Dairy Management

Lameness remains the highest priority endemic health condition affecting British dairy cattle, with significant implications for animal welfare, farm economics and environmental sustainability. The GB Dairy Cow Lameness Manifesto, launched in January 2025 under the direction of the Dairy Cow Mobility Steering Group, represents a coordinated industry-wide commitment to reduce lameness prevalence to below 5% in at least 95% of British dairy herds by 2044. This article examines the evidence base supporting the Manifesto, its strategic framework comprising four key strategies and 21 actions, and the critical role of veterinary practitioners in achieving these objectives. Current national lameness prevalence estimates of approximately 30% demonstrate the scale of the challenge, whilst successful farm-level interventions prove that substantial reductions are achievable. The Manifesto provides a structured approach for multi-stakeholder collaboration, incorporating farm-specific preventive planning, knowledge transfer and incentivisation mechanisms. Veterinary practices are positioned as key facilitators through the delivery of evidence-based programmes such as the Healthy Feet Programme, requiring investment in training Mobility Mentors and Register of Mobility Scorers personnel.

The escalating demand for global fruit logistics underscores the urgency of packaging innovations to reconcile preservation efficiency with environmental sustainability, particularly addressing microplastic pollution from conventional plastics and safety hazards posed by synthetic pH-sensitive pigments. Natural pH-sensitive intelligent edible gel-based packaging, which integrates non-toxic indicators into biopolymer gel matrices, offers a viable solution by visually tracking freshness through colorimetric responses to pH fluctuations during storage and transportation. This review systematically synthesizes recent progress in material design, including the development of edible films and coatings, and evaluates the functional mechanisms of natural pH indicators within these systems. Applications across diverse fruit categories demonstrate their efficacy in delaying ripening, inhibiting microbial growth, and signaling quality degradation via dynamic color shifts. Despite enabling real-time, visual freshness monitoring, challenges in mechanical robustness, water resistance, and scalable manufacturing remain. Future advancements should prioritize the integration of multifunctional systems, such as gas conditioning technologies and bioactive components, to enhance practical performance and align with sustainable food preservation objectives, ultimately reducing food waste and elevating consumer safety standards.

ABSTRACTDue to the high incidence of periodontal diseases in pet cats and dogs, the purpose of this study is to screen bacteria with beneficial oral health effects and assess the effectiveness of its freeze‐dried cell. In this study, we explored the effects of oral probiotics by determining the bacteriostatic ability, percentages of self‐aggregation and co‐aggregation in vitro, and through microbial community analysis, the alleviating effect of freeze‐dried cells on periodontitis and its mechanism of action were evaluated. Lactobacillus zeae N165 significantly inhibited Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis, and it had high co‐aggregation rates of 96.78% and 88.94% with F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis, respectively. In vivo, freeze‐dried L. zeae N165 cells significantly reduced alveolar bone resorption, TNF‐α, and IL‐6 levels in rats with periodontitis, maintained a healthy oral and intestinal microbial community structure, and regulated the dominant species to alleviate periodontitis. The prediction of functions by the KEGG database analysis of oral flora revealed that freeze‐dried L. zeae N165 cells may alleviate periodontitis via four pathways: reduction of glutamine degradation, modulation of lipopolysaccharide levels, biosynthesis of polyketide glycan units, and biotin metabolism. L. zeae N165 showed promising results in both in vitro and in vivo experiments, suggesting new directions for the oral probiotics industry.

The objective of this randomized controlled study was to evaluate the effects of a native rumen microbial feed supplement on production performance (milk production, milk composition, and feed efficiency). Additionally, the effects of the microbial supplement on enteric methane emissions were assessed. Forty-six second-, third-, and fourth-parity Jersey cows at 59 ± 8 DIM were blocked by baseline milk yield and randomly assigned to control (no microbial supplementation) or treatment (GF-MFS; TMR containing 5 g/cow per day of a native rumen microbial feed supplement containing a minimum of Clostridium beijerinckii at 2 × 106 cfu/g, Pichia kudriavzevii at 2 × 107 cfu/g, Ruminococcus bovis at 2 × 107 cfu/g, and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens at 2 × 107 cfu/g). Cows were housed in a single group and fed the study diets ad libitum for 16 wk. Individual milk yield was recorded using electronic milk meters, and milk fat and protein were measured using optical in-line analyzers at each of 2 daily milkings. Individual cow TMR intake was recorded through the Biocontrol CRFI feed intake control and measurement system. Enteric methane emissions were measured using GreenFeed units. Somatic cell count was determined in milk composite samples collected at 2 consecutive milkings on a weekly basis. Treatment and treatment by time effects were assessed by multiple linear regression. Overall treatment effects were observed for ECM, milk, and fat yields; yields were (mean ± SEM) 2.19 ± 0.90, 1.64 ± 0.74, and 0.10 ± 0.03 kg/d higher for GF-MFS compared with control cows, respectively. There was also a tendency for higher milk protein yield in GF-MFS cows. No overall treatment effects were observed for milk fat and protein concentrations and DMI. Furthermore, positive treatment effects were observed on feed efficiency (0.09 ± 0.04 units higher for GF-MFS cows) and log10 SCC (0.13 ± 0.06 units lower for GF-MFS cows). Methane intensity tended to be lower for GF-MFS compared with control cows, but methane production and yield were similar for GF-MFS and control cows. In conclusion, the supplementation of native rumen microbes effectively improved economically important outcomes such as ECM, milk and fat yields, feed efficiency, and lowered SCC. Larger studies are required to assess the effect of the evaluated native rumen microbial feed supplement on enteric methane emissions.

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) phospholipids could promote the development of infants’ brain, nervous system and digestive system. This research conducted a comparative analysis of phospholipid composition in MFGM of colostrum from different bovine species (Holstein cattle, yak, and Buffalo), with a particular focus on analyzing phospholipid variations in yak MFGM across different lactation stages. Chromatographic quantification revealed phosphatidylcholine (PC) as the predominant phospholipid class (34.7–47.44%) in all examined species. Notably, Holstein cow milk contains significantly higher levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Distinct phospholipid profiles emerged between species: yak milk demonstrated significantly higher concentrations of sphingomyelin (SM), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine (dMePE), and bis-methylphosphatidic acid (BisMePA), whereas buffalo milk showed preferential accumulation of phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Longitudinal analysis revealed dynamic changes in yak milk phospholipids during lactation: as the lactation period in-creases, PC, PS, LPC, LPE, methylphosphatidylcholine (MePC), BisMePA, and dMePE exhibited progressive decline, while PE, SM, PI and PG showed incremental increases. Analysis of phospholipid metabolism pathways indicates that yak colostrum supports early calf development by enriching phospholipids associated with immune and neuroprotection, while mature milk shifts toward maintaining membrane stability. These compositional characteristics position yak milk as a promising phospholipid-fortified alternative to human breast milk.

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), primarily composed of polar lipids and numerous glycoprotein-dominated proteins, is an emerging dairy ingredient with considerable application potential. This study systematically characterized the protein composition, structural features, nutritional properties, and digestive characteristics of three bovine milk protein materials: MFGM-enriched whey protein (MFGMP), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and micellar casein concentrate (MCC). Label-free quantitative proteomics identified 1025 proteins in MFGMP and 773 in WPC, with 284 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between them, including 247 upregulated and 37 downregulated proteins (MFGMP/WPC). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were mainly involved in protein transport, defense response to Gram-positive bacteria, and negative regulation of endopeptidase activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed enrichment in 45 metabolic pathways, notably complement and coagulation cascades, endocytosis, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Structurally, MFGMP exhibited enhanced stability, characterized by higher α-helix and lower random coil content compared to WPC and MCC. Nutritionally, while valine was identified as the first limiting amino acid, MFGMP demonstrated a superior amino acid score and a higher essential amino acid index compared to both WPC and MCC, closely aligning with the FAO/WHO reference pattern and establishing it as a high-quality protein source. During invitro digestion, MFGMP showed more rapid intestinal degradation with a higher degree of hydrolysis than WPC, demonstrating superior proteolytic accessibility and digestive efficiency. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the distinctive value of MFGMP and establish a scientific basis for developing MFGM-based functional foods.