INTRODUCTION:

Cows’ milk is widely consumed and is considered essential for the diet of billions of people worldwide. Conjugated linoleic acid and omega-6/omega-3 (ω6/ω3) ratio have been associated with the improvement of human health. The feed factors of cows are highly related with the lipidic composition of milk.

OBJECTIVES:

Compare the effect of the two different feeding systems (pasture and conventional) in conjugated linoleic acid concentration and in ω6/ω3 ratio in milk produced in Portugal.

METHODOLOGY:

The study includes the data analysis of the provided reports, containing the results of the 12 samples (2018-2020) from 3 different brands (Portugal), and their graphical comparison.

RESULTS:

The concentration of conjugated linoleic acid is always higher (around 10 mg/100g of conjugated linoleic acid) in milk A (pasture milk) and presents a more constant profile throughout the sampling period. Also, the ω6/ω3 ratio of pasture milk presents a more constant profile and the ratio values are the closest to the recommended.

CONCLUSIONS:

The pasture-feeding system produces milk more nutritionally enriched, with a composition more constant through the different seasons of the year and ensuring the welfare of cows. The milk produced by those systems appears to have an improved fatty acids profiling.

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