Abstract :
In Turkey and the near countries in Middle East and Balkans many cheeses and fermented
milk products are manufactured with milk from small ruminants. Some of these products
are called with different names and have modified manufacturing procedures, but all of
them are important for the consumers due to the type of milk used. Products made with
goat’s or sheep’s milk have some different and interesting characteristics especially, taste,
aroma, appearance and chemical constituents, compared to the counterparts made with
cow’s milk. In Turkey, although some cheeses and fermented milk products were originally
produced using milk only from small ruminants, nowadays cow’s milk is mixed with
this milk due to the limited production of the first. The significant decrease in the production
of goats or sheep is probably due to migration of population from rural area to
urban, non-cooperating in farms, low yields in production and milking, unproductive pastures,
increasing prices in feeds and labor and some problems for agricultural policies and
managements. However, the consumers’ demands for dairy products of high nutritional
and health value, has increased the popularity of dairy products from small ruminants.
This paper discusses the characteristics and technology procedures of some dairy products
made using small ruminants’ milk including different types of cheese and yogurt, butter,
ice cream, ayran, kefir and drinking milk. Also, a short statistical data on goat and sheep
production and the utilization status of their milk products are discussed.
