The suitability of milk from a spring-calved dairy herd during the transition from normal to very late lactation for the manufacture of low-moisture Mozzarella cheese

Bulk milk from a spring-calved dairy herd on a good plane of nutrition was collected and made into low-moisture Mozzarella cheese weekly over 10 weeks from 22 September (218 days in lactation, DIL) to 27 November (284 DIL). The 10 weeks were divided into three lactation periods: normal lactation (NL), 218–240 DIL; late lactation (LL), 241–265 DIL; and very late lactation (VLL), 266–284 DIL. Lactation period did not significantly influence milk composition, percentages of milk fat or protein recovered to cheese, cheese yield and composition, primary proteolysis or cooking properties during storage. The curd firmness of the rennet-induced gels from the LL or VLL milk samples was significantly higher than that of the NL milk. The mean firmness over the 40-d storage period of cheese from the LL and VLL milks was significantly higher than that of the cheeses from the NL milk. Satisfactory Mozzarella cheese making characteristics of milk from spring-calved cows can largely be sustained into late lactation by maintaining good dietary nutrition and herd management practices.