How does the somatic cell count indicate milk quality?

Mastitis causes the somatic cell count (SCC) in milk to increase, which can affect milk composition, processibility and quality. Most milk processors prefer to purchase milk with low SCC and offer incentives to farmers for high quality milk.

The European Union currently impose a regulatory limit of 400,000 somatic cells/ml (Council Directive 92/46/EEC; SI 910, 2005) and milk that exceeds this limit must be rejected by the processor, resulting in substantial financial loss for the farmer. This directive encourages good farming practice to ensure the production of good quality milk in Ireland and across the EU.