Two groups of 3 Saanen goats received a normal diet for 4 weeks, and were then given a cadmium (Cd)-supplemented diet; 1 group was fed 2 mg/kg per day Cd (as cadmium chloride); the other group was fed 4 mg/kg per day. Every week, 1 day's milks were skimmed and then transformed into cheese curds either by rennet coagulation or by lactic acidification using Lactococcus lactis. Prior to Cd administration, milk Cd levels ranged from < 0.2-0.3 micro g/litre. During Cd administration, Cd levels ranged from 0.85-4.6 micro g/litre in the milks used for cheesemaking. The transfer of Cd from milk to cream and curds varied widely around mean values, but did not seem to be correlated with Cd concentration in the milk. The mean Cd concentration factor was 3.3+or-0.7 in the cream, 3.5+or-0.5 in lactic curds and 5.6+or-0.8 in rennet curds. A quarter of the Cd contained in the original milk was found in the cream (25.3+or-6%) and about 60% in the curds (59.0+or-8.3% in rennet curds and 56.7+or-7.7% in lactic curds). The study confirmed previous results regarding Cd concentration in milk products, and shows that a Cd concentration >5 micro g/kg in cheeses in France can only be explained by contamination during the cheese-making process.