Pasteurization heats milk to 72°C to kill pathogens like salmonella and E. coli while preserving nutrients. Freestall cows experience mastitis 1.8 times more than pasture-kept cows, and confinement yields 11% higher milk production. Pasture-kept cows have lower teat bacteria and somatic cell counts. Milk is white due to casein protein, and pasture feeding can produce off-colors or flavors from plant ingestion. Outside cows have lower body condition scores than indoor cows due to higher pasture energy needs, and indoor cows lie down for 12.3 hours daily.

2. • Pasteurization is heating milk to 72⁰C
for 15 seconds to kill pathogens that
could potentially be harmful
• The main pathogens in unpasteurized
milk are salmonella, listeria,
staphaureus and E. coli
• Pasteurization leaves the important
nutrients in milk intact

3. • Mastitis is a painful infection common
to dairy cows
• Incidents of mastitis are 1.8 times
more common in freestall cows than
pasture kept cows
• Confinement kept cows have 11%
higher milk production than those
kept on pasture

4. • Pasture kept cows
have less bacteria on
their teats and
therefore a lower
somatic cell count in
their milk
• Milk is white because
of a protein called
casein

5. • Pasture fed cows
can produce milk
that has off-colours
(from carotenoids)
or off-flavours
(from ingesting
unusual feed such as
wild onion, or
turnips)

6. • Cows kept outside have an average
body condition score of 3 or less
• Cows kept on pasture have a higher
energy requirement for maintenance
• Cows kept inside spend ~12.3 hours
lying down