Direct-evaluation of the fresh-milk somatic cell concentration (SCC) through electrical permittivity measurements

This paper refers to a method and measurement system for the evaluation of the intact somatic cells concentration in fresh cow milk based on the measurement of relative electrical permittivity (ε_r) of a sample deposited in a system´s capacitive cell. The thermal dependence of electrical permittivity had been evaluated and incorporated in a system´s measurement algorithm that displays the temperature and somatic cell concentration (SCC) of a sample. Immediate knowledge of the somatic cells concentration in the milk allows cattlemen to associate it with the degree of development of mastitis (infection of the animal´s mama in general caused by pathogens that penetrate through the teat channel) in cows. It also allows to identify sick animals, to apply the appropriate medical treatment, to separate their milk when it has not the normative demanded quality characteristics, as well as to reduce the milk production losses for this illness in their installation.