BRUSSELS—Experts in animal breeding gathered at the International Dairy Federation’s World Dairy Summit this week to discuss how the genetic predisposition of cows has an effect on the composition of fat and protein of their milk.
The Dutch Milk Genomics Initiative examined the opportunities and significance of exploiting genetic variation between cows for improving the quality characteristics of milk. The research team discovered a number of genes that contribute to this genetic variation, which opens unique opportunities for genetic improvement.
Researchers found large variation in the composition of the milk fat in cows’ milk, with a significant proportion of these differences being put down to genetic predisposition. They also used the recently available information on the cattle genome to identify six areas of the genome where genes contributing to the genetic variation in milk fat composition are found.
“On the basis of this knowledge, it is possible to devise an innovative breeding program for cows and bulls to increase the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the milk and to improve cheese production. The implementation of such a program is expected to award vast benefits to the dairy industry both practically and economically,” stated one researcher.
The researchers also discovered substantial variation in the composition of milk proteins as a result of genetic variation, which is likely to result in a higher yield in cheese production. This estimates to save 25 million Euros for the Dutch dairy sector alone, provide a much higher quality of milk and transform milk production in the long-term.