Determination of IgG levels in bovine bulk milk samples from different regions of Spain

Colostrum addition to milk for consumption is an unlawful practice. Furthermore, the higher whey protein/casein ratio of colostrum compared with milk causes severe technological problems. A high concentration of immunoglobulins has been generally accepted as an index of colostrum presence in milk. In this work, the levels of IgG have been determined by a non-competitive ELISA in 3,248 bulk bovine milk samples from different regions of Spain throughout one year. The mean value for IgG concentration obtained from all the samples was 0.257+/-0.122 mg/ml, within the range generally considered as acceptable for mature milk. The mean concentration obtained for all the samples collected in the spring was 0.288+/-0.125 mg/ml, significantly higher than the values found at the other seasons. The finding of some samples with very high values of IgG would suggest that the determination of immunoglobulin levels periodically would be a good parameter to control milk quality.