Factsheets
Microbial diversity of cheese: Why is it important?
Microbial diversity of cheese: Why is it important? The dairy industry continues to invest in discovery research to expand our knowlede of the microbial profile and sensory qualities of dairy products, like cheese. Here are some of the latest findings from research on how the microbial diversity of milk plays a role from farm to cheese. Key Points The microbial community of […]
Biofilms in the dairy industry
What are biofilms? Biofilms are communities of microorganisms multiplying and living together. Microorganisms within a biofilm secrete a matrix that is made up of polysaccharides and other very large molecules that surround and protect them. These microbial ecosystems can be made up of single or multiple species of bacteria, as well as other microorganisms such […]
What about water?
Highlights – Water is an essential nutrient for dairy cattle growth, lactation, and reproduction. – When poor-quality water is consumed, it can negatively impact animal performance, health, and welfare, as well as the entire farm ecosystem; – Water quality can be assessed in terms of mineral concentration, pH, and bacterial concentration; – Little attention is […]
How to valorize the non-fat solids of milk?
How to valorize the non-fat solids of milk? Highlights • This project addresses the problem of using surplus solids-not-fat (SNF) and valorizing the co-products resulting from their processing (whey, whey and milk permeates). • Even today, enhancing the value of milk solids is a major challenge for the entire Quebec and Canadian dairy chain. • Although several pathways have been explored to valorize […]
Bacteriocins to the rescue of silage
Highlights • Sporulated thermoduric bacteria in silage is one of the major problems the dairy industry faces. These bacteria can be found in fermented dairy products, causing major defects in taste and texture, and considerable economic losses. • In this project, various natural ingredients derived from lactic bacteria bacteriocins will be developed, characterized, and tested […]
Who are the undesirables of atypical or non-compliant dairy products?
Highlights • Raw milk is considered an excellent growth medium for microorganisms (MO). Despite the very strict hygiene conditions imposed in dairy production and processing in Quebec, milk may contain pathogens and MOs responsible for alteration. • In dairy processing plants, these MOs can lead to non-compliant and/or atypical dairy products (NC/AT) that result in […]
Dairy Alliance
Highlights • Dairy processors and retailers are interested in improving finished product quality such as cheese color and texture. • Managing animal feed, bedding and housing are vital components to improving animal health and welfare as well as finished product quality. • Theme 1 will develop biotherapeutics for delivery in feed as innovative products to […]
Fatty acid supplements for cows and impact on milk
Highlights • Dietary supplements containing saturated fatty acids have been marketed in particular to support the high milk needs of cows. • Can their use in a cow’s ration have an impact on the milk’s ability to be processed into butter and cheese? Scientific data on the subject is limited and does not provide a […]
Characterizing the structure of stirred yogurts through digital technology
Highlights • In 2018, 387,707 tonnes of yogurt were produced in Canada, of which more than 75% were produced in Quebec. Canadians consume mostly stirred yogurt. • The pace of development of new products is very fast in the yogurt industry and manufacturers need to provide advanced formulations to meet consumer expectations. • Stirred yogurt is obtained […]
Converting whey and milk permeate into high value-added products
Highlights • World production of whey is estimated around 200 million tons per year with an increase rate of about 2%/per year. Implementing chemical and enzymatic transformations as a platform of whey conversion into added value by-products is expected to conciliate the needs of product diversification with the sustainable development. • This research activity focuses on the development […]
In vitro fertilization and artificial insemination: impact on health, fertility and productivity
Highlights • The use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is steadily increasing in the dairy genetic material industry. A considerable proportion of bulls and cows of high genetic value today are the product of IVF. • Currently, there is no phenotypical monitoring of these animals, although fertility data and some data on health and productivity are recorded by […]
Way to better understanding consumer perceptions on natural food products
Highlights • In recent years, consumers have shown a growing interest in so-called natural products (Amos et al., 2014; Rozin, 2005; Siipi, 2013), which are associated with health and healthy food. • Since the concept of naturalness is not clearly defined, it is important to understand how businesses operating in the food industry convey information on naturalness to consumers, […]
Natural antimicrobial molecules to maintain the quality of grated cheese
Highlights Cheeses are an at-risk product with respect to contamination by undesirable moulds. To remedy this problem, natamycin is commonly used as an antifungal on the surface of whole and grated cheeses. However, consumers are increasingly concerned about the ingredients added to products, prompting companies to offer different alternatives that use natural antimicrobial extracts. It […]
Packaging that extends the shelf life of dairy products
Highlights The trend of natural foods without additives or preservatives has gained momentum in recent years. The rise of clean labelling requires food processors to make a special effort. A number of recent studies have demonstrated active packaging’s potential in various uses related to shelf life. The release of antioxidants, gaseous compounds and antimicrobial agents […]
Did you say multifunctional natural ingredients?
Highlights Although chemical synthesis processes have made it possible to obtain a wide variety of ingredients, the health risks associated with some have caused consumer avoidance. To this end, the food industry is increasingly confronted with consumer demand for “clean label” products, with no additives and artificial preservatives, with labels of ingredients easy to read […]
How molecular mechanisms impact fertility in lactating dairy cows with subclinical ketosis?
Highlights Ketosis, especially subclinical ketosis is a very important metabolic disorder of lactating cows and it has significant negative impact on cow’s health and reproductive performance. As reproductive failure is the major reason for culling of lactating cows from Canadian herds, understanding the mechanisms of ketosis and its impact on reproduction is important. This project […]
Educational leadership chair in cheese technology
Highlights The cheese industry is facing a growing shortage of skilled labour at both the artisanal and industrial scales. Creating an Educational Leadership Chair (ELC) in Cheese Technology is one way to address labour needs. The chair will establish a university-level training program, in addition to developing a research program exclusively dedicated to cheese-making technologies. […]
How do milk’s natural microbiota and composition contribute to cheese quality?
Highlights Cheese quality depends on multiple factors, including herd management on the farm, control of the cheese-making technology used and the microbiota present in the cheesemaking environment. The natural microbiota, also called microflora, of cheeses can come from many sources, but the most influential sources have not been identified to date. The effect of the […]
Microbial biofilms and milk quality
Highlights Bacteria and biofilms are an inherent risk in cheesemaking that must be managed on a continuous basis. Biofilms, protective cultures that form on cells, can either be beneficial or harmful and can contain infectious bacteria. As a result, identifying and controlling the formation of biofilms is critical to ensuring and maintaining milk quality. The […]
Valorizing buttermilk
Highlights Buttermilk is a co-product of butter production obtained by churning cream, a process that breaks down the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). While butter consumption is on the rise in Quebec, buttermilk remains an untapped resource despite its potential as a high added value bio-ingredient, specifically when derived from the milk fat globule membrane. […]
Increasing eco-efficiency by concentrating dairy fluids
Highlights Milk contains more than 88% water. Milk composition does not change significantly when used to produce drinking milk (other than as a result of the standardization of its fat content) as opposed to milk used for cheesemaking where 90% of its volume is found in whey. Filtering milk to extract water and concentrate proteins […]
Identifying bioprotective cultures that extend the shelf life of dairy products
Highlights The shelf life of dairy products such as pasteurized milk, yogurt and grated cheese is limited because undesirable microorganisms eventually develop and create unpleasant odours and tastes. In North America, 20% of dairy products are lost or wasted, mostly by consumers at the household level. • A promising strategy to stop the development of […]
Vitamins post-calving: a way to increase cow fertility?
Highlights One of the major problems in dairy production is related to the fact that cows have lower fertility in the two to three months following parturition, specifically high-yielding cows. New scientific data obtained in recent years suggest that the ovaries of dairy cows in the post-partum period are sensitive to the amount of available […]
Optimizing the efficiency of protein in rations
Highlights Protein is the most expensive ingredient in rations fed to dairy cows. It accounts for 42% of feed costs. However, more than 70% of this investment is excreted by the animals without ever contributing to milk production. Dejections contain a large quantity of nitrogen, the base component of the amino acids that form proteins. […]
A Home-Style Protein Diet for Quebec’s Cows
Highlights To ensure their economic, environmental and social sustainability, dairy farms in Quebec must reduce their environmental footprint while remaining profitable. A number of models are used in different countries to evaluate the protein supply in rations to balance them with the needs of high-yielding dairy cows in order to reduce production costs and nitrogen […]
Heifers’ Performance
Highlights The milk feeding phase can affect growth and production parameters in heifers. Little information exists on the impact of modifying milk feeding of calves between the current Canadian recommendation and unrestricted feeding. Using a tape measure to record thoracic circumference is the tool most frequently used on farms to assess weight. This project helped […]
Is More Digestible Alfalfa Profitable?
Highlights The general objective of the project is to evaluate the benefits of using more digestible alfalfa for Quebec dairy farms. The digestibility of the potentially more digestible alfalfa cultivars (conventionally selected) was similar to the controls. Compared to the controls, the cultivars that were genetically modified (GM) for increased digestibility did, in fact, had […]
Prevention of Ruminal Acidosis in Cows
Highlights Changes in milk production per cow over the last decades is partly due to an increase of feed concentrates in rations, but this increase could also be at the root of a metabolic disease found in dairy herds, namely sub-acute ruminal acidosis. This disease costs the North American dairy industry between US$500 million and […]
Milk Bioindicators to Assess the Comfort of Cows
Highlights To date, no research carried out around the world has managed to develop a biomarker that would allow us to easily detect the health and welfare status of a dairy cow based on a simple milk sample. The rationale of the current research project is that: Research on animal welfare has led to the […]
Safe Use of Composted Manure as Bedding
Highlights There is growing interest in using recycled manure as bedding (RMB) for dairy cattle. It is therefore imperative to assess any disadvantages that this practice might cause on animal health, human health and milk quality. The objective of this research project was to establish recommendations for the safe use of RMB. The material and […]
Bacteria, Yeasts and Microflora from Quebec Cheeses
Highlights Milk quality has a large influence on the production and ripening of fine cheeses. The recent introduction of genomic techniques has contributed to our understanding of milk microbial ecosystems. A number of species of bacteria and fungi have been identified in cheeses but their roles in the cheese ripening process remained unclear. Quebec’s cheeses […]
Insemination of Cows during Transition and Metabolic Stress
Highlights For some cows, the beginning of a new lactation is stressful, and oftentimes even more so in the case of high producers. Their energy metabolism is put under severe strain. Good producers are simply unable to integrate all of the energy necessary for production. Energy deficits in the cow, indicated by a high blood […]
Genetic Diversity and Reproduction of Holstein
Highlights Dairy cattle productivity is influenced by the ways in which the animals are managed and their genetic potential. Through genetic improvement (traditional and genomic), we aim to improve performance by selecting the highest-performing versions of the genes. The traditional approach is to mate the highest-producing animals without taking DNA into account, while genomics aims […]
Clean Label, Natural Alternatives of Bacteriocins
Highlights Market trends limit resorting to traditional microbiological barriers (e.g., chemical addi- tives) to ensure food quality and safety. The discovery of new generations of natural and safer antimicrobials represent one of the most promising approaches. As part of this project, unique lactic acid bacterial strains with antibacterial and antifungal properties against pathogenic strains or […]
Reducing the Environmental Footprint of Greek Yogurts
Highlights Concentrated “Greek-type” yogurt has seen an exponential increase in consumption but has consequently generated acidic whey that is managed as residual matter. This environmental problem, the costs of development related to Greek yogurt production and its value to consumers raises questions about eco- efficiency (EE) in milk processing. This project allows for a more […]
Indicators and Monitoring of the Ripening of Cheddars
Highlights One of the challenges in the milk processing industry is producing high quality cheeses on a consistent basis. Many factors influence quality, including the microbiological composition of milk and the effectiveness of starter cultures and bacteriophages. This project investigates these factors using a “systems biology” approach to better understand the impact of the microbiological […]
Quality of Greek Yogurts and Optimization of Co-products
Highlights Greek yogurt has won the favour of consumers and now makes up the largest segment of the yogurt market. The dairy industry is in need of comparative data on the stability and safety of these types of high protein content (HPC) yogurts, produced by centrifugation or ultrafiltration, as well as valorization strategies for by-products. […]
Alternatives to Timothy in Fodder
Highlights Due to climate change, fodder production in the province of Quebec must be adapted. Timothy grass is a plant that grows well in cool climates, but the current climate is beginning to make it less advantageous. An alternative must be found to Timothy grass that is better suited to the growing conditions in Quebec. […]
Improving the Comfort and Longevity of Cows
Highlights Dairy farmers face the challenge of providing consumers with high-quality products that meet societal expectations for environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and econo- mic accessibility, while ensuring increased productivity based on an understanding of the nutritional and physiological needs of dairy cows. Increasing the lifespan of dairy cattle raised in housing in an environment that […]
Evaluating the Heifers’ Management
Summary We have developed a farming practices assessment tool that targets ten key elements of calf and heifer management. The elements chosen were calving management, newborn care, painful procedure management, colostrum management, mother-calf separation, feeding and housing calves, weaning, feeding and housing heifers, and general follow-up. The targets and indicators for each of the key […]
Questionnaire for the Diagnosis of Paratuberculosis
Summary Paratuberculosis is an ailment that is difficult to diagnose prior to its terminal phase. The disease results in sizeable economic losses, even in the absence of clinical signs. A variety of risk factors have been identified on dairy farms. A risk factor questionnaire that is based on known factors is currently available in Quebec […]
Exopolysaccharides and Texture of Yogurts
Summary In Canada, several yogourts are produced containing commercial polysaccharides (PSs) as stabilizers. Bacteria that produce exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are also increasingly used in yogourt production due to their ability to improve its texture, viscosity and water retention. Until now, studies on the role of EPSs pertained to systems that didn’t contain commercial PSs. The proposed […]
Enhancing the Protein of Buttermilk
Summary Approximately 10 kg of buttermilk powder are generated from the production of 100 kg of butter. Currently, buttermilk is used mainly in food formulation (e.g., bakeries and cookie factories), where it competes with powdered milk and whey. Although it has a similar composition as skim milk, certain characteristics of buttermilk limit its technological uses. […]
Profile of Milk Proteins
Summary The objective was to study the variability of milk constituents based on management and dietary factors on the farm. An analysis of more than 9 million observations as at the test date showed that cows fed total mixed ration produced more milk, fat, protein and lactose, and less urea than those who received forages […]
CLAs as Prebiotic Agents
Summary Milk is a complete food that provides a good source of calcium and protein, but the milk fat (MF) it contains is often viewed negatively. Among the most studied compounds in MF, conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) have received a lot of interest due to their potential health benefits. However, the mechanisms of action of […]
Short Dry Period
Summary This project was developed in order to verify whether the current recommendation of drying cows for 60 days is still suitable for today’s herds or whether a 35-day dry period management approach would be more appropriate. To assess all possible impacts, four studies were conducted. The first two studies took place on 13 commercial […]
Diagnosis, Prevention and Alternative Treatment of Mastitis
Summary This national organization’s mission is to combat one of the most costly diseases of dairy herds. To do this, it crossed provincial borders to expand its operations into eight universities and two research centres. In just five years, the Network grew its team by nearly 65 researchers and collaborators throughout the country. It has […]
Genomics Applied to Cheeses
Summary Producing cheeses such as Cheddar, Camembert, mozzarella and Swiss of consistent quality on an industrial scale is a central concern for cheese makers. Understanding the factors that cause variability in technological and organoleptic properties would enable a better control of the product and limit economic losses. The biochemical and metabolic activity of lactic ferments […]
Properties of Québec’s Local Milk
Summary There is a marked enthusiasm for fine cheeses in Quebec—the province sees the highest average weekly spending for them in all of Canada. The project aimed to understand the microbiological and technological typicality of various Quebec milks and fine cheeses and use these results to regulate the quality of manufacturing and enhance Quebec products. […]
Dairy Products Fortified with Probiotics
Summary Developing products to maintain the viability and activity of probiotic bacteria is a genuine technological challenge for manufacturers who wish to market functional foods. Cheese has advantages such as higher pH, a denser matrix and a higher fat content that can increase the likelihood that probiotic bacteria will survive the production and ripening process […]
Ecology of Dairy Bacteriophages
Summary The increase in cheese production and the repeated use of the same lactic ferments increases the risk of fermentation failure due to the presence of phages in milk. Several strategies are now available to mitigate phage-related problems. Nonetheless, phages are still the main cause of delays in dairy fermentation and fluctuation in the quality […]
Dairy Products Fortified with Polyphenols and Probiotics
Summary Dairy products are known for their high nutrient density and considered to be privileged vehicles for transporting bioactive molecules. The development of functional dairy products will allow the dairy industry to produce food adapted to the nutritional requirements of consumers. However, adding bioactive compounds to cheese poses a significant technological challenge because of anticipated […]
Antibacterials and Natural Antifungals
Summary The development of new natural antimicrobials that may reduce the incidence of pathogens in food and prolong its shelf life remains an urgent issue in the food industry, including the dairy sector. The goal of this project is to identify, characterize and exploit new food antimicrobials for long-term dairy product conservation, replacing conventional additives. […]
On-Farm Diagnosis of Endometritis
Summary The reproductive performance of cows is an important part of dairy farm monitoring and agricultural business profitability. Breeders have been noticing a decrease in the fertility of dairy cows for years now. Uterine infections contribute significantly to the declining fertility of dairy cattle because they are linked with the interruption of the normal function […]
Reduction of Antibiotics at the Dry Period
Summary Most antibiotics used on dairy herds are for treating and preventing bovine mastitis. In North America, antibiotic treatment at drying-off is universally recommended for all of a herd’s cows after the last milking. New non-antibiotic products are now available to combat mastitis, including internal sealant or selective bacterial culture media usable on a farm […]
Evaluating Forage Costs and Management
Summary Several studies have demonstrated the economic benefits of having ideal fodder on dairy farms. However, the methods to efficiently produce and use fodder are slow at being implemented optimally within Quebec businesses. Several factors may be involved, including the dearth of tools available to adequately identify areas for improvement in fodder management and thus […]
Forage Quality: Increase Sugars
Summary Fodder that is rich in rapidly fermentable energy helps increase the efficiency of nitrogen utilization by ruminants and reduces the amount of nitrogen excreted into the atmosphere. This research project showed that it is possible to increase the rapidly fermentable energy content of fodder by increasing its nonstructural carbohydrate content, which improves the milk […]
Stability and Rheological Properties of Stirred Yogurts
Highlights The province of Quebec produces more yogurt (80%) than anywhere else in Canada. A number of factors determine yogurt properties, including the type of bacteria, milk composition (total solids, fats, serum protein/casein ratio) and the production process conditions. To date, most research has been completed on firm yogurt, whereas in Canada, stirred yogurt is […]
Impact of Inoculants and Quality of Silage on Milk
Highlights Milk is a major staple for human consumption. Raw milk also presents an environment that can be contaminated by thermo-resistant flora and spores from fodder and indigenous flora. The microbiological quality of milk is therefore a major commercial issue and a constant technological challenge both on farms and in plants. Silage is humid fodder […]
Valorization of Whey Permeate by Green Biotechnology
Highlights This project focuses on the transformation of lactose contained in whey and permeate into diols (2, 3-butanediol (BD) or acetoin (A)) through a fermentation process named Biobac. This process creates a genetically superior bacteria. The project consists of 3 parts: The genes facilitating the production of BD or A were chemically synthesized and added […]
Milking Management to Prevent ketosis in Cows in Transition
Highlights At the start of lactation, there is an imbalance between inputs and nutrient needs in dairy cows. This has a major negative impact on disease incidence (e.g., hyperketonemia, mastitis) and on reproductive performance. The conventional approach to controlling this imbalance consists of increasing the energy density of the ration at the beginning of lactation. […]
Milk Quality: Impact of Mild or Intense Mechanical Treatments
Highlights This project aims to study the impact of mechanical treatments on the technological quality of milk intended for cheese production. The effects of light treatments (pumpage, skimming) and intense treatments (churning, high pressure homogenization) are also studied. Objectives The general objective of the project is to demonstrate the effect of mechanical treatments on […]
Impact of Composition and Quality of Milk in Artisanal Production
Highlights In Quebec, locally produced products are becoming increasingly important to consumers. This project is one of the rare undertakings exploring the characteristics of locally produced milk and the characterization of indigenous fungal species in fine cheeses. Objectives The general objective of the project is to increase microbiological and technological knowledge about local milks […]
Impact of Diet Minerals on Milk Fat
Highlights Research has shown that the synthesis of fat content in milk fat from cows at the beginning of lactation receiving a ration rich in concentrates is affected by the mineral profile of the ration, particularly stimulated by the addition of a source of potassium carbonate (K2CO3). This research project therefore aims to: Determine if […]
Synthesis of B Vitamins in Cows
Highlights The Vitamin B needs of dairy cattle are not always met through the synthesis of vitamins by bacteria in the rumen. In these conditions, vitamin B supplements increase lactation performance and the metabolic efficiency of dairy cattle. The results of this project show that concentrations of B vitamins in food do not predict the […]
Calculating Life Profitability of cows
Highlights Cow longevity is a known problem which results in too many expensive herd replacements, and a sub-optimal proportion of mature cows in the herd. This results in lower productivity and, consequently, profitability.Producers have separate access to milk-recording information (Valacta) and to veterinary health event data (e.g., DSA); however, they lack an integration which could […]
Fortified Dairy Products
Highlights This project is part of an initiative to identify the nutritional synergies and protective effects of dairy products on nutrients in other food groups. Objectives In order to study the nutritional synergy between milk components and polyphenols contained in tea and cranberry juice, this study focuses on three main objectives: To characterize the […]
A New Management for Dry-Period
Summary The lactation cycle of dairy cows must include a period without production, called the dry period, so that optimal milk production can be achieved during the following lactation. Although this period is very important for the renewal of udder cells, the cow is very vulnerable to new infections during the active involution that follows […]
Eco-Efficiency of Milk Membrane Filtration Processes
Highlights Membrane separation technologies have been identified as a research model due to their widespread use in the processing chain for milk and its co-products. These processes are likely to have a positive and significant effect on reductions in production costs (purchasing and replacing membranes), the use of natural resources (water, energy) and the generation […]
Improve the Comfort of the Stalls of Dairy Cows
Summary In Quebec, less than 40% of cows reach their third lactation. While more than 90% of dairy herds live in stall housing, little is yet known about culling-related risk factors in this type of stall, especially those related to comfort. This project allowed us, for the specific case of stall housing, to 1) provide […]
Paratuberculosis
Summary Paratuberculosis is an insidious, contagious enteric disease caused by the intracellular bacterium Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP). It is difficult to control, and can cause major economic losses when it infects a herd. This study aims to 1) facilitate the identification of herds affected by bovine paratuberculosis by validating a standardized method and 2) […]
Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 in Cows
Summary The peripartum period is critical for dairy cows as they fail to meet their nutritional needs through their diet, which causes various metabolic and reproductive problems. The study aimed to assess whether a vitamin B12 and folic acid supplement injected during the peripartum period would improve the efficiency of energy metabolism, reducing production and […]
Bacteriophages Against S. aureus
Summary MAPAQ has determined that Staphylococcus aureus is the main cause of raw milk cheese lots being rejected in recent years. Bacteriophages (or phages) are viruses that specifically target bacteria and destroy them. They are the most abundant biological entities on earth and help regulate bacterial populations. They are found in raw milk, including phages […]
Nutritional Properties of Dairy Products
Summary Food is a source of nutrients that are essential to human health. Currently, health foods or functional foods are developed by adding bioactive molecules to traditional foods, but very few studies examine how the molecular and structural organization of foods’ nutrients affects their health properties. Nutrients from food matrices must be bioaccessible and then […]
Valorization of the Buttermilk Protein
Summary This project is part of a series of studies to increase the value of buttermilk solids. It is known that incorporating buttermilk into rennet-type curds reduces their firmness and slows their rate of formation. Our previous work has shown that these effects are modulated by heat treatments applied during buttermilk production. We hypothesized that […]