Characteristics of mountain vs. lowland dairy products

Abstract

SummaryBesides the clean environment, mountain pastures are important sources of bioactive compounds that contribute to the quality of dairy products resulting from animals grazing there. This review aimed to compare the main differences among mountain and lowland dairies in terms of chemical composition, physical and sensory properties and microflora. The most important factors influencing final product properties are the biodiversity of pastures and the abundance of plants in terpenes and fatty acids, farm practices, animal breeds and climatic conditions. Differences between dairies from lowland and mountain products were observed regarding the sensory profile, microflora and nutritional and functional value. The comparisons of the results presented in the literature concluded that some mountain dairies presented more than 50% higher content of terpenes compared to lowland products. Furthermore, the amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were more than 15% greater in mountain products compared to lowland ones, conjugated linoleic acids more than 35%, n−6 and n−3 PUFA more than 10%, while the saturated fatty acids content was reported to be more than 3% lower in mountain dairies. In conclusion, mountain dairy products can be distinguished from lowland ones, especially by their content of terpenes and fatty acid profile, along with the microflora which are influenced by livestock management.