Milk Products from Minor Dairy Species: A Review.
Authors: Faccia Michele, D'Alessandro Angela Gabriella, Summer Andrea, Hailu Yonas
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Milk Products from Minor Dairy Species Whilst conventional dairy production centres on cattle, buffalo, goats and sheep, several minor species—including equines, camels and yaks—produce milk with distinct compositional and technological properties that remain poorly characterised in mainstream literature. This 2020 review synthesises recent research on the processing characteristics of milk from these less-studied species and catalogues both traditional and novel dairy products derived from them, addressing a significant knowledge gap as consumer interest in ethnic foods and nutritional biodiversity continues to grow. The authors document how minor dairy species occupy a crucial economic and cultural niche in marginal regions worldwide, yet their milk's unique handling requirements—such as different casein structures, fat globule sizes and heat stability profiles—demand tailored processing approaches that differ substantially from standardised cow-milk protocols. For equine practitioners and nutritionists particularly, understanding these compositional differences proves relevant when advising on mare milk's antimicrobial properties, digestibility profiles or potential therapeutic applications, especially given emerging research into equine milk for human consumption in certain markets. Recognition of these species-specific technological properties not only supports food innovation and sustainable land use in disadvantaged areas, but also underscores why one-size-fits-all dairy processing assumptions cannot be safely applied across species lines.
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Practical Takeaways
- •This review is not applicable to equine veterinary or farriery practice as it focuses on milk processing and dairy product manufacture, not equine health or hoof care
- •Limited relevance to equine professionals unless involved in dairy operations or value-added agricultural enterprises with minor species
Key Findings
- •Milk from minor dairy species (equine, camel, yak) has technological properties distinct from conventional dairy species and requires specialized processing approaches
- •Traditional and newly developed dairy products from minor species are gaining economic and social importance in marginal areas and as ethnic/innovative foods
- •Minor species milk products represent opportunities for food biodiversity valorization and marginal land utilization despite limited standardized production technologies