The Effect of Using Cereals on the Quality of Fermented Camels' Milk Products

The possibility of producing functional fermented camels' milk products from pastes of some cereals (barley, oat, rice and wheat), using CH-1(Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) and AB-sweet (Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria) as yoghurt and probiotic starters, respectively were studied. Physicochemical, sensory properties and surviving starter microorganisms were followed in cereal-based fermented camels' milk products during storage period (9 days at 6 +/- 0.5 degrees C). The effect of type of cereal on the chemical composition of the resultant products was more pronounce than that of type starter used. Fermented camels' milk (FCM) products containing barley and wheat characterized by higher moisture, fat and total protein % and whey separation values than those containing of oats and rice. The highest crude fiber and ash %, acetaldehyde and diacetyle amounts, dynamic viscosity values and bacterial strain counts were detected in FCM containing of barley and oats. Also, the highest total carbohydrate % and pH values were observed in FCM containing of wheat and rice. Cereal-based camels' milk products fermented with CH-1 showed lower amounts of acetaldehyde and diacetyle, dynamic viscosity and pH values, but higher amounts of whey separation than that with AB-sweet. The viable cells counts in all cereal-based FCM products were maintained at an acceptable level until the end of storage period. Among different treatments, FCM made with rice was rated the highest score in the organoleptic properties especially when fermented with AB-sweet followed by their containing of wheat. Therefore, the development of cereal-based FCM can be considered as new products with nutritional and functional values as well as good organoleptic properties could be produced using yoghurt and probiotic starters.