Both sampling seasonality and geographic origin contribute significantly to variations in raw milk microbiota, but sampling seasonality is the more determining factor

The
current work was an observational study aiming to profile the microbiota of raw
milk collected across
wide geographic regions in China in different seasons and to investigate the
contribution of geographical, seasonal, and environmental factors in shaping
the raw milk microbiota. A total of 355 raw cow milk samples from healthy Holsteins
and 41 environmental samples (farm soil and surface of milking room floor) from five dairy farms in five Chinese provinces were collected and analyzed.