Using Elemental Iodine Vapor Bubbles in a Liquid Medium to Inactivate Mastitis and Environmental Pathogens in the Dairy Environment

Worldwide, there is ever increasing demand for quality milk products and its consumption crosses all nationalities and socio-economic classes. Milk is the cornerstone of a balanced diet and is consumed abundantly in both developed and developing countries providing a source of nutrients in a vehicle that is easily consumed. Additionally, in the United States, hundreds of thousands of jobs are created through milking, processing and distribution, both for domestic and international sales, creating a $30 billion dollar a year industry. Safe, desirable milk is at the core of this industry.Mastitisis the persistent, inflammatoryreaction of the udder to an irritant, which is many times caused by teat bacterial contamination.It affects milk production, causes milk to be unsuitable for consumption or export and is potentially fatal. It is the most common and costly disease in the dairy industry both in the United States and worldwide and accounts for a significant loss of milk. The treatment protocols currently used may render milk unsuitable through high antmicrobial or antibiotic residue. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations predicts that there needs to be a doubling of the global food production by 2050 to satisfy the increasing population. Milk represents a vital nutrient source and maintaining chemically and biologically safe milk in the face of ever increasing demand will be difficult. With milk production an integral part of the world & #39;s food supply, it is apparent that control of Mastitis and environmental bacterial contamination demands innovative methods to stem or reduce the loss of cows, milk and associated products.Working in conjunction with the clinicians and researchers at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, a premier Mastitis research facility, I2 Air Fluid Innovations will evaluate the effects that I2infusion has on reducing microbes on cow teats and in fluids. I2infusion is the introduction of low dose iodine vapor, as a bubble, into a fluid to inactivate microbes. Although iodine is a well accepted antimicrobial for dairy applications, it has never been used in this manner. We will use approved and conventional methods to determine the protocol & #39;s efficacy using conditions similar to those found on both industrial and rural farms. We will determine if I2 infusion improves current disinfectant techniques and minimizes antimicrobial residues thus reducing the occurances of Mastitis whileproviding more desirable milk. Blending varied commercially available disinfectants with I2 infusion may improve their efficacy thus providing a new weapon for use against resistant microbes. The Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS) at Cornell University, with whom we will becollaborating, is a significant source for Mastitis research and information. This relationship provides an excellent conduit for the data generated by this study to other educational centers and industry. The protocols developed through this study could reduce the incidence of Mastitisworldwide, along with its associated costs, and improve the availability of safe, desirable milk for all societies. The technology would have the far reaching benefits in other industries and sciences where microbe control, without high biocide use, is desirable.