Innovative Strategies for Sicilian Donkey’s Milk Valorisation
"1) Setting-up of a market for high- quality pasteurized donkey milk in order to increase farming profitability, to create employment in high- quality donkey milk production, processing and commercialization, to develop rural areas and, in the long term, to promote the Sicilian economy.
2) Availability of functional foods with high nutraceutical attributes available for consumption to protect public health.
3) Encouragement of sustainable food production systems to protect the natural biodiversity of the Sicilian flora and fauna, the water resources, the climate and environment."
Sicilian donkey milk represents a niche food product from the autochthonous "Ragusana" donkey breed. The product is similar to human milk, low in casein and therefore considered hypoallergenic. It is considered a hypocaloric food being low in fat and cholesterol and at the same time a source of protein of high biological value and of calcium. Compared to milk from other species, donkey milk is rich in lysozyme with antibacterial activity which increases its stability. It also has immunostimmulating properties due to elevated levels of immunoglobulins and lactoferrin. The nutraceutical properties are still little known and not properly evaluated. Whereas the effects of farm management and animal nutrition have been well-studied concerning vaccine milk, the donkey milk production is still not well studied. It is limited and very expensive considering the facts that the jennies produce only approximately 1L per day and that there are only a few small donkey farms in Siciliy. So far, the consumption of donkey milk is not very popular, the milk is sold directly at the farm and the farms often are not able to invest in sanitising systems.
So far, there is no market for donkey milk because it is not well known and valorised despite its high nutraceutical value. In addition to the production of high quality pasteurized milk, immunostimmulating/-modulating food supplements with added value will be developed using freeze-dried donkey milk.
Both, the promotion of ecosustainable production systems and the cooperation between farms to rationalise joint actions will reduce energy consumption. The lyophilisation of the milk for the supplement production will save energy because of the reduced volumes and reduced need of cold chain systems.
The milk will be produced with with ecosustainable production systems from the autochthonous "Ragusana" donkey which is an endangered species. The donkeys will be fed on pasture in respect of the environment protecting the biodiversity of Sicilian flora and fauna.
Introduction of forage species with low water demand in areas liable to drought, such as Triticum aestivum and Lolium multiflorum diploide.
Development and application of ecosustainable draft donkey milk disciplinaries by focusing on autochthonous breeds and the use of spontaneous pastures for the production of high quality pasteurised milk with brand together with the quality specifications for the food supplements. In addition, two of the farms are organic and two Slow Food Presidia producers.
of Sicilian by-products from the Opuntia ficus and grape production for the food supplements.
So far, there is no donkey milk transforming industry in Sicily. To maintain the nutraceutical properties a mild milk sanitation procedure is needed. To increase commercial life maintaining product quality freeze-drying is needed. These methods need to be standardised and evaluated considering the levels of specific markers.
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