Goat and sheep milk products other than cheeses and yoghurt

Abstract

The use of goat and sheep milk for manufacture of different milk and milk products is increasing, although the proportion is much less compared to cow and buffalo milk worldwide, but it is much better organized in some countries than in others. Manufacturing of goat and sheep milk commercially or artisanally on the farm for direct sales is done successfully for pasteurized beverage, UHT, evaporated milk, ice cream, milk powder, traditional goat milk products, even soaps, lotions, and sweets, besides the popular cheeses and yoghurt. The problem of “goaty” or “mutton” flavor may exist in some areas, but products such as ice cream, beverage milk and milk powder made from goat or sheep milk, due to their nutritional and antiallergenic properties, can be a beneficial alternative milk product for children, young and sick people. This review covers technological details of milk, cream, butter, ice cream, whey protein concentrate, evaporated milk, UHT milk, milk powder, chhana, paneer, and ghee from goat and sheep milk. The technology for utilization of goat and sheep milk for commercial manufacture of products has received some attention by research workers, but a great deal more work needs to be undertaken to make the goat and sheep milk industry a viable partner to the dairy cattle industry, and to assure, that producers of goat and sheep milk get an adequate value for their milk, especially in areas where only goats and sheep can survive. While application of goat or sheep milk for cheese making is well known, few attempts have been made to systematically study the use of goat or sheep milk for manufacture of milk beverages, ice cream, butter, milk powder, condensed milk, traditional products, even yoghurt, etc. Low daily volume, even of herd bulk milk may be one of the reasons for the difficulty in establishing an efficient processing industry of goat and sheep milk in many countries. Large scale goat and or sheep farms may be not be a solution for solving this situation in the many regions with steep mountains and harsh desert, where only goats and sheep can still support a farm family. It also remains to be accepted, that technical knowledge generated through research with cow milk is most often not applicable to the manufacture of quality products from goat and sheep milk.