Fermented Dairy products

Fermented milk products, also known as cultured dairy foods, cultured dairy products,
or cultured milk products, are dairy foods that have been fermented with lactic acid bacteria such
as Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc. The fermentation process increases the shelf-
life of the product, as well as adds to the taste and improves the digestibility of milk. There is
evidence that fermented milk products have been produced since around 10,000 BC. A range of
differentLactobacilli strains has been grown in laboratories allowing for a wide range of cultured
milk products with different tastes

Varoius types of dairy products

1. Cheese

2. Cultured sour cream

3. Filmjolk

4. Yogurt

5. Kefir

6. Kumis

7. Villi

8. Cultured buttermilk

9. Acidophilus milk
Comparison chart

Typical
Produ Alternativ Typicalmilkfatco shelf
Fermentation agent Description
ct e names ntent life at
4°C

Thermophilic ferm
ented milk, often
Acidoph acidophilu lowfat (2%, 1.5%)
ilus s cultured 0.5-2% 2 weeks Lactobacillus acidophilus or nonfat (0.5%),
milk milk cultured
withLactobacillus
acidophilus.

Any number of
a variety
Cheese 1-75% varies solid fermented
of bacteria and/or mold
milk products.

Crème creme 30-40% 10 days naturally occurring lactic acid Mesophilic fermen
 Typical
Produ Alternativ Typicalmilkfatco shelf
Fermentation agent Description
ct e names ntent life at
4°C

ted cream,
originally
fraîche fraiche bacteria in cream from France;
higher-fat variant
of sour cream.

Lactococcus
lactis* (Lactococcus
lactis subsp. lactis*, Lactococc
Cultured us Mesophilic fermen
buttermi 1–2% 10 days lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactoco ted pasteurized
lk ccus milk.
lactis biovar. diacetylactis and
Leuconostoc
mesenteroides subsp.cremoris)

Mesophilic fermen
ted pasteurized
cream with an
acidity of at least
Cultured
sour Lactococcus 0.5%. Rennet
sour 14–18%[4] 4 weeks
cream[4] lactis subsp. lactis* extract may be
cream
added to make a
thicker product.
Lower fat variant
ofcrème fraîche.

Mesophilic fermen
10–14 Lactococcus lactis*
Filmjölk fil 0.1-4.5% ted milk, originally
days andLeuconostoc
from Scandinavia.

Kefir kephir, 0-4% 10–14 Kefir grains, a mixture A fermented

 Typical
Produ Alternativ Typicalmilkfatco shelf
Fermentation agent Description
ct e names ntent life at
4°C

beverage,
originally from
the Caucasus regio
kewra,
n, made with kefir
talai,
grains. Can be
mudu
days of bacteriaand yeasts made with any
kekiya,
sugary liquid, such
milkkefir,
as milk from
búlgaros
mammals, soy
milk, or fruit
juices.

koumiss,
A carbonated
kumiss,
fermented milk
kymys, 10–14
Kumis 4%? Lactobacilli and yeasts beverage
kymyz, days
traditionally made
airag,
from horse milk.
chigee

Mesophilic fermen
Lactococcus
ted milk that may
lactis subsp. cremoris,Lactococ
or may not contain
cus lactis*
fungus on the
Viili filbunke 0.1-3.5% 14 days biovar.diacetylactis, Leuconost
surface. Originally
oc
fromSweden but
mesenteroides subsp. cremoris
today is
and Geotrichum candidum
a Finnishspecialty.

Yogurt yoghurt, 0.5–4% 35–40 Lactobacillus Thermophilic ferm

yogourt, days bulgaricus andStreptococcus ented milk,
yoghourt thermophilus cultured
with Lactobacillus
bulgaricus and Stre
 Typical
Produ Alternativ Typicalmilkfatco shelf
Fermentation agent Description
ct e names ntent life at
4°C

ptococcus
thermophilus.

* Streptococcus lactis has been renamed to Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis

Acidophilus milk

Lactobacillus acidophilus (Latin meaning acid-loving milk-bacterium) is a species in the

genus Lactobacillus. L. acidophilus is a homofermentativespecies,
fermenting sugars into lactic acid, and grows readily at rather low pH values (below pH
5.0) and has an optimum growth temperature of around 37 °C(99 °F). L.
acidophilus occurs naturally in the human and animalgastrointestinal tract, mouth,
and vagina.[ Some strains of L. acidophilus may be considered to
have probiotic characteristics. These strains are commercially used in many dairy
products, sometimes together with S. salivarius ssp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus
delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in the production of acidophilus-type yogurt.

Amount Per Serving

Calories
110
Calories from Fat
22
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
2.5g
4%
Saturated Fat
1.5g
7%
Cholesterol
15mg
5%
Sodium
130mg
5%
Total Carbohydrates
13.0g
4%
Sugars
12.0g
Protein
9.0g

Vitamin A 10% • Vitamin C 2%

Calcium 30% • Iron 0%
* Based on a 2000 calorie die

Health effects

Antibiotics taken orally will also kill beneficial bacteria, including L. acidophilus. After a
therapy that includes antibiotics, patients are occasionally instructed to take an L.
acidophilus treatment in order to recolonize the gastrointestinal tract. To that effect, L.
acidophilus is often sold in health stores in pill or powder form as a nutritional supplement, as
well as being available in many yogurts. A part of the claims in favor of such treatment refer to
attaining a better digestion thanks to a recovered normal intestinal flora. L. acidophilus LA-5
produces bacteriocin CH5 that is both antibacterial and inhibitory against certain yeasts and
moulds and is effective against both Salmonella typhimurium and Campylobacter jejuni. It has
been shown to improve bowel regularity and has been shown to have a preventative effect
against traveller's diarrhea, as well as antibiotic related bowel issues.
Because of its relation to gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), L. acidophilus LA-5 has been
associated with positive effects on the immune system such as increased cytokine, phagocytic
activity and antibody production, as well as phagocytosis ofSalmonella, and L.
acidophilus NCFM has even been shown to reduce incidence of symptoms of fever, cough and
runny nose. Anti-inflammatory effects have also been observed in people consuming L.
acidophilus NCFM. Additionally L. acidophilus LA-5 has shown to inhibit growth of breast
cancer cells, and positive effects on chemotherapy patients. An improvement of lipid metabolism
has also been linked to L. acidophilus LA-5.
Animal studies of NCFM have indicated that it reduces intestinal pain by inducing u-opioid and
canabinoid receptors in the intestines (of animals), but this effect has not been sufficiently shown
in humans yet.
Other benefits of L. acidophilus include the production of vitamin K and lactase, and some
strains may producebacteriocins such as acidolin, acidophilin and lactocidin.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reported that yogurt
containing L. acidophilus L1 has the potential to reduce risk for coronary heart disease by 6–10%
by reducing serum cholesterol concentration.
Although a study that evaluated the effects of L. acidophilus on the symptoms of Japanese cedar-
pollen allergy achieved positive results, this still needs further research.

Side effects
In general, the ingestion of L. acidophilus is safe. However, people with some conditions are
discouraged from taking L. acidophilus, including intestinal damage, a weakened immune
system, or overgrowth of intestinal bacteria.
Some people complain of discomfort or gas. This condition can be overcome when the
individual ingests it continuously.Lactose sensitive people may also experience abdominal
discomfort from dairy products that include L. acidophilus.
Infections of heart valves with L. acidophilus have also been reported. The risk may be greater in
people with artificial heart valves.
Some women have reported burning of the vagina after using vaginal tablets that contain L.
acidophilus

Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based foodproducts. Cheese is produced
throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms.
Cheese consists of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk ofcows, buffalo, goats, or sheep.
It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and
addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into final
form. Some cheeses have molds on the rind or throughout. Most cheeses melt at cooking
temperature.
Hundreds of types of cheese are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the origin
of the milk (including the animal's diet), whether they have been pasteurized,
the butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, the processing, and aging. Herbs, spices, or wood
smoke may be used as flavoring agents. The yellow to red color of many cheeses is from
adding annatto.
For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding acids such asvinegar or lemon juice. Most
cheeses are acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria, which turn milk sugars into lactic acid, then
the addition of rennet completes the curdling. Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are available;
most are produced by fermentation of the fungusMucor miehei, but others have been extracted
from various species of the Cynara thistle family.

Fat 18-20%
Moisture 60% (approx)
Composition Protein 10-12%
Added Salt 1.8%
Sodium Citrate 2.5%
Calorific value : 225 kcal./100g

Nutritional Information
Nutritional Information*

Amount per 100 g

Energy, kcal 225

Energy from Fat, kcal 180

 Total Fat, g 20

Saturated fat,g 13.2

Cholesterol, mg 70

Sodium, mg 840

Protein, g 11.2

Not a significant source of Vitamin C, Iron and

Dietary fiber.

Shelf Life
9 Months from date of packaging

Storage condition
Refrigerated at 4° C or below. Do not deep freeze

Production of cheese

Curdling process
A required step in cheesemaking is separating the milk into solid curds and liquidwhey.
Usually this is done by acidifying (souring) the milk and adding rennet. The acidification
can be accomplished directly by the addition of an acid like vinegar in a few cases
(paneer, queso fresco), but usually starter bacteria are employed instead. These starter
bacteria convert milk sugars into lactic acid. The same bacteria (and the enzymes they
produce) also play a large role in the eventual flavor of aged cheeses. Most cheeses are
made with starter bacteria from theLactococci, Lactobacilli,
or Streptococci families. Swiss starter cultures also includePropionibacter shermani,
which produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles during aging, giving Swiss
cheese or Emmental its holes

Curd process
At this point, the cheese has set into a very moist gel. Some soft cheeses are now essentially
complete: they are drained, salted, and packaged. For most of the rest, the curd is cut into small
cubes. This allows water to drain from the individual pieces of curd.
Some hard cheeses are then heated to temperatures in the range of 35–55 °C (95–131 °F). This
forces more whey from the cut curd. It also changes the taste of the finished cheese, affecting
both the bacterial culture and the milk chemistry. Cheeses that are heated to the higher
temperatures are usually made withthermophilic starter bacteria that survive this step—
either Lactobacilli or Streptococci.
Salt has roles in cheese besides adding a salty flavor. It preserves cheese from spoiling, draws
moisture from the curd, and firms cheese’s texture in an interaction with its proteins. Some
cheeses are salted from the outside with dry salt or brine washes. Most cheeses have the salt
mixed directly into the curds.
Other techniques influence a cheese's texture and flavor. Some examples:

 Stretching: (Mozzarella, Provolone) The curd is stretched and kneaded in hot water,
developing a stringy, fibrous body.
 Cheddaring: (Cheddar, other English cheeses) The cut curd is repeatedly piled up,
pushing more moisture away. The curd is also mixed (or milled) for a long time, taking the
sharp edges off the cut curd pieces and influencing the final product's texture.
 Washing: (Edam, Gouda, Colby) The curd is washed in warm water, lowering its acidity
and making for a milder-tasting cheese.

Most cheeses achieve their final shape when the curds are pressed into a mold or form. The
harder the cheese, the more pressure is applied. The pressure drives out moisture—the molds are
designed to allow water to escape—and unifies the curds into a single solid body.
Ripening
A newborn cheese is usually salty yet bland in flavor and, for harder varieties, rubbery in texture.
These qualities are sometimes enjoyed—cheese curds are eaten on their own—but normally
cheeses are left to rest under controlled conditions. This aging period (also called ripening, or,
from the French, affinage) lasts from a few days to several years. As a cheese ages, microbes and
enzymes transform texture and intensify flavor. This transformation is largely a result of the
breakdown of casein proteins and milkfat into a complex mix of amino acids,amines, and fatty
acids.
Some cheeses have additional bacteria or molds intentionally introduced before or during aging.
In traditional cheesemaking, these microbes might be already present in the aging room; they are
simply allowed to settle and grow on the stored cheeses.
Health effects
Heart disease
Cheese potentially shares other nutritional properties of milk. The Center for Science in the
Public Interest describes cheese as America's number one source of saturated fat, adding that the
average American ate 30 lb (14 kg) of cheese in the year 2000, up from 11 lb (5 kg) in
1970. Their recommendation is to limit full-fat cheese consumption to 2 oz (57 g) a week.
Whether or not cheese's highly saturated fat content actually leads to an increased risk of heart
disease is a subject of debate, as epidemiological studies have observed relatively low incidences
of cardiovascular disease in populations such asFrance and Greece, which lead the world in
cheese consumption (more than 14 oz/400 g a week per person, or over 45 lb/20 kg a year).
Dental health
Some studies claim that cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss and American cheeses can help to
prevent tooth decay. Several mechanisms for this protection have been proposed:

 The calcium, protein, and phosphorus in cheese may act to protect tooth enamel.
 Cheese increases saliva flow, washing away acids and sugars.

Effect on sleep
A study by the British Cheese Board in 2005 to determine the effect of cheese upon sleep and
dreaming discovered that, contrary to the idea that cheese commonly causes nightmares, the
effect of cheese upon sleep was positive. The majority of the two hundred people tested over
a fortnight claimed beneficial results from consuming cheeses before going to bed, the cheese
promoting good sleep. Six cheeses were tested and the findings were that the dreams produced
were specific to the type of cheese. Although the apparent effects were in some cases described
as colorful and vivid, or cryptic, none of the cheeses tested were found to induce nightmares.
However, the six cheeses were all British. The results might be entirely different if a wider range
of cheeses were tested. Cheese contains tryptophan, an amino acid that has been found to relieve
stress and induce sleep.
Casein
Like other dairy products, cheese contains casein, a substance that when digested by humans
breaks down into several chemicals, including casomorphine, an opioid peptide. In the early
1990s it was hypothesized that autism can be caused or aggravated by opioid peptides. Studies
supporting these claims have had significant flaws, so the data are inadequate to guide autism
treatment recommendations.
Lactose
Cheese is often avoided by those who are lactose intolerant, but ripened cheeses
like Cheddar contain only about 5% of thelactose found in whole milk, and aged cheeses contain
almost none. Nevertheless, people with severe lactose intolerance should avoid eating dairy
cheese. As a natural product, the same kind of cheese may contain different amounts of lactose
on different occasions, causing unexpected painful reactions.
Hypertensive effect
Some people suffer reactions to amines found in cheese, particularly histamine and tyramine.
Some aged cheeses contain significant concentrations of these amines, which can trigger
symptoms mimicking an allergic reaction: headaches, rashes, andblood pressure elevations.
Pasteurization
A number of food safety agencies around the world have warned of the risks of raw-milk
cheeses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that soft raw-milk cheeses can cause
"serious infectious diseases including listeriosis, brucellosis,salmonellosis and tuberculosis". It is
U.S. law since 1944 that all raw-milk cheeses (including imports since 1951) must be aged at
least 60 days. Australia has a wide ban on raw-milk cheeses as well, though in recent years
exceptions have been made for Swiss Gruyère, Emmental and Sbrinz, and for
French Roquefort. There is a trend for cheeses to be pasteurized even when not required by law.
Compulsory pasteurization is controversial. Pasteurization does change the flavor of cheeses, and
unpasteurized cheeses are often considered to have better flavor, so there are reasons not to
pasteurize all cheeses. Some say that health concerns are overstated, or that
milk pasteurization does not ensure cheese safety.
Pregnant women may face an additional risk from cheese; the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control has warned pregnant women against eating soft-ripened cheeses and blue-veined
cheeses, due to the listeria risk, which can cause miscarriage or harm to the fetus during birth
Sour cream
Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular creamby certain kinds
of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally,
sours and thickens the cream. Its name stems from the production of lactic acid by bacterial
fermentation, which is called souring. The taste of sour cream is only mildly sour.

Nutritional Facts

Serving Size 200ml

Serving per pack 5

Amount per Serving

Energy 149 Calories

Energy from fat 81 calories

% Daily Value*

Total Fat, 9 g 13.5

Saturated Fat, 5.5g 28

Trans Fat, 0.13 g 0

Cholesterol, 24 mg 7.5
Sodium 100 mg 4.6

Total Carbohydrate 10 g 3.3

Sugars 10 g 3.3

Dietary Fibre 0 g 0

Protein, 7g 14

Calcium 300 mg 61

Added Vitamin A 150 µg

RE
Added Vitamin D 1 µg

Not a significant source of Vitamin C & Iron.

*Percent daily Values (DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Traditaonally
Sour cream, made out of cream, contains from 18 to 20 percent butterfat–about 14 grams per 4
ounce serving–and gets its characteristic tang from the lactic acidcreated by the bacteria.
Commercially produced sour cream often contains additional thickening agents such
as gelatin, rennet, guar and carrageen, as well as acids to artificially sour the product.

Sour cream is not fully fermented, and as such must be stored under refrigeration. As with other
dairy products, it is usually sold with an expiration date stamped on the container, though
whether this is a "sell by" a "best by" or a "use by" date varies with local regulation. Food
authorities, such as the USDA, advise that sour cream with visible mold should be discarded, as
it may be contaminated below the surface and could contain
dangerous mycotoxins and aflatoxin.
Filmjolk
Filmjölk (also known as fil or the older word surmjölk[) is a Nordic dairy product, similar
to yoghurt, but using different bacteria which give a different taste and texture.
It can also be described as a mesophilic fermented milk product that is made byfermenting cow's
milk with a variety of bacteria from the species Lactococcus lactisand Leuconostoc
mesenteroides. The bacteria metabolize lactose, the sugar naturally found in milk, into lactic
acid which means people who are lactose intolerant can consume filmjölk. The acid gives
filmjölk a sour taste and causesproteins in the milk, mainly casein, to coagulate, thus thickening
the final product. The bacteria also produce a limited amount of diacetyl, which gives filmjölk its
characteristic taste. Filmjölk is similar to cultured buttermilk, kefir, or yoghurt in consistency,
but fermented by different bacteria and thus has a slightly different taste. Compared with
yoghurt, filmjölk tastes less sour. In Sweden, it is normally sold in 1-liter packages with live
bacteria
Overview

In Nordic countries, filmjölk is commonly eaten during breakfast or as a snack between meals in
the same manner as yoghurt, usually from a bowl with a spoon. It can be drunk but is not
normally done so since the liquid is fairly thick. Filmjölk is often eaten with breakfast
cereal, muesli or crushed crisp bread on top. Since plain filmjölk tastes somewhat sour, many
people addsugar, jam, apple sauce, cinnamon, ginger, fruits, and/or berries. In Norwegian it is
called surmelk (new Norwegian: surmjølk) (sourmilk) but the official name is kulturmelk (new
Norwegian: kulturmjølk).
Manufactured filmjölk is made from pasteurised, homogenised, and standardised cow's milk.
Although home made filmjölk has been around for a long time (written records from the 18th
century speak of filmjölk-like products, but it has probably been around since the Viking Age or
longer), it was first introduced to the Swedish market as a consumer product in 1931 by the
Swedish dairy cooperative Arla. The first filmjölk was unflavoured and contained 3% milkfat.
Since the 1960s, different varieties of unflavoured filmjölk have been marketed in Swedish
grocery stores. Långfil, a more elastic variant of filmjölk was introduced in 1965; lättfil, filmjölk
with 0.5% milkfat was introduced in 1967; and mellanfil, filmjölk with 1.5% milkfat was
introduced in 1990. In 1997, Arla introduced its first flavoured filmjölk: strawberry flavoured
filmjölk. The flavoured filmjölk was so popular that different flavours soon followed. By 2001,
almost one third of the filmjölk sold in Sweden was flavoured filmjölk. Since 2007, variations of
filmjölk include filmjölk with various fat content, filmjölk flavoured with fruit, vanilla, or honey,
as well as filmjölk with probiotic bacteria

Yogurt
Yogurt or yoghurt a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used
to make yogurt are known as "yogurt cultures". Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria
produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its characteristic
tang.
Worldwide, cow's milk is most commonly used to make yogurt, but milk from water
buffalo, goats, sheep, camels and yaks is also used in various parts of the world.
Dairy yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus
delbrueckii subsp.bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus bacteria. In
addition,Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria are also sometimes added during or after
culturing yogurt.
The milk is first heated to about 80 °C (176 °F) to kill any undesirable bacteria and
to denature the milk proteins so that they set together rather than form curds. The milk is then
cooled to about 45 °C (112 °F). The bacteria culture is added, and the temperature is maintained
for 4 to 7 hours to allow fermentation.

Yogurt, full fat

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 257 kJ (61 kcal)

Carbohydrates 4.7 g

- Sugars 4.7 g (*)

Fat 3.3 g
 - saturated 2.1 g

- monounsaturated 0.9 g

Protein 3.5 g

Vitamin A equiv. 27 μg (3%)

Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.14 mg (12%)

Calcium 121 mg (12%)

(*) Lactose content diminishes during storage.

Percentages are relative to US recommendations for
adults.

Nutritional value and health benefits

Yogurt is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. It has
nutritional benefits beyond those of milk. People who are moderatelylactose-intolerant can
consume yogurt without ill effects, because much of the lactose in the milk precursor is
converted to lactic acid by the bacterial culture.
Yogurt containing live cultures has been found effective in a randomized trial at preventing
antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The use of probiotics, including some of the common cultures
used in yogurt, has been found in a larger, meta-analysis of 25 randomized, controlled trials, to
be effective at preventing antibiotic-associated biarrhea, but one culture, Saccharomyces
boulardii, not typically contained in yogurt, was found to be effective at treating Clostridium
difficileinfection.
Yogurt contains varying amounts of fat. There is non-fat (0% fat), low-fat (usually 2% fat) and
plain or whole milk yogurt (4% fat). A study published in the International Journal of
Obesity (11 January 2005) also found that the consumption of low-fat yogurt can promote weight
loss, especially due to the calcium in the yogurt.

Kefir
Kefir (alternately kefīrs, keefir, kephir,kewra, talai, mudu kekiya, milk kefir, búlgaros) is
a probiotic fermented milk drink made with Kefir Grains that originated with shepherds of
the North Caucasus region, who discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would
occasionally ferment into a carbonated beverage. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat,
or sheep's milk with kefir grains. Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a
doorway; the bag would be knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the
milk and kefir grains well mixed.
Marco Polo mentions kefir in recounting his travels.

Production
Production of traditional kefir requires a starter community of kefir grains which are added to the
liquid one wishes to ferment. Kefir grains cannot be produced from scratch, but the grains grow
during fermentation, and additional grains are produced. Kefir grains can be bought from or
donated by other growers.
The traditional, or artisanal, method of making kefir is achieved by directly adding kefir grains
(2–10%) to milk in a loosely covered acid proof container which is traditionally agitated once or
more times a day. It is not filled to capacity, allowing room for some expansion as the kefiran
and carbon dioxide gas produced causes the liquid level to rise. If the container is not light proof
it should be stored in the dark to prevent degradation of vitamins and inhibition of the culture.
After a period of fermentation lasting around 24 hours, ideally at 20–25 °C (68–77 °F), the
grains are removed from the liquid by sieving and reserved as the starter for a fresh amount of
liquid. The temperature during fermentation is not critical as long as it is not above one that will
kill the culture (about 40 °C / 104 °F), or much below 4 °C (39 °F) where the process will cease.
The fermented liquid which contains live microflora from the grain, may now be consumed as a
beverage, used in recipes, or kept aside for several days to undergo a slower secondary
fermentation which further thickens and sours the liquid. Without refrigeration the shelf life is
two to three days. The grains will enlarge in the process of kefir production, and eventually split.
Grains can be dried at room temperature or lyophilized (freeze-dried) or frozen.
The Russian method permits production of kefir on a larger scale, and uses two fermentations.
The first step is to prepare the cultures by incubating milk with grains (2–3%), as just described.
The grains are then removed by filtration and the resulting liquid mother culture is added to milk
(1–3%) which is fermented for 12 to 18 hours.
Kefir can be produced using lyophilized cultures commonly available as a powder from health
food shops. A portion of the resulting kefir can be saved to be used a number of times to
propagate further fermentations but ultimately does not form grains, and a fresh culture must be
obtained

Kefir means foam in Turkish. Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix
of proteins, lipids, and sugars, and this symbiotic matrix forms "grains" that
resemble cauliflower. For this reason, a complex and highly variable community of lactic acid
bacteria and yeasts can be found in these grains.
Kefir grains contain a water soluble polysaccharide known as kefiran, which imparts a rope-like
texture and feeling in the mouth; appear in hues ranging from white to yellow; and usually grow
to the size of walnuts (although rice-grain-sized grains have been known to develop).
Traditional kefir is fermented at ambient temperatures, generally overnight. Fermentation of
the lactose yields a sour,carbonated, slightly alcoholic beverage, with a consistency similar to
thin yogurt. Kefir fermented by small-scale dairies early in the 20th century achieved alcohol
levels between 1 and 2 percent, but kefir made commercially with modern methods of
production has less than 1% alcohol, possibly due to reduced fermentation time.
Variations that thrive in various other liquids exist, and they vary markedly from kefir in both
appearance and microbial composition. Water kefir (or kefir d'acqua) is grown in water with
sugar (sometimes with added dry fruit such as figs, and lemonjuice) for a day or more at room
temperature.

Kumis

Kumis, also spelled kumiss or koumiss in English (or kumys, see

othertransliterations and cognate words below under terminology and etymology) is afermented
dairy product traditionally made from mare's milk. The drink remains important to the peoples of
the Central Asian steppes, of Turkic and Mongol
origin: Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Yakuts, Mongols and Kalmyks. It was also consumed by
Baltic, Hungarian tribes.
Kumis is a dairy product similar to kefir but is produced from a liquid starter culture, in contrast
to the solid kefir "grains". Because mare's milk contains more sugars than the cow's or goat's
milk fermented into kefir, kumis has a higher, though still mild, alcohol content.
Even in the areas of the world where kumis is popular today, mare's milk remains a very limited
commodity. Industrial-scale production of kumis, therefore, generally uses cow's milk, which is
richer in fat and protein but lower in lactose than the milk from a horse. Before fermentation, the
cow's milk is fortified in one of several ways. Sucrose may be added to allow a comparable
fermentation. Another technique adds modified whey in order to better approximate the
composition of mare's milk.

Production

A 1982 source reported that 230,000 horses were kept in the USSR specifically for producing
milk to make into kumis.
Rinchingiin Indra, writing about Mongolian dairying, says "it takes considerable skill to milk a
mare" and describes the technique: the milker kneels on one knee, with a pail propped on the
other, steadied by a string tied to an arm. One arm is wrapped behind the mare's rear leg and the
other in front. A foal starts the milk flow and is pulled away by another person, but left touching
the mare's side during the entire process.
In Mongolia, the milking season for horses traditionally runs between mid-June and early
October. During one season, a mare produces approximately 1,000 to 1,200 kilograms of milk,
of which about half is left to the foals.

Nutritional properties
During fermentation, the lactose in mare's milk is converted into lactic acid, ethanoland carbon
dioxide, and the milk becomes an accessible source of nutrition for people who are lactose
intolerant.
Before fermentation, mare's milk has almost 40% more lactose than cow's milk. According to
one modern source, "unfermented mare's milk is generally not drunk", because it is a
strong laxative. Varro's On Agriculture, from the 1st century BC, also mentions this: "as a
laxative the best is mare's milk, then donkey's milk, cow's milk, and finally goat's milk...";
drinking six ounces (190 ml) a day would be enough to give a lactose-intolerant person severe
intestinal symptoms.
Villi
Viili (Finnish viili, Swedish fil) is a type of yogurt (a mesophilic fermented milk) that originated
in the Nordic countries. It has a ropey, gelatinous consistency and a pleasantly mild taste
resulting from lactic acid. This cultured milk product is the results of microbial action of lactic
acid bacteria (LAB) and a surface-growing yeast-like fungus Geotrichum candidum present in
milk, which forms a velvet-like surface on viili. In addition, most traditional viili cultures also
contain yeast strains such asKluveromyces marxianus and Pichia fermentans. The LAB
identified in viili includingLactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
biovar. diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris. Among those mesophilic LAB
strains, the slime-forming Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris produce a phosphate-
containing heteropolysaccharide, named viilian. Viilian is similar tokefiran produced by kefir
grains. The production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) by the strain forms the consistency character
of viili and it has been claimed to have various functional benefits toward the rheological
properties of milk products and the health improving potential.

Buttermilk
Buttermilk refers to a number of dairy drinks. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind
after churning butter out of cream. This type of buttermilk is known as traditional buttermilk.
The term buttermilk also refers to a range of fermented milk drinks, common in warm climates
(e.g., Middle East, Pakistan, India, and the Southern United States) where unrefrigerated fresh
milk otherwise sours quickly, as well as in colder climates such as Germany, Scandinavia and
the Netherlands. Thisfermented dairy product known as cultured buttermilk is produced
from cow's milk and has a characteristically sour taste caused by lactic acid bacteria. This variant
is made using one of two species of bacteria—either Streptococcus lactis or Lactobacillus
bulgaricus, which creates more tartness. Buttermilk made with the latter is
called Bulgarian buttermilk.
The tartness of buttermilk is due to acid in the milk. The increased acidity is primarily due
to lactic acid produced by lactic acid bacteria while fermentinglactose, the primary sugar in milk.
As the bacteria produces lactic acid, the pH of the milk decreases and casein, the primary milk
protein, precipitates, causing thecurdling or clabbering of milk. This process makes buttermilk
thicker than plain milk. While both traditional and cultured buttermilk contain lactic acid,
traditional buttermilk tends to be less viscous, whereas cultured buttermilk is more viscous.
Cultured buttermilk
Commercially available cultured buttermilk is milk that has
been pasteurized and homogenized (if 1% or 2% fat), and theninoculated with a culture of lactic
acid bacteria to simulate the naturally occurring bacteria in the old-fashioned product. Some
dairies add colored flecks of butter to cultured buttermilk to simulate residual flecks of butter
that can be left over from the churning process of traditional buttermilk.

Condensed buttermilk and Dried buttermilk have increased in importance in the food industry.
Buttermilk solids are used inice cream manufacture Adding specific strains of bacteria to
pasteurized milk allows more consistent production.
In the early 1900s, cultured buttermilk was labeled artificial buttermilk, to differentiate it from
traditional buttermilk, which was known as natural or ordinary buttermilk

Acidified buttermilk
Acidified buttermilk is a related product made by adding a food-grade acid (such as lemon juice)
to milk. It can be produced by mixing 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk
and letting it sit until it curdles, about 10 minutes. Any level of fat content for the milk ingredient
may be used, but whole milk is usually used for baking.