Milk and Montasio-type cheese fatty acid composition from cows grazing on timothy and reed canarygrass pasture or fed indoor

The objective of this study was to compare the fatty acid (FA) profile of cheese and milk produced from cows grazing on timothy and reed canarygrass pasture or fed indoor. Twenty multiparous dairy cows were selected from a single farm in Pyeongchang (South Korea) and assigned to two experimental groups (TMR and PAST). TMR was kept indoor and fed with a total mixed ration, while PAST was maintained on timothy and reed canarygrass (70%–30%) pasture for 5 months (beginning of June–end of October). At approximately 6‐day interval during this period, Montasio‐type cheeses were produced for each experimental group, and at the same day, bulk milk for each group was collected. Chemical composition and FA profile of cheeses and milk and the texture of cheeses were carried out. The diet affected milk fat content, which was higher in PAST than in TMR (p < 0.05). The pasture feeding increased C18:0 (p < 0.01), C18:1n‐9cis (p < 0.01), C18:3n‐3 (p < 0.05), monounsaturated FA (p < 0.05) and n‐3 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA, p < 0.05), and reduced C12:0 (p < 0.01), C16:0 (p < 0.01), C18:2n‐6cis (p < 0.05), C20:3n‐6 (p < 0.05), saturated FA (p < 0.05) and n‐6:n‐3 PUFA ratio (p < 0.01) of both milk and cheese compared with those of TMR. From FA composition point of view, pasture‐based feeding system increased the healthiness of dairy products.