SAL scientist David Mills performs a Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count (DMSCC) test on a milk sample. - Photo by Paul Cook
A Somatic Cell Count (SCC) is a major indicator of milk quality. Healthy cows produce milk with a low SCC. The majority of somatic cells are white blood cells and increase in number when cows have an infection in their udders (mastitis). The State Agricultural Laboratory performs two types of SCC testing, DMSCC and Electronic Somatic Cell Count (ESCC).