Vaca Roxa Develops 40-Second Mastitis Detection Device
Subclinical mastitis can develop without visible changes in the animal, while affecting milk production and quality. It can also lead to treatment and disposal costs before the producer notices a problem. Vaca Roxa is developing a system intended to identify these cases before outward symptoms appear.
The company is resident at IpêTech, the Scientific and Technology Park of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). Its Digital IoT Raquette was featured on Globo Rural on Sunday the 6th, in a report that opened the programme’s edition. The broadcast remains available on Globoplay.
The device uses electronic sensors to examine the electrical conductivity of milk. The measurements are intended to identify changes linked to bovine mastitis, including when the condition is at a subclinical stage. Material issued by the Foundation for Scientific and Cultural Development, known as Fundecc, describes the technology as a way to turn a producer’s subjective assessment into measurable information for farm decisions.
The system is not limited to a reading taken during milking. Data collected by the device can be transferred to a digital platform and an application, creating an individual record for each animal. Vaca Roxa describes the product as an integrated system comprising the digital device, individual animal identification, an online platform and an app.
The records are designed to be stored and reviewed over time rather than captured only once. The company’s stated focus is the detection of mastitis before visible signs emerge. The source material links the condition with lower production, changes in milk quality, and expenses related to treatment and discarded milk.
UFLA confirmed Vaca Roxa’s presence at IpêTech in December 2025, when it announced the park’s first eight resident companies. It identified the startup as working on technologies related to milk quality. IpêTech was established to bring together the university, research, businesses and the market, and includes companies working in agribusiness, coffee production, biological control, sustainability and digital transformation.
