1. NATIONAL SERVICE FOR UDDER HEALTH AND MILK QUALITY

2. NATIONAL SERVICE FOR UDDER HEALTH AND MILK QUALITY
The National Service for udder health and milk quality is a non profit organization, dedicated to improving the udder health and milk quality of all milk production (cows , sheep and goats) in Israel

3. SERVICE FOR ALL MILK PRODUCERS
The veterinarians and milking management advisers of the “National Service” are dedicated to advising all milk producers on optimal practices for improving herd health and milk quality
This service is provided by virtue of a levy on all milk marketed , with no further payment on behalf of the producers

4. BEFORE 1997 5 Regional laboratories for milk culturing.
Milking management and on farm equipment evaluation under the auspices of the Israel Cattle Breeders Association (ICBA).

5. BEGINNING IN 1997
Formation of the National Service for udder health and milk quality
Two regional laboratories - North and South
Each Laboratory with full staff for on farm evaluations of management and equipment as well as milk culturing
Funded by the Israel Dairy Board

6. BEGINNING IN 2005
One Mastitis diagnostic laboratory situated in Caesarea, that also serves as a bacteriological reference laboratory for the milk components “Bactoscan”
Samples from mastitic cows sent by dairy farmers are sent daily to Caesarea, together with the samples for milk components from processing plants all over the country
One laboratory serves all herds, between the Golan Heights in the North, and as far as Eilat in the South

7. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

8. Contact Details Dr. Shmuel Friedman Professional Director
Dr. Adin Shwimmer
Field Services Director
Dr. Mor Freed
Laboratory Director
Avraham Harel
Quality Control & Public Relations
Achiam Shani
Milking Management Adviser
Meir Reichman
Ralph Ginsberg
Ze’ev Feldheim

9. LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICES

10. Sampling and analysis of dairy cow herds in Israel.(>200.000 SCC)
Analysis of samples from cows with clinical and sub-clinical mastitis sent by dairy farmers .
Analysis of samples sent by farmers from pre-partum cows for sub-clinical mastitis
Analysis of bedding samples

11. LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICES
Analysis of water for Pseudomonas.
Antibiograms providing information to the clinical veterinarian
Bulk tank analysis for Streptococcus Agalactiae.
Evaluation of teat dip samples from dairy herds.

12. Comparison of amount of cultures 2000 – 2004

13. CLINICAL MASTITIS 2000 - 2004 SPECIES 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Streptococcus Agalactia
0.08
0.04
0.02
0.03
Streptococcus Disgalactia
5.8
6.1
7.0
6.4
Streptococcus Uberis
1.5
2.1
1.6
2.3
2.2
Streptococcus Non Ag.
5.1
4.9
4.4
4.1
Staphylococcus Aureus
2.5
1.8
1.3
1.4
C.N.S.
7.8
7.5
8.4
9.5
Corynebacterium Bovis
2.4
2.0
2.7
Esherichia Coli
23.5
28.0
31.0
32.0
36.0
A.Pyogenes
1.7
Nocardia
0.3
0.1
Negative Samples
25.8
26.3
24.0
23.0
Polluted Samples
14.8
9.3
8.6
8.2
No Pathogens
4.8
Other Species
4.47
3.0
3.3
4.23
3.33

14. ADVICE ON IMPROVING UDDER HEALTH

15. EXTENSION SURVEY Milking Procedures and Hygiene
Examination of Milking Equipment including Pulsator graphs , Air flow readings and controller function
Sanitation and washing procedures
Housing and cow environment management

16. MILKING PARLOR AND EQUIPMENT CONSULTATION

17. Advice on milking parlor planning and construction
Handbook on milking machine specifications
Supervision of companies supplying milking equipment , teat dips and detergents
Static and dynamic testing of milking parlors
Milking parlor trouble shooting

18. EDUCATION

19. ”Hadaf Halavan” - Monthly newsletter on udder health and milking hygiene
Regional workshops for dairy farmers.
Individual on farm counseling in liaison with the clinical veterinarian
Promotion of research projects and field studies
Follow up and counseling of herds experiencing problems with mastitis and high cell counts

20. Milk Quality
A firm and constant policy was established by the Israeli Dairy Board in the 90’s with the aim of improving milk quality. Economic incentives were set in order to lower the somatic cell count in the milk supplied to the industry and threshold of price categories was progressively lowered along years. The farmers’ response caused the average SCC (annual average for all farms) to decrease from 428,000/ml in 1995 to 259,000 in 2004.

22. Average Somatic Cell Count by Year

24. GOALS FOR 2005
Retaining the average national somatic cell count below 230,000
Reduction in the number of “human errors” in marketing disqualified milk , high bacteria counts , antibiotics etc.
Reduction in environmental mastitis with an emphasis on housing management

25. Continuing consultation on udder health and milk quality in the event of herd expansion and mergers.
Reduction in answer time to farmers via the internet, on clinical mastitis samples results.
Building models for monitoring risk factors for udder health, milk quality & quantifying the economic implications
Monitoring Mycobacterium paratuberculosis ( Johne's disease ) in milk samples

26. Israel Dairy Board (Production& Marketing)
Aderet House, 46 Derech HaMaccabim
Rishon Le’Zion
P.O.Box Rishon Le’Zion
75054
Israel
National service for udder health and milk quality
Caesarea Industrial Park
P.O.Box 3553
38900
Israel