Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field Research
The camel milk market’s rapid expansion necessitates strategies that ensure raw milk quality and safety, particularly in small-scale production. This study examines smallholder farmers in Haixi, Qinghai Province, China, where traditional practices intersect with modern standards. Analyzing 80 raw ca...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1090 |
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| author | Hui Yang Demtu Er Yuning Liu Hongxia Ling Rili Ge |
| author_facet | Hui Yang Demtu Er Yuning Liu Hongxia Ling Rili Ge |
| author_sort | Hui Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The camel milk market’s rapid expansion necessitates strategies that ensure raw milk quality and safety, particularly in small-scale production. This study examines smallholder farmers in Haixi, Qinghai Province, China, where traditional practices intersect with modern standards. Analyzing 80 raw camel milk samples, the study assessed risks like adulteration, microbial contamination, and nutritional variability. DNA testing and microbial assays revealed that 66.67% of hand-milked samples were adulterated with cow milk, a significantly higher rate than mechanically processed samples (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Manual milking also showed higher microbial counts (up to 2.05 × 10<sup>4</sup> CFU/mL) and somatic cell levels, indicating hygiene issues. Nutritional analysis found that grazing systems yielded milk with more vitamin A, B2, and potassium, while semi-intensive systems had higher ash content. A quality evaluation framework was developed, combining pastoralist knowledge with rapid diagnostic tools, focusing on mechanization, cold-chain efficiency, and community training. This framework provides strategies to reduce adulteration, ensure nutritional consistency, and align small-scale production with international standards. The study proposes culturally adaptive quality control methods to protect consumer health, support rural livelihoods, and standardize the camel milk market. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c030bf46d7ec4cab8b25c05b8336ee8f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-c030bf46d7ec4cab8b25c05b8336ee8f2025-08-20T03:06:24ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-03-01147109010.3390/foods14071090Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field ResearchHui Yang0Demtu Er1Yuning Liu2Hongxia Ling3Rili Ge4College of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, ChinaNorthern Agriculture and Livestock Husbandry Technical Innovation Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 010010, ChinaQinghai Province Shangpin Camel Milk Co., Ltd., Xining 810010, ChinaCollege of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, ChinaThe camel milk market’s rapid expansion necessitates strategies that ensure raw milk quality and safety, particularly in small-scale production. This study examines smallholder farmers in Haixi, Qinghai Province, China, where traditional practices intersect with modern standards. Analyzing 80 raw camel milk samples, the study assessed risks like adulteration, microbial contamination, and nutritional variability. DNA testing and microbial assays revealed that 66.67% of hand-milked samples were adulterated with cow milk, a significantly higher rate than mechanically processed samples (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Manual milking also showed higher microbial counts (up to 2.05 × 10<sup>4</sup> CFU/mL) and somatic cell levels, indicating hygiene issues. Nutritional analysis found that grazing systems yielded milk with more vitamin A, B2, and potassium, while semi-intensive systems had higher ash content. A quality evaluation framework was developed, combining pastoralist knowledge with rapid diagnostic tools, focusing on mechanization, cold-chain efficiency, and community training. This framework provides strategies to reduce adulteration, ensure nutritional consistency, and align small-scale production with international standards. The study proposes culturally adaptive quality control methods to protect consumer health, support rural livelihoods, and standardize the camel milk market.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1090camel milk marketsmall-scale farmersquality evaluation systemHACCP frameworkadulteration detectionmicrobial safety |
| spellingShingle | Hui Yang Demtu Er Yuning Liu Hongxia Ling Rili Ge Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field Research Foods camel milk market small-scale farmers quality evaluation system HACCP framework adulteration detection microbial safety |
| title | Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field Research |
| title_full | Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field Research |
| title_fullStr | Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field Research |
| title_short | Risk Prevention and Quality Control in Camel Milk Collection: Insights from Field Research |
| title_sort | risk prevention and quality control in camel milk collection insights from field research |
| topic | camel milk market small-scale farmers quality evaluation system HACCP framework adulteration detection microbial safety |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1090 |
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