Safeguarding Animal Health

Current levels of compliance with EU bulk-tank SCC standards and proposed (but

rejected) US standards based on data from four Federal Milk Marketing Orders

J.E. Lombard1, H.D. Norman2, C.A. Kopral1, J.M. Rodriguez1, and J.R. Wright2.

1USDA:APHIS:VS:Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Fort Collins, CO USA2USDA:ARS: Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory, Beltsville, MD USA

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Bulk-tank Somatic Cell Counts

• Increases with intramammary infections

• Associated with milk qualityLower BTSCC

Increases shelf lifeIncreases cheese

yield

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Bulk-tank Somatic Cell Counts• Maximum levels

400,000 cells/mL in most of EU, Australia, and New Zealand

500,000 cells/mL in Canada750,000 cells/mL in US

• Differences in implementation / calculationGeometric mean vs. arithmetic meanNumber of months / tests above the limit

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Safeguarding Animal Health 4

295 293 295 296 298

290

282

263258

249

260

247

227224

313 312318 320

332

322

313

296293 293

298294

277272

200

220

240

260

280

300

320

340

BT

SC

C (

X1

,00

0)

Federal Milk Marketing Order DataMilk-weighted and Producer BTSCCs

1997-2010

BTSCC Milk wgt.

BTSCC producer

Safeguarding Animal Health

EU Regulations on Imports

• WereTruck load or silo at plant had to satisfy 400,000

cells/mL limit

• NowEach farm has to satisfy 400,000 cells/mL limit

• WhenOriginally, October 1, 2010 December 1, 2010

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Objective

• Evaluate noncompliance of herds and milk for current and proposed US BTSCC limits -National Milk Producers Federation proposal

750,000 cells/mL – current standard600,000 cells/mL in January 2012500,000 cells/mL in January 2013400,000 cells/mL in January 2014

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Federal Milk Marketing Orders

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Material and Methods

• Data SourceFour Federal Milk Marketing Orders

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FMO % Monitored Milk

% US Milk Supply

% Herds (Shipments)

Upper Midwest 48.1 21.9 61.6

Central 15.9 7.2 11.4

Mideast 19.2 8.8 24.6

Southwest 16.8 7.7 2.4

Total 100.0 45.6 100.0

Safeguarding Animal Health

Materials and Methods (cont)

• NoncomplianceCurrent and proposed US

3 of 5 tests above the limit

Current EU standardRolling 3 month geometric average

• 15 months of test data were required

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Materials and Methods (cont)

• Annual milk shipped used as proxy for herd size<900 metric tons (<100 cows)900-4,500 mt (100-499 cows)4,501-9,000 mt (500-999 cows)>9,000 mt (1000 cows or more)

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Safeguarding Animal Health

BTSCC Noncompliance - Herd

Jun 09

Jul 09

Aug 09

Sep 09

Oct 09

Nov 09

Dec 09

Jan 10

Feb 10

Mar 10

Apr 10

May 10

Jun 10

Jul 10

Aug 10

Sep 10

Oct 10

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Current US (750K) Proposed US (600K) Proposed US (500K)Proposed US (400K) Current EU (400K)

% H

erd

No

nco

mp

lian

ce

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Safeguarding Animal Health

BTSCC Noncompliance - Herd

Jun 09

Jul 09

Aug 09

Sep 09

Oct 09

Nov 09

Dec 09

Jan 10

Feb 10

Mar 10

Apr 10

May 10

Jun 10

Jul 10

Aug 10

Sep 10

Oct 10

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

DHI Proposed US (400K) DHI Current EU (400K)FMO Proposed US (400K) FMO Current EU (400K)

% H

erd

No

nco

mp

lian

ce

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Safeguarding Animal Health

BTSCC Noncompliance – Milk

Jun 09

Jul 09

Aug 09

Sep 09

Oct 09

Nov 09

Dec 09

Jan 10

Feb 10

Mar 10

Apr 10

May 10

Jun 10

Jul 10

Aug 10

Sep 10

Oct 10

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Current US (750K) Proposed US (600K) Proposed US (500K)Proposed US (400K) Current EU (400K)

% M

ilk

No

nco

mp

lian

ce

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Safeguarding Animal Health

BTSCC Noncompliance – Size

<900 (n=20,607)

900-4,500 (n=5,697)

4,501-9,000 (n=745)

>9,000 (n=710)

0

10

20

30

40

50

Current US (750K) Proposed US (600K) Proposed US (500K)Proposed US (400K) Current EU (400K)

Metric Tons of Milk

% H

erd

No

nco

mp

lian

ce

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Discussion/Conclusions

• Historical view of noncomplianceBTSCC continue to

decline annuallyPercent of herds

noncompliant will be considerably higher if tougher standards are implemented

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Discussion/Conclusions

• FMO analysisHigher percent of FMO herds are noncompliant

compared with DHI herdsMore milk shipped (larger herds ) = lower

noncompliance rateThe NMPF’s proposed 400K limit is much more

restrictive than the EU’s

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Safeguarding Animal Health

Questions?

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