PRODUCTION OF KEFIR AND YOGHURT FROM CAMEL MILK

Camel milk represents an underutilized raw material for dairy processing in Uzbekistan, despite its high nutritional value and increasing global interest. This study investigated the production of kefir and yoghurt from raw dromedary camel milk using commercial starter cultures. The milk was subjected to heat treatment at 65–67 °C for 25 minutes, followed by fermentation under controlled conditions. Organoleptic and physicochemical analyses revealed distinct changes associated with fermentation. Fat and protein contents exhibited different trends in the two products, while dry matter increased significantly, particularly in yoghurt. The findings demonstrate that camel milk can be successfully fermented into kefir and yoghurt; however, these products differ from their bovine counterparts in terms of texture, fermentation time, and compositional characteristics. The results contribute to the development of processing technologies for camel milk in Uzbekistan