98 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



EFFECT OF GARLIC ON THE FLAVOR 

 AND ODOR OF MILK 



By C. J. Babcock, 



Assistant Market Milk Specialist, Bureau of Dairying, 



U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



Object of the Experiment. 



When dairy cows are first turned out on pasture in the 

 early spring there is probably no plant which more seri- 

 ously affects the flavor and odor of milk than garlic, or wild 

 onion. In some sections it renders the milk practically un- 

 marketable. Once the garlic flavor and odor have entered 

 the milk there is no efficient or economical method known 

 of eliminating it. The only practical way to prevent the 

 presence of garlic flavor and odor in milk appears to be by 

 preventing the cows from eating the plant. 



In order to obtain more definite information concerning 

 the effect of garlic on the flavor and odor of milk, feeding 

 experiments were conducted by the Bureau of Dairying on 

 its experiment farm at Beltsville, Md. The specific objects 

 of the investigation were: (1) To determine how garlic 

 flavor and odor enter the milk; (2) to determine the length 

 of time required after consumption of garlic for the flavor 

 and odor to enter the milk; (3) to determine the length of 

 time after cows consume garlic before the flavor and odor 

 disappear from the milk. 



Details of Experiment. 



The investigation was conducted with nine Jersey and 

 seven Holstein cows. The cows were giving milk relatively 

 free from abnormal flavors and odors, and entirely free 

 from garlic flavor and odor when fed the basic hay and 

 grain ration. The average daily milk production of the 

 cows during the investigation was 31.5 pounds, the highest 

 daily average being 44 pounds, the lowest 16 pounds. 



