Abstract The Irish dairy industry is critically important to the economy and general well-being of a large section of the Irish population. Its quality, sustainability and maintenance are the key for a vibrant rural society in the future. Two important elements for the future of this industry include (a) the quality, marketing and sale of dairy products on the export market and (b) sustainability from the perspectives of people, planet and profit. This paper provides a short review of current scientific evidence in relation to a number of topics, each of which is important in maintaining and developing dairy product quality and the sustainability of the Irish dairy industry. The topics addressed in the paper are as follows: the parameters of milk composition; milk processing; hygiene quality and safety; farm management practices and the regulations that govern such practices; animal health and welfare; environmental impacts; economic implications for farm families and rural communities; and the overall future sustainability of the family-based dairy farm structure.

中文翻译：

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对爱尔兰草本牛奶生产系统作为优质牛奶和乳制品的可持续来源的科学评估

摘要 爱尔兰乳业对爱尔兰大部分人口的经济和总体福祉至关重要。其质量、可持续性和维护是未来充满活力的农村社会的关键。该行业未来的两个重要因素包括 (a) 出口市场上乳制品的质量、营销和销售以及 (b) 从人类、地球和利润的角度来看可持续性。本文简要回顾了与许多主题相关的当前科学证据，每个主题对于保持和发展乳制品质量以及爱尔兰乳制品行业的可持续性都很重要。论文中讨论的主题如下：牛奶成分的参数；牛奶加工；卫生质量和安全；农场管理实践和管理此类实践的法规；动物健康和福利；环境影响；对农户和农村社区的经济影响；以及以家庭为基础的奶牛场结构的整体未来可持续性。