Detection of milk manipulation for the purpose of targeted reduction of somatic cell count using the MALDI-TOF MS method

This study examines methods for detecting illegal manipulation of raw cow's milk aimed at artificially reducing the somatic cell count (SCC) through centrifugation. This practice, motivated by economic gain, compromises the authenticity of the raw material and masks the true health status of the mammary gland. An experimental analysis of 68 samples demonstrated that centrifugation reduces somatic cell count by an average of 45.9 ± 11.6%. The MALDI-TOF MS method was used to identify changes in the peptide profile in the 500-4 000 Da range. Although no unique peaks specific to adulterated samples were detected, Pearson's correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between the intensity of specific peptides and SCC values. The strongest positive correlation was identified for peaks in the m/z 2 922 Da region (r = 0.69). Other relevant markers include fragments with m/z 1 768 Da (r = 0.51) and 901 Da (r = 0.49). The results confirm that monitoring quantitative changes in the intensity of specific peptides using mass spectrometry is a promising tool for identifying changes in the milk peptidome associated with variations in SCC, including those induced by technological manipulation.