Hur mycket "mjölk" ska det vara i mjölken, och hur styr vi det?
In most countries, the dairy industry focuses on the volume of milk produced instead of its composition. This results in a high content of water and a lower proportion of fat and protein. A high proportion of water is not desirable when processing the milk into various dairy products like cheese, cream and milk powder. High water content also increases the costs for transport and storage, and also an unnecessary, albeit marginal, strains on the world?s water reservoir. The high profitability of producing large volumes of milk has resulted in Holstein cows, pure- and cross bred, becoming the most attractive breed on the market. This breed produces large milk volumes with a high proportion of water. The attractiveness of Holstein cows could change with a payment with more focus on the milk fat and protein content.
Research studies the possibility of regulating the composition of milk genetically. A higher dry matter content can be achieved through lowering the amount of water and/or to increase the content of fat and protein. Various genes have been shown to have influence on the water, fat and protein content.