How to improve the production of fermented camel milk.

Camel milk is mostly consumed fresh or fermented, but there has been little research on it, especially on its microbiological aspects. Fermented milk is the result of natural lactic souring over several hours at ambient temperature. The product is of thin consistency, resembling a flock rather than a precipitate. Starter cultures could improve product quality, but lactic acid bacteria (LAB) cultures (yoghurt, cheese) are less active in camel milk than in cow milk, indicating the possible presence of growth-inhibiting factors. To improve the production of fermented camel milk, we focussed on its microbiological composition (useful and undesirable bacteria) in frozen whole milk from different camels (Kenya), and selected some LAB to use as starter cultures. The functional characteristics of coagulation aptitude and lysozyme content were used to define of the lactic acid bacterial behaviour.