THE FEEDING OF FERMENTED COLOSTRUM TO NEONATAL CALVES. III. LABORATORY EVALUATION OF MOLD-INHIBITING AND NUTRIENT-PRESERVING PROPERTIES OF SORBIC ACID APPLIED TO FERMENTED COLOSTRUM

The effect of four levels of sorbic acid (0, 1000, 2000, 3000 ppm of sorbic acid equivalent) applied at day 1 or 4 of storage at ambient summer or simulated winter temperatures, on nutritive value and degree of putrefaction of Streptococcus lactis fermented colostrum, was examined. Application of sorbic acid, particularly at day 1, resulted in a slowdown of the initial pH decline and a slowdown of an increase in the titratable acidity. Day 4 application maintained the pH at a desirable level throughout the storage. The pH decreased quadratically during storage when sorbic acid was applied at day 1 and linearly when applied at day 4. The pH levels were positively related to the levels of sorbic acid applied. Storage losses of lactose were higher in summer (88.2%) than in winter (32.8%) conditions; however, day 4 summer application of 2000 ppm of sorbic acid reduced losses to approximately 60%. Protein degradation decreased when the dose of sorbic acid applied was increased. Degradation of protein was lower...