Supplementing Rations with Tocopherol and Ethoxyquin to Increase Oxidative Stability of Milk

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Abstract
A Latin-square change-over feeding trial was conducted to study the feasibility of supplementing cow rations with antioxidants to aid in practical control of oxidized flavor in milk. Ethoxyquin supplement, at 0.0125% of the dry matter intake, caused a slight increase in milk tocopherol (P< 0.1) and in oxidative stability of the milk (P< 0.05) as measured by the TBA [thiobarbituric acid test] test. Determinations of ethoxyquin by a fluorimetric method indicated that ethoxyquin was present in the milk of 3 cows that were fed the anti-oxidant for seven days at 0.015% of dry matter intake. Supplementary dl-[alpha]-tocopheryl acetate, fed at 0.0025% of tocopherol in the dry matter, increased the concentration of tocopherol in the milk (P<0.01), the oxidative stability of the milk (P<0.01) by both TBA test and flavor scores) and of the milk fat (P<0.01 by induction period test). Supplementing cows'' rations with tocopherol is feasible as a practical method of delaying the development of oxidized flavor in milk.