Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of yoghurt produce from ewe milk, goat milk and a mixture of ewe and goat milk

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the physicochemical and sensory acceptability of yoghurt produced from ewe, goat and a mixture of ewe milk and goat milk in Nigeria in order for the populace to harness the nutritional and therapeutic benefits of the milks. Methods: Samples of whole cow milk (WCM) as standard, goat milk (GM), ewe milk (EM) and mixture of goat milk and ewe milk (GM/EM) in 1:1 (v/v) ratio, obtained from a local dairy farm were used for yoghurt production. The milk samples were each pasteurized, inoculated with 5g/l of mixed cultures of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, fermented for 4h at 45oC, homogenized, before sugar and gelatin were added. The yoghurt samples were packed into sterile 200ml air tight plastic container, stored at 0oC for 24h and assayed for pH, titratable acidity, proximate composition, zinc, mg, Fe, Cu and sensory characteristics. Results: The yoghurt samples produced from GM, EM, and GM/EM had significantly (P Key words: Physicochemical and sensory characteristics, yoghurts ewe milk, goat milk, whole cow milk.