The aim of this study was to assess the quality of raw milk, with a special focus on the content of
fat-soluble antioxidants and antioxidant activity, depending on the production system (intensive, traditional),
production season (spring/summer, autumn/winter), and breed of cow (Polish Holstein–Friesian, Simmental).
The basic chemical composition of milk, i.e., fat content, lactose, protein (including casein), and dry matter, as
well as the somatic cell count (SCC), concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D3, and E), and total antioxidant
status (TAS) were determined. It was shown that the breed of cow, production system, and season significantly
influenced the levels of the analysed vitamins in the milk, thus determining its antioxidant status. A significantly
richer source of lipophilic vitamins, regardless of the breed of cow, was milk obtained in the spring/summer
season (season 2), with statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) found only in the milk of cows from the
traditional production system (system I) in which feeding in the spring/summer season was based on the pasture.
The higher content of antioxidant vitamins resulted in an increase in the antioxidant potential of the milk. The
use of pasture in milk production is, therefore, the optimal way to adapt the composition of milk to the needs of
modern consumers while ensuring proper animal welfare. This is also supported by consumers’ growing interest
in pasture-derived dairy products, as outdoor pasture-based feeding is a natural system for animals