Why is the California Mastitis test performed?

The California Mastitis Test (CMT) is specifically designed to assess the health of a cow's mammary gland by detecting inflammation or infection, which is often a result of mastitis. Mastitis is an infection in the udder, and the test works by analyzing the somatic cell count in milk, as elevated levels of somatic cells indicate that the gland is likely inflamed or infected. During the test, a sample of milk is mixed with a reagent; if the cow has mastitis, the mixture will thicken or gel, indicating the presence of these elevated somatic cells due to infection.

In contrast, checking the pH of milk, measuring fat content, or testing for antibiotic residues involves different procedures and does not specifically indicate the health status of the mammary gland. Each of these other options serves a distinct purpose in dairy quality and safety assessment, but they do not directly correlate with diagnosing mastitis in cows.