Dairy Research Bulletin
July 2026 Issue 102

Environmental Management and Sustainability

Integrating soil health and manure practices to advance sustainability for US dairy farms. Cloutier ML, Clark NE, Horwath WR, Khalsa SDS, Meyer D, Wallace J, Afshar RK, Morgan CLS, et al. J Environ Qual. 2026 May-Jun;55(3):e70202.

• The US dairy industry has committed to advancing environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enhancing water use efficiency, and improving water quality. Feed production accounts for approximately 12% of GHG emissions and 99% of consumptive water use from dairy operations, making it a focus area for potential resource use and overall efficiency improvements.
• However, few studies report changes to GHG emissions or water quantity and quality outcomes from adopting soil health management systems and use of novel manure products for dairy feed production.
• The Dairy Soil and Water Regeneration (DSWR) project is exploring whether soil health management systems and novel manure products can help advance environmental sustainability outcomes across major dairy-producing regions in the United States.
• Through a suite of coordinated studies, including regional soil benchmarking and large-plot- to field-scale experiments, DSWR is evaluating the performance and scalability of reduced tillage, cover crops, and novel manure products applied to row crop feed production systems.
• By integrating high-resolution data on soil, water, GHG emissions, and crop production, this project is generating actionable insights to support decision-making for farmers, farm managers, dairy cooperatives, retailers, and consumer packaged goods companies.
• This article introduces the project by summarizing its purpose, the conceptual framework guiding its design and implementation, and its approaches to hypothesis testing about soil health, hydrology, and yield responses.

CDRF-Funded Research: Air nanobubbles reduce methane and ammonia but increase nitrous oxide emissions from dairy lagoon wastewater. El Mashad HM, Hines H, Pan Y, Zhao Y, Mitloehner F. Bioresour Technol. 2026 Jun 3;458:135072.

• Dairy farms in the dry western US are typically free stall systems with exercise areas or open lots. The manure produced from these farms is usually stored in lagoons where the organic matter undergoes biochemical degradation processes, producing CH4 and other gases.
• This study evaluated the effects of air nanobubbles and conventional aeration on emissions of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and ammonia (NH3) from dairy lagoon wastewater.
• Wastewater collected from a commercial dairy in California was treated in duplicate drum systems under nanobubbles aeration, conventional aeration, and control (no aeration) over 31 days.
• Nanobubbles aeration significantly reduced CH4 emissions rates by 66.7% compared with the control. However, the reduction was not statistically significant relative to conventional aeration, although the average reduction was 29.4%; likely due to limited replication in this experiment.
• Nanobubbles aeration also significantly lowered NH3 emissions rates relative to both treatments. However, nanobubbles aeration and the associated increase in temperature led to significantly higher N2O and CO2 emissions rates, particularly during the initial phase of treatment.
• Across treatments, N2O became the dominant contributor to global warming potential (GWP₁₀₀), resulting in higher net climate impacts for nanobubbles (2265.34 g CO2-eq/m3) and conventional aeration (1445.10 mg CO2-eq/m3) compared with the control (418.00 CO2-eq/m3).
• Changes in nitrogen dynamics indicated rapid nitrification under aerated conditions, with substantial decreases in ammonium and accumulation of nitrate, suggesting limited denitrification likely due to low organic carbon availability.
• Overall, under this controlled study, air nanobubbles aeration effectively reduced CH4 and NH3 emissions but shifted nitrogen losses toward N2O, resulting in a higher net climate impact. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating dairy manure and wastewater management strategies using full greenhouse gas accounting to avoid unintended tradeoffs.

Carbon footprint and environmental impacts of feeding grape pomace to dairy cows in California. Lucas KRG, Akter A, Duong R, Hess M, Kebreab E. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 8:S0022-0302(26)02915-2.

• Replacing conventional feed ingredients with agro-industrial by-products may reduce the environmental impacts of dairy production systems.
• Therefore, this study evaluated the carbon footprint and selected environmental impacts related to water and soil use and contamination associated with feeding grape pomace to dairy cows.
• The carbon footprint and environmental impacts of feed ingredient production were estimated using life cycle assessment (LCA), whereas enteric methane (CH₄) and manure-related emissions were modeled following Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines.
• The impact categories assessed included global warming potential, water consumption, freshwater ecotoxicity, freshwater eutrophication, land use, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and terrestrial acidification. The system boundary was cradle to farm gate, and the functional unit was 1 kg of energy- and protein-corrected milk (ECM).
• Inventory and production data were obtained from the literature and represent dairy production systems in California, with lactation-phase diet composition, intake, and milk production based primarily on a recent feeding trial by Akter et al. (which was supported by CDRF funding).
• Three dietary scenarios were evaluated: a control diet, a diet containing 10% grape pomace (gp10%), and a diet containing 15% grape pomace (gp15%), expressed on a dry matter basis. Uncertainty analyses were conducted to assess the quality and robustness of inventory data. Enteric CH₄emissions were the largest contributor to total greenhouse gas emissions across all diets, followed by emissions from manure management. However, total emissions decreased with increasing inclusion of grape pomace in the diet.
• Among feed ingredients, corn, hay, almond hulls, canola, and wheat contributed most to the carbon footprint, and partial replacement of these ingredients with grape pomace reduced emissions. The carbon footprint was 1.297, 1.092, and 1.047 kg CO₂e/kg ECM for the control, gp10%, and gp15% diets, corresponding to reductions of 15.8% and 19.3%, respectively.
• Similar reductions were observed for water-related impact categories, ranging from 17.6% to 23.2% for gp10% diets and from 23.8% to 32.6% for gp15% diets. Reductions in soil-related impact categories ranged from 17.3% to 23.8% for gp10% diets and from 22.9% to 34.6% for gp15% diets.
• Uncertainty analyses indicated relatively low variability within chosen data sources. However, temporal uncertainty, geographic extrapolation, and model structure differences may be underestimated by pedigree methods and should be considered when interpreting absolute values.
• Overall, inclusion of grape pomace in dairy cow diets reduced the carbon footprint and environmental impacts related to water and soil without adversely affecting milk production.

Spatially Resolved Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Dairy Products. Pelton REO, Bernal F, Kurt T. Environ Sci Technol. 2026 Jun 18.

• As the world's second-largest milk producer, the U.S. dairy industry aims to achieve net GHG neutrality for all dairy products by 2050. Meeting this target requires understanding emissions across the dairy supply chain, extending beyond farms to include full processing activities.
• While previous Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) evaluated individual products like fluid milk and cheese, no comprehensive cradle-to-processing gate LCA exists for the industry. Moreover, prior LCAs often allocated facility-level emissions across multiple products, overlooking variations in energy and materials among coproducts.
• This study addresses these gaps, quantifying total cradle-to-processing gate emissions, emissions per kilogram of product, and product emissions per kilogram of fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) across 12 regions covering 99.96% of U.S. dairy production.
• In 2020, total emissions were 163.3 million tonnes CO₂e, with raw milk production accounting for an average of 81%. Postfarm gate emissions varied regionally due to differences in product mix, energy use, electricity grid composition, and transportation distances.
• Results identify raw milk production as the largest emissions source across the evaluated uncertainty range, indicating that mitigation will require coordinated action across both farm and processing stages.
• Findings provide critical insights for policymakers and stakeholders to effectively prioritize strategies such as energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy adoption in future sustainability initiatives.

Quantitative analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus in dairy cow slurry based on near-infrared spectroscopy combined with deep learning and characteristic selection algorithm. Zhang Q, Dong G, Ma H, et al. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2026 Jun 19;363(Pt 1):128292.

• Rapid and accurate detection of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in dairy cow slurry is essential for guiding the scientific application of slurry to fields, preventing soil nutrient imbalance and water pollution, and promoting sustainable agricultural development and resource utilization of slurry.
• However, the complex composition and high moisture content of slurry, along with the high dimensionality and nonlinear characteristics of its spectral data, pose challenges to accurate and efficient prediction.
• In this study, near-infrared spectroscopy was combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and deep neural network (DNN) to establish TN and TP prediction models for dairy cow slurry using different spectral preprocessing methods (MSC, SG, and MSC + SG).
• The optimal preprocessing methods for TN and TP were determined according to model performance. Furthermore, uninformative variable elimination (UVE) and bootstrap soft shrinkage (BOSS) were employed to extract characteristic wavelength variables and construct models, and the performances of different models were compared to identify the optimal one.
• Results showed that the DNN model achieved the best performance in TN and TP prediction, with R_p²values of 0.92 and 0.75, and RPD values of 3.49 and 2.01, respectively, significantly outperforming PLSR and XGBoost. When using UVE and BOSS, both methods yielded comparable predictive performance; however, BOSS achieved a higher degree of data compression and modeling efficiency, showing greater potential for practical applications.
• Overall, the BOSS-DNN approach demonstrated remarkable advantages in predicting complex components of dairy slurry and provides a new technical pathway and theoretical foundation for rapid on-site nutrient detection of livestock and poultry slurry.

Boosted Biomass Production of Single and Co-Cultures of Microalgae Grown in Whey Supplemented Media: a Sustainable Approach. Kelarijani ZE, Mousavi ZE, Halim R, et al. Curr Microbiol. 2026 Jun 6;83(7):403.

• Whey is a major by-product of the dairy industry characterized by its high nitrogenous loads and organic content, presenting significant environmental challenges, if it is not valorized properly.
• This study investigates the potential of microalgae single and co-cultures as a sustainable approach for whey valorisation and valuable biomass production.
• Different combinations of four-species-comprising Scenedesmus sp. (SC), Tetradesmus obliquus (TO), Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck (CVB), and Chlorella vulgaris CCAP 211/19 (CV)-were cultivated in casein whey-based media to assess cell proliferation and biomass yield.
• Nitrogen assimilation was also investigated during this study. Results revealed that TO achieved the highest biomass yield (1.3 g/L) in whey medium, while the co-culture of Chlorella vulgaris strains exhibited synergistic growth, outperforming single cultures and the mixed culture of all four species (MIX).
• Flow cytometry showed that the pattern of the cell population of algae for whey containing media was different from those for standard medium (BBM), the cells were larger with reduced chlorophyll content. The highest cell counts were related to TO and the consortium culture (MIX). This observation could be linked to the results obtained by biomass weight, which showed that TO had the highest biomass weight, as this microalgae exhibited larger cells sizes and cell counts.
• Interestingly, nitrogen assimilation studies demonstrated that co-cultures of microalgae enhanced nitrate and ammonia removal, significantly. The removal performance was particularly improved in whey-supplemented media, underscoring the potential of co-cultures for efficient and sustainable nitrogen removal. Up to 99% of protein and 90% of nitrate could be successfully removed from whey solution after three weeks.
• This research emphasizes the dual benefits of microalgae co-cultures in nitrogen removal and simultaneously high-value biomass production using media based on whey. The results of nitrogen assimilation using co-cultures offered an improved sustainable solution to nitrogen removal problem in the food industry.
• The findings provide a foundation for precision consortium design in dairy waste valorization, paving the way for cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions in the dairy industry.

Invited review: Global census on the development and implementation of direct genetic selection for enteric methane emissions in dairy cattle. Richardson CM, Amer PR, Gredler-Grandl B, et al. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 12:S0022-0302(26)02940-1.

• Enteric methane emissions from dairy cattle are a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and a priority target for climate change mitigation. Despite decades of research into nutritional and management interventions, few mitigation options offer reductions at scale.
• While nutritional and management interventions can deliver short-term reductions, genetic selection offers a long-lasting, cumulative, and global mitigation strategy. However, breeding for reduced enteric methane emissions presents scientific, technical, and policy challenges that differ from those associated with conventional production and functional traits.
• This review provides a global census of the current development and implementation of genetic strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions in dairy cattle.
• Information was collated through expert interviews, focus groups, and consultations with academic institutions, breeding organizations, and industry stakeholders from multiple countries. Researchers synthesize global experience in methane phenotyping technologies, proxy traits, trait definitions, and genetic evaluation methodologies, highlighting their relative advantages and limitations across diverse production systems.
• Current approaches to incorporating methane into breeding objectives are reviewed, including direct methane breeding values, residual and intensity-based traits, and greenhouse gas-weighted selection indexes. The review further summarizes emerging international initiatives aimed at harmonizing phenotypes, sharing reference populations, and enabling multi-country genetic evaluations.
• Key constraints limiting wider adoption, such as phenotyping capacity, trait standardization, data sharing, and recognition of genetic gain within emissions accounting frameworks, are identified. Genetic selection for reduced enteric methane emissions is moving from concept to implementation in several countries. However, its global impact will depend on sustained international collaboration, robust validation of methane traits, and alignment between breeding objectives, industry incentives, and climate policy.

Dietary inclusion of Asparagopsis taxiformis significantly reduces methane emissions in dairy cows by mechanistically altering vitamin B12-dependent and other methanogenesis precursor pathways. Lawther K, Dimonaco NJ, Huws SA. Microbiome. 2026 Jun 12.

• Ruminant products are widely consumed due to their high protein and micronutrient content, but ruminant production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, with methane (CH₄) accounting for 33% of anthropogenic emissions. CH₄ is generated via fermentative processes by the rumen microbiome, primarily through hydrogen utilization by methanogenic archaea.
• Feeding beef cattle the red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis (ASP) has been shown to reduce CH₄ emissions by up to 80%. However, the microbial mechanisms underlying this reduction remain poorly understood.
• In this study, Nordic Red dairy cows (122 ± 13.7 days in milk) were fed grass silage and concentrate (60:40 dry matter basis) either with or without 0.5% ASP (organic matter basis) in a Latin square design, and rumen fluid was collected 19 days into each of the 3 experimental periods.
• ASP supplementation reduced CH₄ yield by 54% (g CH₄/kg DM). Metagenomic analysis revealed genes encoding pyruvate and propionate production pathways were more abundant in ASP treated animals, while those associated with acetate and CH₄ were reduced. Additionally, genes encoding vitamin B12 biosynthesis enzymes showed reduced abundances (e.g., adenosylcobinamide-GDP ribazoletransferase, EC 2.7.8.26, -29.92%). Vitamin B12 and its related cofactors are critical for methanogenic methyltransferases and C1 metabolism.
• Dominant taxa including Prevotella and Methanobrevibacter declined, while less abundant taxa increased their contribution to methane-related pathways, indicating niche displacement and community restructuring.
• In conclusion, ASP supplementation modulates the rumen microbiome through mechanisms extending beyond direct methanogen inhibition. The reduced abundance of genes involved in C1 metabolism and vitamin B12-dependent methanogenic processes suggest methane suppression is linked to broader restructuring of microbial metabolic networks.
• The redistribution of methane-related functions from dominant taxa to a wider taxonomic community indicates ecological reorganization and functional resilience of the rumen microbiome. Collectively, these results reveal the multiple modes of action of ASP, establishing its promise as an effective methane mitigation strategy.

 

Animal Health and Food Safety

Regional variation in milk production and lactation curves in response to heat stress in US dairy systems. Ceja G, Spencer J, Daigle CL, et al. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 8:S0022-0302(26)02920-6.

• Global temperatures are projected to increase by 1.5°C within the next 20 years, and these rising temperatures, along with the increasingly erratic weather patterns associated with climate change, pose significant challenges for dairy production systems.
• Changes to environmental conditions push cows beyond their physiological thermoneutral zone, resulting in heat stress conditions that negatively impact reproductive efficiency and milk production performance.
• The objective of this study was to quantify state-level differences in milk yield, milk component yields, and lactation curve characteristics across 8 major US dairy states, and to determine whether temperature-humidity index (THI) category contributed to differences in milk production.
• Milk production records from the Dairy Herd Information Association were obtained for California, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin from January 1-December 31, 2021. Biologically reasonable records (4.54-90.72 kg/d milk yield, DIM <305 d, THI <101, fat 2-6.5%, protein 2.5-4.5%) were retained (n = 1,524,403). Daily ambient temperature and relative humidity were used to calculate THI, and test-day THI was categorized as either NO HS (THI <68), MOD HS (68 ≤ THI <80), or HIGH HS (THI ≥80).
• Data were summarized by state using PROC SUMMARY, and production variability was quantified using the interquartile range. State and THI category effects were evaluated using PROC GLM with significance declared at P ≤ 0.05.
• Daily THI differed marginally among states, and the percentage of days spent in each THI category did not differ significantly by state or THI category. Milk yield differed among states; Michigan (44.1 ± 0.8 kg/d) and Wisconsin (43.0 ± 0.8 kg/d) produced the highest yields, whereas Minnesota had the lowest (34.7 ± 0.8 kg/d).
• Moreover, ECM followed the same pattern. Fat and protein yield also differed significantly among states, and fat yield tended to differ by THI category. Production variability differed by state, and THI category did not affect interquartile range. Lactation curve parameters differed among states for peak milk, rise rate, and decline rate. THI category showed tendencies for differences in curve rise rate and curve decline rate but did not affect predicted peak milk, DIM peak, or persistency.
• Regional differences in milk yield, components, variability, and lactation curve structure were observed. Overall, THI category did not alter peak milk production or persistency, highlighting the importance of regional context when evaluating milk production responses to heat load.

A high-resolution, US-scale digital similar of interacting livestock, wild birds, and human ecosystems for multihost epidemic spread. Adiga A, Chopra A, Marathe MV. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2026 Jun 2;123(22):e2507074123.

• One Health issues, such as the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, present unique challenges at the human-animal-environmental interface. Ongoing H5N1 outbreaks underscore the urgent need for comprehensive modeling efforts that capture the complex interactions between various entities in these interconnected ecosystems.
• To support such efforts, researchers developed a methodology to construct a realistic spatiotemporal gridded digital similar of livestock production and processing, human population, and wild birds for the contiguous United States. It involves multiscale and multisource data fusion and synthesis using statistical and optimization techniques, followed by verification and validation.
• This framework, called FIELD, consists of multiple layers and sublayers. It includes farm-level representations of four major livestock types-cattle, poultry, swine, and sheep-with further categorization into commodities such as dairy cows, beef cows, chickens, and turkeys. Abundance data for relevant wild bird species are included. Gridded distributions of the human population, with demographic and occupational features, capture the agricultural workers and the general population.
• Researchers apply FIELD to evaluate the evolving incidence likelihood risk to dairy and poultry operations and validate these results using historical incidences and phylogenetic analysis. The resulting commodity-specific spatiotemporal risk maps identify high-risk hotspots, enabling prioritization of surveillance efforts.
• While regional infection presence significantly enhances outbreak risk, the models reveal substantial differences in spread dynamics across poultry and dairy cattle. Furthermore, the colocation of these high-risk agricultural areas with dense human populations suggests heightened potential for zoonotic spillover and underscores the need for targeted surveillance in these coupled socioecological systems.

Associations between bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine leukemia virus, and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis exposure on H5N1 clinical signs and shedding in US dairy cows.

Urie N, Stenkamp-Strahm C, Lombard J, et al. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 8:S0022-0302(26)02914-0.

• Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) of the H5N1 subtype was first detected in U.S dairy cattle in March 2024 and subsequently spread throughout the U.S dairy industry. While early research has focused on the epidemiology and detection of H5N1, the influence of concurrent endemic infections, such as bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine leukemia virus (BLV), and Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) on H5N1 disease in dairy cattle has not been evaluated.
• The objective of this observational study using a convenience sample of dairy cattle from H5N1-affected farms was to evaluate exposure to these endemic dairy cattle diseases and their association with H5N1 clinical signs, viral shedding, and antibody production.
• Serum samples, along with cow characteristics and H5N1 clinical status, were collected from a convenience sample of cattle on 11 commercial dairy farms in 3 states (California, Colorado, and Michigan) between April and December 2024. A total of 423 cows were tested for BVDV antigen, 459 for BLV antibodies, 108 for BLV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and 459 for MAP antibodies.
• No cattle tested positive for BVDV antigens but 72.7% of farms (9/11) had cattle that tested positive for MAP antibodies. All farms had cattle test positive for BLV antibodies. Multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression models with farm as a random effect were used to identify predictors of H5N1 clinical status, shedding, combined clinical and shedding status, and antibody status. Potential confounders including pregnancy status, lactation number, and days in milk were evaluated in the modeling process.
• MAP- antibody positive cows had 2.66 (95% CI: 1.12-6.29) times higher odds of being clinical and 2.21 (95% CI: 1.05-4.67) times higher odds of shedding H5N1. Although no comorbidities were in the final shedding and clinical model, pregnant cows were 2.21 (95% CI: 1.11-4.39) times more likely to be shedding and clinical compared with nonpregnant cows.
• Regarding H5N1 serum antibody modeling, cows in their 4th+ lactation were 2.83 (95% CI: 1.43-5.63) times more likely to have antibodies against H5N1 compared with cows in their second lactation.
• Interpretation of these findings should consider that sampling occurred during an active outbreak and relied on convenience sampling and producer reported clinical status. Nonetheless, these results suggest that MAP exposure and pregnancy status are associated with clinical signs and potential shedding of H5N1 in dairy cattle and should be considered in future control strategies.

Antimicrobial use contributes to resistance gene enrichment across cattle groups on commercial dairy farms. Steinberger AJ, Nickodem CA, Hite JL, et al. bioRxiv. 2026:2026.05.22.726633.

• Antimicrobial use (AMU) in agricultural systems is frequently linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Yet, the scale at which AMU reshapes host-associated resistomes remains unclear.
• This gap arises, in part, from the scarcity of farm-level AMU data from commercial production systems. Here, we combine detailed AMU records from commercial dairy farms with metagenomic analyses of bovine fecal resistomes from calves, lactating cows, sick cows, and cull cows.
• At a broad level, resistome profiles were similar regardless of farm AMU. Resistance associated with historically common antibiotics, such as tetracyclines, was frequent on low- and high-AMU farms, indicating that some resistance classes are ubiquitous in dairy systems regardless of current AMU. In contrast, resistance to other drug classes varied systematically with AMU.
• Higher AMU was associated with increased resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, and macrolides, drug classes that are critical for treating mastitis and bovine respiratory disease. Resistance gene richness and diversity were highest in calves, underscoring the importance of accounting for host traits alongside AMU when evaluating resistance patterns.
• Together, these findings underscore the need for detailed, farm-level AMU data to understand how management practices shape AMR and to inform strategies for sustaining the effectiveness of existing antimicrobials in agricultural and public-health contexts.

Immune-Adaptive Transcriptomic Networks Supporting Sustained Milk Production and Reproductive Longevity in Dairy Cows. An Z, Jiang Y, Shen Y, et al. FASEB J. 2026 Jun 15;40(11):e71974.

• In modern dairy systems, sustained milk production over the lifetime of a cow depends critically on maintaining reproductive efficiency across repeated lactation cycles. However, repeated lactation and advancing parity impose cumulative metabolic and inflammatory stress that often compromises fertility and shortens productive lifespan.
• Increasing evidence suggests that immune dysregulation contributes to parity-associated reproductive decline, raising the possibility that sustained milk production requires adaptive immune regulation.
• Researchers hypothesized that cows achieving reproductive longevity exhibit parity-dependent immune remodeling that supports continued reproductive function and extended milk production.
• To test this hypothesis, researchers profiled blood transcriptomes from 131 Holstein cows spanning parities 1-9. Analysis of 17,422 expressed genes identified six distinct parity-associated expression trajectories, revealing coordinated transcriptomic remodeling with increasing reproductive history.
• Differential expression analysis identified 1,405 parity-associated genes enriched in immune- and stress-related pathways, including MAPK and Rap1 signaling. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis further identified immune-regulatory modules strongly correlated with parity and key reproductive indicators, suggesting a central role of immune adaptation in sustaining reproductive efficiency.
• Machine learning analysis of 256 genes in significantly enriched pathways with P-adjusted < 0.05 prioritized PDE4C, APLN, and CDH15 as potential key predictors of reproductive persistence. Integration with co-expression networks demonstrated that these genes may function as highly connected hub nodes within immune- and stress-responsive modules.
• Collectively, these results indicate that coordinated immune signaling networks are associated with reproductive persistence and thereby contribute to extended milk production in dairy cows. This study provides molecular insight into the immune mechanisms underlying productive longevity and identifies candidate biomarkers with potential applications in genomic selection and precision herd management.

Season of birth shapes prenatal tissue development and early postnatal growth in calves, with secondary modulation by colostral fat. von Riedheim MAE, Erkinger H, Gross JJ. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 30:S0022-0302(26)03052-3.

• Limited knowledge exists regarding how seasonal environmental conditions and early colostral energy supply interact to shape neonatal morphometric and tissue development in calves. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of season and colostral fat intake on morphometric development and tissue accretion during the first 21 d of life. Twenty-four neonatal calves (Holstein and Holstein × Limousin) born in summer or winter were assigned to receive either full-fat or low-fat colostrum during the first 2 feedings at 4 and 12 h postpartum (p.p.) followed by transition milk with corresponding differences in fat concentration until d 3. Thereafter, all calves were fed identically until d 21 p.p. Repeated measurements included BW, morphometric measurements (wither height, body length, heart girth), longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) thickness, subcutaneous fat depots [backfat thickness, (BFT); gluteal fat thickness, (GFT)], and skinfold thickness. At birth, winter-born calves exhibited greater LDM, BFT, and skinfold thickness compared with summer-born calves (P < 0.01). Across the postnatal period, season of birth explained the largest proportion of variation in growth responses. Summer-born calves demonstrated greater gains in BW, skeletal dimensions, LDM thickness, and BFT (P ≤ 0.05), whereas winter-born calves exhibited attenuated growth responses despite receiving identical nutrition after the early colostrum and transition milk phase (P ≤ 0.05). Colostral fat intake exerted a secondary, modulatory effect on postnatal development, with low-fat colostrum during winter associated with differences in selected outcomes, including gluteal fat thickness and body length (P < 0.05), whereas no effect on LDM thickness was observed. Seasonal environmental conditions consistently influenced multiple growth-related variables and thus appear to be the primary determinant of early postnatal growth divergence in neonatal calves, likely through altered maintenance energy demand, whereas colostral fat intake affected only selected outcomes (e.g., gluteal fat thickness and body length) and therefore appears to modulate tissue accretion within this energetic framework.

Effect of dairy calf rearing systems on affective states. Suchon M, Weary DM, von Keyserlingk MAG. Discov Anim. 2026;3(1):56.

• Dairy calves are typically reared in environments that differ greatly from naturalistic conditions: separated from their dam after birth, housed without peer contact, and unable to graze or have outdoor access. An improved understanding of the effect of the farming environment on calves' affective states may help refine management practices to improve dairy calf welfare.
• In this narrative review, we examine how characteristics of dairy calf rearing systems relate to both short- and long-term affective states.
• Affective states are commonly inferred from behavioral proxy measures (e.g., changes in time budgets, play, etc.) or conditioned responses to affective-state paradigms. Researchers categorized environmental elements through physical, social, and temporal components and discuss the current knowledge on their effects on indicators of affective states.
• Consistent evidence supports that physical features such as adequate milk allowance, different sources of solid food (e.g., concentrate and forage), soft and dry lying surfaces; and a social environment allowing full contact with conspecifics appear important for promoting positive affective states and reducing negative ones in dairy calves.
• Although the temporal characteristics of environmental features remain comparatively underexplored, available evidence suggests factors such as timing, predictability, and control can modulate how physical and social components are experienced.
• Overall, knowledge regarding longer-lasting mood states in dairy calves remains limited. Addressing these gaps through future research could help refine rearing practices that support not only the reduction of negative states, but also the promotion of positive welfare in dairy calves.

Perspective: Understanding raw milk quality and processing-Optimizing the dairy value chain from production through processing. Martin N, Ruegg PL. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 12:S0022-0302(26)02934-6.

• Meeting evolving consumer demands is fundamental to growing a healthy dairy sector. A visit to your local grocery store will give you major insight on the leading trends in dairy - consumers want more protein and less sugar. Products with more than 20 g of protein per serving, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and ready-to-drink beverages, are easy to find.
• A few years ago, consumers who were tracking their protein intake were primarily athletes, but today, over 60% of consumers are focused on increasing their daily protein intake.
• Further, when consumers were asked in a recent survey what qualities they use to define "healthy" food, the top answer was "good source of protein" chosen by nearly 40% of respondents, "fresh" coming in second (36% of respondents), and "low in sugar" in third (34% of respondents).
• These top 3 qualities have remained consistent over the last 3 years, although their relative placement in the ranking has fluctuated. Notably, 28% of consumers indicated that "minimal or no processing" was a quality of healthy food, up 8% from 2022, while "low in total fat" dropped 5% in the ranking to just 17% of consumers indicating that this was a quality of healthy food.

Nutrition and Health

Dairy Products Are Not Adversely Associated with Depressive Symptoms over 6 Years in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Bodenrader A, Sotres-Alvarez D, Bigornia SJ. Nutrients. 2026 Jun 3;18(11):1805.

• Background/Objectives: Current evidence suggests that Hispanic/Latino adults experience a disproportionate burden of depression. Dairy consumption has been associated with fewer depressive symptoms, but examinations in Hispanic/Latino cohorts are unavailable.
• The study’s objective was to measure the 6-year prospective associations between dairy consumption and depressive symptoms among Hispanic/Latino adults.
• The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is a prospective population-based cohort study of 16,415 Hispanic/Latino adults residing in the US. Researchers estimated daily dairy product consumption from two 24 h baseline dietary recalls using the National Cancer Institute method.
• The 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD10) administered at baseline and follow-up assessed depressive symptoms. Survey multiple linear regression models adjusted for baseline CESD10 and other covariates, including sociodemographic, dietary and health factors.
• Complete data were available among 10,618 participants. Neither baseline total dairy consumption, nor milk, cheese, or cream consumption was significantly associated with the follow-up CESD10 score.
• Conversely, researchers observed a significant and inverse association between yogurt (p= 0.002) and butter (p = 0.027) with the CESD10 score.
• In conclusion, total dairy, fat-based dairy groupings, milk, cheese, and cream were not associated with CESD10 score at 6-year follow-up; yogurt and butter showed inverse associations that require cautious interpretation due to very small effect sizes.
• Although additional prospective analyses in other diverse cohorts are needed to confirm these results, our findings suggest that dairy consumption is not adversely associated with depressive symptoms in Hispanic/Latino adults.

Effect of Ultra-Processed Foods Consumption on Human Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Rodriguez-Hilarion JA, Ramos-Castaneda JA, Duran Aguero S, Sanchez Camargo CL. Nutr Rev. 2026 Jun 5:nuag076.

• Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations with high levels of sugar, saturated fats, and other ingredients that generate multiple negative effects on human health.
• The objective of the study was to summarize all the available evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the association between the consumption of UPFs and human health outcomes.
• This is an umbrella review of the evidence on the effect of UPF consumption, under the definition of the NOVA classification, on human health outcomes. The quality assessment was conducted by 2 investigators working independently. Twenty-six studies were included (n = 11 systematic reviews and 15 meta-analyses).
• An association between high amounts of UPF consumption and increased risk of higher adiposity parameters, body fat, respiratory diseases, and obesity was found in children and adolescents.
• A higher risk of all-cause mortality; type 2 diabetes mellitus; mental and sleep disorders; cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and digestive diseases; as well as all types of cancer in both sexes was found for adults, including colorectal and prostate cancer in men, and breast cancer in women.
• However, limited inverse associations were identified: higher amounts of consumption of certain cereals and dairy foods was associated with a decreased risk of specific outcomes such as hypertension, adiposity parameters, body fat and weight, and lipid profile.
• In conclusion, UPF consumption is mainly associated with considerable health outcomes, particularly a higher risk of chronic noncommunicable diseases, all-cause mortality, and mental disorders. However, the strength of this evidence is heterogeneous, so caution should be exercised regarding the implications it has for the accuracy and interpretation of the results.

Causal effects of 32 eating habits on ischemic stroke risk and post-stroke functional outcome: A Mendelian randomization study. Xu X, Zang X, Chen F, et al. J Int Med Res. 2026. Jun;54(6):3000605261452935.

• Ischemic stroke remains the leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide, accounting for 62.4% of all stroke events in 2019. Its underlying pathophysiology is complex and remains incompletely understood, posing significant challenges for treatment. Alongside established risk factors such as hypertension and smoking, eating habits are increasingly recognized as important modifiable contributors to stroke risk.
• The objective of the study was to assess the causal effects of specific eating habits on ischemic stroke risk and functional outcomes using Mendelian randomization.
• This two-sample Mendelian randomization study used genetic variants associated with 32 eating habits as instrumental variables. Summary-level data were obtained from large-scale genome-wide association studies of individuals of European ancestry.
• After multiple-testing correction, genetically predicted higher intake of cheese (odds ratio = 0.70), dried fruit (odds ratio = 0.57), and muesli (odds ratio = 0.20) showed potential protective associations with ischemic stroke risk.
• Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the findings, and multivariable Mendelian randomization indicated that the effects of cheese and muesli remained significant after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. No causal associations were observed for post-stroke recovery.
• In conclusion, this study provides genetically derived causal evidence suggesting that higher consumption of cheese, dried fruit, and muesli may reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. Further studies are warranted to validate these food-specific dietary recommendations.

Functional fermented dairy products: a review of mechanisms, health potential, and technological challenges. Arslan BN, Döndaş NY, Ozogul F, et al. Front Nutr. 2026;13:1779688.

• Fermented dairy products such as yogurt, kefir and cheese are increasingly recognized as functional foods due to the metabolic activity of lactic acid bacteria and the associated microbial communities, including probiotics.
• During dairy fermentation, these microorganisms generate bioactive compounds, such as bioactive peptides, exopolysaccharides, organic acids and other metabolites, which may contribute to host health.
• There is emerging evidence that fermented dairy products can influence gastrointestinal function, immune regulation, metabolic health and cardiovascular risk, via mechanisms involving modulation of the gut microbiota, stabilization of the epithelial barrier and inflammatory signaling pathways.
• In addition, fermentation may improve lactose digestion, enhance nutrient bioavailability, and generate peptides with anti-hypertensive or antioxidant properties. However, translating these results into consistent health benefits is challenging due to the significant variability in microbial strains, product composition, processing conditions and dosage.
• Safety considerations such as biogenic amines, sodium content, allergenicity and antimicrobial resistance also require careful monitoring.
• Future progress in this field will depend on improved product characterization, strain-level identification and well-designed human intervention studies that integrate multi-omics approaches.
• In conclusion, fermented dairy products show great potential as a source of bioactive compounds, but more robust clinical evidence and standardized methodologies are required to firmly establish their role in promoting human health.

Dairy Bioactive Compounds as Precision Modulators of Gut Microbiota: From Molecular Mechanisms to Personalized Immunometabolic Health. Alhaj OA, Elsahoryi NA, Jahrami HA. Foods. 2026 Jun 4;15(11):2024.

• The gut microbiota (GM) has become a key mediator of host health, with dietary manipulations promising ways of modulating the microbiome.
• This review focuses on the role of dairy bioactive (DB) compounds as precision modulators of intestinal microecology, including the whey proteins (WPs), including lactoferrin (LF), α-lactalbumin (LA), β-lactoglobulin, lysozyme (LZ), lactoperoxidase, glycomacropeptide (GMP), milk oligosaccharides (MOs), and bioactive peptides (BPs).
• This review compiles the existing evidence illustrating their dual-action mechanism through direct prebiotic activity and the promotion of beneficial taxa (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium), along with selective antimicrobial activity and pathogen suppression. These compounds improve intestinal barrier integrity through tight junction (TJ) protein regulation, regulating short-chain fatty acid production, and modulating immune signaling pathways.
• Clinical evidence shows significant benefits in metabolism and inflammation among various populations. However, individual responses vary according to host factors such as enterotypes, FUT2 genotype, and baseline microbiota composition, suggesting the need for personalized intervention strategies.
• This review addresses critical knowledge gaps in dose-response relationships, long-term efficacy, and mechanistic pathways and suggests future directions for precision nutrition. By modifying molecular mechanisms in clinical applications, researchers have identified DB compounds as promising candidates for targeted modulation of the microbiota to optimize health and disease management.
• The review also brings together molecular mechanistic and clinically implementable, personalized dietary strategies, which have not been fully captured by previous reviews. It pinpoints gaps in knowledge related to dose-response characterization, long-term trial design, and multi-omics stratification that collectively define a new precision nutrition framework. In this approach, dairy-based intervention is planned for each person based on their microbial, genetic, and metabolic characteristics.

The milk fat globule membrane increases bacterial serotonin and exopolysaccharide production for maintenance of intestinal cell differentiation. Miller C, Jiménez-Flores R.J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 30:S0022-0302(26)03040-7.

• Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is primarily produced in the gut and is produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). It plays a crucial role in regulating mood and mental health disorders via the gut-brain axis using the enteric nervous system. Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are complex metabolic end products of probiotic LAB that contribute to health-promoting activities in the intestine. Interactions between LAB and components in the food matrix, such as the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), may alter the production of serotonin and EPS in the gastrointestinal tract. The objectives of this work were to determine if supplementing LAB growth medium with MFGM increases serotonin and EPS production and to uncover the impact of the bacterial secretome on intestinal cell differentiation. We screened 137 strains of LAB for serotonin production, and the top 10 highest producing strains received supplementation with MFGM, and their growth curves were measured spectrophotometrically. Samples were collected during the growth, early stationary, and late stationary phases. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) samples were evaluated for serotonin as well as EPS. These CFS were used to treat Caco-2 intestinal cell lines for 6 h on d 0 and 7 of confluency. From Caco-2 cells, RNA was extracted with TRIzol and used for RT-qPCR analysis of occludin tight junction protein expression. Protein was extracted using RIPA lysis buffer and used for detection of alkaline phosphatase using an analysis kit and for sucrase-isomaltase and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 using antibody detection with slot blot. The results of this project demonstrate that MFGM tended to increase the production of serotonin and significantly increase EPS production from select LAB strains during the later stages of growth. We further observed that upon the presence of low concentrations of the metabolites in the secretome of some strains, there was a significant increase in the expression of occluding from Caco-2 cells. These results indicate that there is a high potential of the use of MFGM for intestinal health such as prevention of 'leaky gut syndrome' and warrants further research on this subject.

Whey Proteins and Immunity: Mechanisms Underlying Immune System Reinforcement and Protection Against Viral and Bacterial Infections. Lesgards JF. Nutrients. 2026;18(11):1770.

• This review aims to examine the immunological, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial activities of key whey and milk proteins, specifically lactoferrin, glycomacropeptide, β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin and their derived peptides, particularly lactoferricin and lactoferrampin, highlighting their potential as preventive or therapeutic agents.
• Whey and dairy products represent complex biological matrices that, beyond their high nutritional value, serve as reservoirs of bioactive proteins and peptides with documented health-promoting properties. It has been reported that certain whey proteins (WPs) and whey-derived peptides may contribute to improvements in both innate and adaptive immunity, exert direct antiviral and antibacterial effects while also modulating host defenses through immunoregulatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities.
• These mechanisms contribute not only to enhanced resistance against viral pathogens but also to maintaining intestinal homeostasis and microbiota balance, both of which are critical during infection. In recent years, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, natural bioactive compounds derived from whey, and, more broadly, milk, have attracted increasing attention as potential adjuncts or alternatives to conventional antivirals, with reported activity not only against SARS-CoV-2, influenza but also other viral and microbial infections.
• Despite encouraging in vitro and in vivo evidence, clinical validation remains limited, and the antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of WPs still require deeper mechanistic clarification. Future research should focus on identifying molecular targets, as well as characterizing the pharmacokinetics and safety profiles of WPs and WP peptides across diverse clinical settings. At the same time, attention should be given to optimizing their application as nutraceuticals or functional dairy ingredients.

Dairy Processing and Breast Cancer: A Hypothesis-Generating Framework Linking Bioactive Lipid Derivatives to Epidemiological Heterogeneity. Ayadi S, Buñay J, Poirot M, et al. Adv Nutr. 2026 Jun 15:100682.

• The relationship between dairy consumption and breast cancer risk remains complex and heterogeneous, with epidemiological studies reporting divergent associations depending on the type of dairy product and its degree of processing. While nutritional composition has traditionally been considered the main explanatory factor, emerging evidence suggests that technological processing may also influence the biological properties of dairy foods.
• In this narrative review, we propose a hypothesis-generating framework integrating epidemiological findings with experimental data on lipid oxidation and sterol-derived metabolites generated during dairy processing.
• In particular, cholesterol oxidation products and other bioactive lipid derivatives have been shown in experimental models to modulate pathways involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormone signaling. However, direct evidence linking dietary exposure to these compounds and breast cancer risk in humans remains limited.
• Recent research highlights that food processing may generate a wide range of bioactive molecules beyond conventional nutrients, some of which may act at low concentrations and influence key regulatory pathways. These include both potentially deleterious and protective sterol-derived metabolites, whose balance may be affected by technological processing. Identifying such compounds, quantifying their dietary exposure, and understanding their biological effects represent important challenges for future research.
• While current evidence remains insufficient to establish causal relationships, this framework supports the hypothesis that processing-related molecular changes may contribute to the heterogeneity observed in epidemiological studies.

Innovation, Social Science, and Dairy Alternatives

AI-Enabled Next-Generation Dairy Systems: From Sensors to Smart Processing. Erol Z, Rugji J, Hamadani A, Hamadani H. Food Sci Nutr. 2026;14(6):e71953.

• The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into dairy systems has been widely promoted under the Dairy 4.0 paradigm, yet its role as a true system-level "game changer" remains insufficiently substantiated.
• This study presents a structured critical review of AI-enabled technologies across the dairy value chain, encompassing precision livestock farming, in-line milk quality sensing, smart processing, and advanced ingredient development.
• A transparent literature search and selection strategy was applied to identify and evaluate relevant studies, with emphasis on reported performance metrics, validation conditions, and real-world applicability.
• The analysis reveals that while AI demonstrates strong technical capability, particularly in milk quality prediction, sensor-based monitoring, and process optimization, most evidence is derived from controlled laboratory settings, with limited validation under heterogeneous farm and industrial conditions.
• Key limitations include challenges in model generalizability, data integration, calibration stability, and interoperability with existing infrastructure. Moreover, economic feasibility, scalability across production systems, and governance issues related to data ownership and accountability remain insufficiently addressed.
• Across the reviewed domains, the impact of AI is found to be conditional rather than inherently transformative. Technologies deliver measurable benefits primarily when embedded within sensor-rich, interoperable systems that directly inform operational decision-making.
• In contrast, standalone AI applications often function as analytical tools without inducing system-level change. The review further highlights discrepancies between technological potential and demonstrated outcomes, particularly in sustainability performance and industrial-scale implementation.
• Overall, AI should be conceptualized not as an autonomous disruptive force but as a system-level enabler, whose effectiveness depends on complementary advances in sensing, infrastructure, data governance, and workforce capability.
• Future research should prioritize field validation, economic assessment, and integration frameworks to bridge the gap between experimental performance and practical deployment, thereby enabling more realistic evaluation of AI's transformative potential in dairy systems.

Introducing the Farm Energy Analysis with Anaerobic Digestion (FEAAD) tool: Insights into farm-level energy, economic, and environmental analysis with comparative case studies. Rahic E, Fathel S, Jordahl J, Costello C. J Environ Manage. 2026 Jun 15;410:130089.

• Agriculture faces increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage nutrients sustainably. On-farm anaerobic digestion offers an option to generate revenue, improve circularity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but its success depends on the complex interactions between the cropping, livestock, and energy systems.
• This paper introduces the Farm Energy Analysis with Anaerobic Digestion (FEAAD) tool, an open-source, spreadsheet-based model designed to provide an evaluation of integrated farm management systems and scenarios.
• FEAAD provides users with an analysis of the farm-level life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) cycling, energy balances, and economic returns specific to Pennsylvania and Iowa agronomic conditions.
• Researchers demonstrate the capabilities of the tool through two comparative case studies: a Pennsylvania dairy and an Iowa beef farm, both containing OFAD systems with different end-use cases. In both scenarios, anaerobic digestion transformed the farms from net energy consumers to producers and reduced farm-level global warming potential by 28 - 60%.
• However, the analysis revealed important trade-offs. For example, while co-digestion with food waste or herbaceous feedstocks can increase energy production, it may also exacerbate nutrient accumulation and methane emissions from digestate storage.
• Understanding these relationships and trade-offs is crucial for developing sustainable agricultural systems. FEAAD provides a useful decision-support framework for researchers, farmers, and other stakeholders to analyze and better understand these trade-offs.

The effect of environmental concern on consumers' preferences for carbon-neutral-labeled dairy: Evidence from China. Liu Q, Li S, Ren Y, Loy JP. J Environ Manage. 2026 Jun 22;412:130277.

• Environmental concern is recognized as a primary determinant of preferences for carbon-labeled foods. However, empirical evidence on the mechanisms through which environmental concern shapes Chinese consumers' preferences for carbon-labeled foods remains limited.
• Based on data from online surveys and laboratory experiments, this study uses milk and yogurt as representative categories to assess consumers' preferences for carbon-neutral-labeled dairy products. It further investigates the effect of environmental concern on consumers' preferences, explores the underlying mechanisms, and examines the heterogeneity of these effects across gender, income, education, and region.
• The results indicate that consumers exhibit positive preferences for carbon-neutral-labeled milk and yogurt. Environmental concern significantly increases these preferences, and the effect is stronger among high-income, highly educated consumers and those in eastern China.
• Regarding the underlying mechanisms, environmental concern enhances consumers' preferences for carbon-neutral-labeled dairy products by improving their cognition of such labels and increasing visual attention to them. These findings highlight the importance of fostering stronger environmental concern to increase consumers' preferences for carbon-neutral-labeled foods and promote sustainable food consumption.

Invited review: Valorization of dairy permeates-Balancing value creation with commercial feasibility. Zhou B, Clark S, Kapoor R. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 12:S0022-0302(26)02945-0.

• As high-volume, low-cost coproducts of processing, dairy permeates have drawn increasing attention due to utilization challenges and potential for value creation. Rich in lactose, minerals, and residual nutrients, permeates support diverse conversion pathways across food, bioactives, fuel, chemicals and materials applications.
• This review synthesizes recent advances in technologies that convert permeates into value-added ingredients and industrial products, with emphasis on scalability, economic viability and compatibility with existing dairy infrastructure to support commercial relevance.
• Pathway feasibility depends on the alignment of conversion efficiency, downstream recovery requirements and process integration with existing manufacturing systems. By consolidating findings from established and emerging applications, this review highlights commercial progress while identifying key technical and economic constraints that influence technology readiness and value return.
• These insights aim to guide continued research, scale-up validation, and strategic innovation in value-added utilization of dairy permeate.

Circular and athermal atmospheric CO₂ capture by food waste-derived amyloid sorbents. Dong Z, Dai M, Mezzenga R, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Jun 16;123(24):e2535689123.

• Food waste contributes substantially to global CO₂emissions, yet it also offers underutilized opportunities for climate change mitigation within and beyond the food system. Direct air capture technologies can help offset these emissions, but most current sorbents are synthetic, energy-intensive, and poorly aligned with circular-economy principles, while bio-based alternatives typically feature low CO₂ capacity and poor stability.
• Here, researchers upcycle proteins recovered from dairy and tofu waste streams into functional amyloid fibril microbeads for ambient CO₂
• Atomic-level design and templated molding enable lysine and glutamine residues within the fibrils, along with hydroxyl groups introduced by mild KOH treatment, to form abundant active sites for CO₂capture, achieving up to 2.20 mmol g^-1 under ambient air, and 2.51 mmol g^-1 under simulated air (oxygen-free).
• The microbeads are regenerated within 10 to 12 min via alternating dilute acid-alkali mist without any thermal input and remain stable over 30 cycles. Life cycle assessment, ranking efficiency product, and techno-economic analysis reveal superior sustainability and cost efficiency compared with conventional sorbents, validating a circular economy approach that upcycles food waste into CO₂sorbents, which can, if needed, ultimately be reintegrated into the food system.

Comprehensive evaluation of D-allulose on the quality, flavor profile, and probiotic viability in Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG fermented milk. Guo X, Chen J, Fu Y, et al. J Dairy Sci. 2026 Jun 30:S0022-0302(26)03041-9

• D-Allulose has emerged as a promising sucrose substitute, yet its impact on the quality of probiotic fermented milk is not well understood. This study evaluated the effects of D-allulose on the viability, physicochemical properties, texture, stability, sensory quality, and volatile profile of fermented milk produced with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Streptococcus thermophilus. D-Allulose was incorporated at levels of 0-10%. With this range, D-allulose maintained the viability of both strains in fermented milk. Among the tested treatments, moderate supplementation, particularly at 3%, was associated with the greatest acidification, favorable textural properties, and the highest overall sensory acceptability. Volatile analysis further indicated that replacing sucrose with D-allulose reshaped the aroma profile, reducing the contribution of some fruity and green-related odorants while enhancing buttery and creamy aroma-associated ketones in the moderately supplemented samples. Overall, these findings indicate that moderate D-allulose supplementation, especially at 3%, may improve the overall quality of probiotic fermented milk and support its potential application as a sucrose alternative in lower-calorie fermented milk products.

Ultrasound processing induces mild protein oxidation and significant changes in physicochemical properties of milk proteins. Bhavya ML, Bayati M, Poojary MM, Tiwari BK. Food Chem. 2026 Jun 4;521:149898.

• Ultrasound (US) processing is a promising food technology to improve protein solubility, reduce particle size, and modify functional properties. However, concerns exist regarding US-induced protein oxidation due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation during treatment.
• This study evaluated the effects of US on physicochemical properties and oxidative modifications in raw milk (RM), skim milk powder (SMP), and milk protein concentrate (MPC).
• US treatment significantly reduced apparent viscosity and particle size, especially in MPC. Solubility decreased in RM but increased in MPC, with no major changes observed in SMP.
• LC-Orbitrap-MS/MS analysis revealed low levels (μg/g range) of aromatic amino acid-derived oxidation products, including kynurenine, o-tyrosine, m-tyrosine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, and 5-hydroxytryptophan. UHPLC-based amino acid analysis showed minimal alterations in overall amino acid composition.
• These results indicate that while US processing substantially modifies the physicochemical properties of milk proteins, it induces only minor oxidative changes, with minor effects on amino acid stability.

Review: fungal feed additives for dairy cattle: fermented fad or filamentous fortune? Yerby S, Warren H, Jonsson NN. J Dairy Res. 2026 Jun 15:1-14.

• Fungal feed additives offer a potential avenue to enhance dairy cattle health and productivity.
• This narrative review examines and consolidates literature investigating the effects of products containing, or derived from, anaerobic fungi (AF), obligately aerobic filamentous fungi and yeasts.
• There is a sparsity of research investigating supplemental AF in cattle, but existing literature demonstrates that AF can consistently increase the digestibility of feeds. Anaerobic fungal additives are limited by their oxygen vulnerability, although characterization of the resting stage of their lifecycle would aid in the development of products which could be used on farm.
• The majority of research investigating aerobic fungi in dairy cattle is based upon their fermentation products. These products often enhance digestibility variables in cattle, which sometimes benefits growth and production. Inconsistent responses, which are attributed to heterogenous product composition and rumen stability, hinder the industry utility of these additives, and further research is required to define the conditions required for efficacy.
• A large body of research exists examining the effects of active yeast and yeast derivatives in mature cattle and calves. In-depth examination of this research is beyond the scope of this review, but substantial evidence suggests that supplementing dairy cattle with yeast can be advantageous for gut health and development, production and stress tolerance.
• This review highlights the pathways through which exogenous fungi can enhance dairy production, and that further research is required to define the causes of inconsistent responses from treatments. This will increase the value of fungal additives to the dairy sector.

Dairy Worker Infection Prevention Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors. Rejto N, Meisner J, Ramirez V, Fenelon H, Rabinowitz P. J Agromedicine. 2026 Jun 12:1-8.

• Recent outbreaks of infectious diseases on dairy farms, with workers becoming ill, have focused attention on the potential for zoonotic disease transmission of pathogens between animals and humans in dairy production.
• While many dairy farms have a biosecurity plan and protocols in place to reduce the possibility of cow-cow transmission of pathogens such as foot-and-mouth disease, previous surveys have indicated that few farms have organized ongoing infection‑prevention programs to prevent the spread of infection to workers.
• The purpose of the current study is to describe knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding infection control and prevention by job tasks among dairy workers and to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection prevention behaviors.
• Study findings can inform research aimed at implementing sustainable infection control and prevention strategies on dairy farms.
• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline survey data from an observational study of dairy workers that began in 2017, with enrollment continuing through 2022.
• The survey questions included self-reported job tasks as well as reported use of preventive measures such as hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) on dairy farms. Researchers calculated proportions of reported behaviors for different job tasks such as milking or herd health.
• The study showed that a low level of concern about getting disease from animals or giving disease to animals was associated with lower odds of handwashing after glove use. Frequency of self-reported PPE use varied by task. Proportions of self-reported measures of handwashing were 20% or higher among participants whose data collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to participants whose data collection occurred before COVID-19.
• Efforts to increase infection prevention and control on dairy farms need to address workers' perceptions about the risk of pathogen transmission between workers and cows, since this appears to affect both PPE use and handwashing frequency.