The kinetics of milk release is influenced by several factors, including the milking facility, which affects the milk emission profile and quality. In dairy goats, the typical working vacuum level is 41–44 kPa; higher levels negatively impact health, quality, and milkability traits. This study, which was conducted on a commercial dairy farm located in the Latium region (central Italy), evaluates the impact of two vacuum levels (38 kPa and 42 kPa) on the milk emission profile and somatic cell content in Saanen goats. Statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) of 400 milk flow curves recorded from 100 goats in four different afternoon milking sessions (200 at 42 kPa and 200 at 38 kPa) showed no significant differences in terms of milk yield, total milking time, or bimodal curve percentage when using two different operating vacuum levels. However, the milk emission time was longer at 38 kPa (1.86 vs. 1.71 min), while the peak flow rate (1.04 vs. 0.96 kg/min) and blind time (0.32 vs. 0.24 min) were higher at 42 kPa. Somatic cell content decreased significantly as the working vacuum level decreased (2470 vs. 2167 × 1000 cells/mL). This is in line with current studies which suggest that high vacuum levels increase the risk of udder injury and intramammary infection. In conclusion, adjusting the milking machine to a working vacuum level of 38 kPa, and performing proper maintenance and routine checks, significantly improves somatic cell content, and, consequently, milk quality, in goats.

Mycotoxins, including sterigmatocystin (STC), aflatoxicol (AFL), aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), and its metabolite aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁), represent a major food safety concern in the dairy industry due to their high toxicity and thermal stability. While AFM₁ in milk is strictly regulated, there is a substantial lack of specific guidelines and scientific data regarding its behavior and enrichment factors (EFs) in buffalo-derived products. Furthermore, knowledge gaps persist regarding the transfer and stability of co-occurring molecules like STC and AFL. This study evaluated the distribution and fate of AFM₁, STC, and AFL during traditional, laboratory-scale cheesemaking of buffalo mozzarella and ricotta. Fourteen trials were conducted using bulk tank milk naturally contaminated with AFM₁, alongside an exploratory trial utilizing toxin-free milk artificially spiked with all three targets. Mass balance and specific EFs were calculated across all processing streams. AFM₁ was detected in all raw milk samples, showing a strong affinity for caseins. Approximately half of the initial milk AFM₁ content was retained in mozzarella (50.3 ± 3.3%), whereas ricotta retained only a minor fraction (6.9 ± 0.7%), with the majority lost in the second whey (30.7 ± 1.3%). The mean EFs were 2.3 ± 0.3 for mozzarella and 1.1 ± 0.2 for ricotta. AFL was never detected in milk samples while STC was mainly present at concentrations < 1 ng/kg. In the spiked trial, AFL demonstrated stability with an EF of 1.5 in mozzarella, while STC displayed potential degradation within the milk matrix and during sample storage. The experimental EFs determined for buffalo mozzarella and ricotta are lower than the standard factors currently applied by Italian regulations for non-bovine dairy products. These accurate, matrix-specific estimations are essential to prevent the under-reporting of non-compliant samples and to refine international consumer risk assessment models.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play crucial regulatory roles in gene expression in metazoans. While the miRNA repertoire and relative abundances have been extensively studied in terrestrial mammals, no information was available for the milk of marine mammals. Here, we present the first characterization of the miRNA genomic landscape and abundance in milk in the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). Using a sequence-based comparative approach, we identified 186 conserved miRNA families comprising 354 high-confidence precursors in the dolphin genome. Comparative analysis across 52 cetacean genomes revealed a small number of lineage-specific loss events, such as mir-187 in Delphinidae, and the absence of nine miRNA families in all cetaceans. Small RNA sequencing from pooled milk samples confirmed the detectable abundance of 119 miRNAs, with a landscape dominated by mir-148 , let-7 , mir-8 , and mir-21 , collectively accounting for over 70% of total miRNA reads. These dominant families include miRNAs frequently reported in the milk of terrestrial mammals, suggesting qualitative similarity in the major milk miRNA repertoire between dolphin and terrestrial mammals. These findings should be interpreted as a first sequencing-supported exploratory characterization of dolphin milk miRNAs.

Milk flow dynamics during mechanical milking are strongly influenced by species-specific mammary anatomy, milk partitioning between cisternal and alveolar compartments, and milking management. The present study aimed to compare milkability traits across the main dairy species reared in central Italy using a large dataset collected over 20 years. A total of 7315 animals were included: dairy cows (1103), buffaloes (2870), goats (2399), sheep (754), and donkeys (189). Milk flow curves were recorded using a portable Lactocorder^® device. The following traits were analyzed: milk yield (MY), lag time (LT), milk ejection time (MET), total milking time (TMT), peak flow rate (PFR), average flow rate (AFR), plateau phase (PL), bimodal phase (BM), and bimodality incidence (Bimo). Marked interspecific differences emerged. Dairy cows showed the highest MY and PFR, with bimodality occurring in 23.7% of curves. Buffaloes exhibited lower flow rates, prolonged LT, and extended TMT, reflecting their strong dependence on oxytocin-mediated alveolar milk ejection. Sheep demonstrated short milking times and low bimodality (13.5%), consistent with their large cisternal milk fraction. Goats displayed breed-dependent variability, with specialized dairy breeds showing higher PFR and longer TMT. Donkeys produced low milk volumes but exhibited rapid and efficient milk flow, with the lowest incidence of bimodality (7.4%). Overall, milk flow patterns reflected species-specific udder morphology and physiological mechanisms of milk ejection. Although this field-based study faces inherent limitations in environmental and protocol standardization across farms, the resulting long-term dataset remains highly representative. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring milking machine settings and prestimulation protocols to species and breed characteristics to optimize milking efficiency, labor management, and animal welfare.

Chemical contamination of milk represents a relevant food safety concern, particularly in countries where systematic monitoring programs are still limited. In Algeria, information on human exposure to aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination remains fragmented or lacking. This study assessed the occurrence of AFM₁ and 17 PFAS in cow and goat milk and explored farm-level management practices potentially influencing contamination. Bulk-tank milk samples were collected from 26 dairy cattle and 11 dairy goat farms. Farm characteristics, including feeding strategies, water sources, grazing practices, and herd size, were recorded using structured questionnaires to characterize farm-level practices and explore their potential association with contamination patterns. AFM₁ was detected in all samples. In cow milk, 96.1% exceeded the EU limit (0.05 µg/kg), with concentrations ranging from 0.048 to 0.410 µg/kg (mean: 0.102 µg/kg), although none exceeded the Codex Alimentarius limit (0.50 µg/kg). Goat milk showed a lower prevalence of samples above the EU limit (36.4%), but higher concentrations were observed (range 0.030–0.578 µg/kg; mean 0.193 µg/kg), with two samples (18.2%) exceeding the Codex limit. PFAS contamination was generally low: 73.0% of cow and 64.0% of goat samples were below detection limits, with only PFBS (cow milk) and PFDA (goat milk) quantified above LOQ. Because of the limited number of farms and the single sampling period, no robust associations could be established between farm-level variables and contaminant concentrations. This preliminary study provides an exploratory overview of AFM₁ and PFAS occurrence in bovine and goat bulk milk from the sampled Algerian farms. These findings reveal widespread AFM₁ contamination within the investigated farms, consistent with possible feed-borne AFB₁ exposure, whereas PFAS occurrence appeared sporadic and generally low.