. Consistently, it was demonstrated that changes in the manufacturing process, such as milk pasteurization or de-bacterization by centrifugation or the usage of microbial coagulant, may affect these pathways in different ways [35,36]. The relevance of peptide fraction as a quality parameter of cheese ripening has been also highlighted in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese [16,37].…”

One-Year Monitoring of Prevalence and Diversity of Dairy Propionic Acid Bacteria in Raw Milk by Means of Culture-Dependent and Culture-Independent Methods

“…Even when looking at the mean CC of all milk samples from farms using milking parlors or pipe milking systems (4.2 ± 0.4 log colonies/mL raw milk), the mean CC of milk samples from farms with an AMS (4.2 ± 0.3 log colonies/mL raw milk) is comparable. Although most studies report an increase in CC after transitioning to an AMS, not all do, and there are several parameters that affect the CC in addition to the milking system, such as barn hygiene or equipment sanitation [ 39 , 43 ]. Furthermore, as we did not find any correlations between dPAB levels and the CC, the influence of an AMS on dPAB counts may be limited.…”

“…A possible explanation for the lower dPAB levels in AMS milk could be cleaning by backflushing or steaming between milkings. Since most dPAB strains are heat sensitive, this could be effective in preventing higher dPAB levels in AMS raw milk [ 4 , 43 , 44 ]. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to observe this relationship between dPAB levels in raw milk and the miking system.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to observe this relationship between dPAB levels in raw milk and the miking system. Due to the potential impact of changes in milk quality resulting from the transition to AMS, producers of PDO cheeses may be cautious about a change in the milking system of their suppliers, even though it has the potential to improve the quality of work and lifestyle of the farmers [ 39 , 43 ]. In terms of dPAB contamination levels, the conversion appears to be beneficial, but further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.…”