Effects of milk type, production month, and brand on fatty acid composition: A case study in Korea

The aim of this study was to examine the difference in fatty acid (FA) composition of organic and conventional milk at the retail market level in Korea for different milk production months and brands. The essential FA contents of the milk vary significantly under the combined effects of milk type, production month, and brand. Chemometric analysis reveals a greater difference between milk types than between production months and identifies significantly different levels of nutritionally desirable FAs-notably C18:3 n-3, C18:2 n-6 c and t-in the organic and conventional milks. Notwithstanding the limited sampling size and period, the results from this study may provide a better understanding of the nutritional quality of organic milk to consumers who are interested in organic milk intake. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.