More Facts about Buffalo Milk and Buffalo Milk Cheese
As for as minor constituents are concerned, higher amount of taurin (5.9 moles per 100 ml for buffalo versus 4.14 moles per 100 ml for cow) and lactoferrin (0.320 mg per ml for buffalo and 0.05 mg per ml for cow) in buffalo milk makes it a superior medium for infant foods and feeding. The higher lactoferrin (a naturally occurring antimicrobial substance in milk) content in buffalo milk gives it a better antimicrobial power and because of this fact, the frequency of occurrence of pathogenic organisms in raw buffalo milk available in the market is less than that in cow milk.
The vitamin A content of buffalo milk is higher than that in cow milk. Though the tocopherol content of cow milk is higher than that of buffalo milk, the higher fat content in buffalo milk more than makes it up. Moreover, the ascorbic acid in buffalo milk is more heat stable than that in cow milk.
The differences in physico-chemical properties of cow and buffalo milk are of significance in their characteristic functional and processing properties. The following table aptly summarizes and compares some of the important properties.
Physical property |
Buffalo milk |
Cow milk |
| Specific gravity at 20°C |
1.0323 |
1.0317 |
| Colour |
White |
Creamy yellow |
| Surface tension, dynes/cm at 20°C |
45.50 |
42.50 |
| Freezing point, in °C |
-0.5454 |
-0.530 |
| Redox potential, in volts |
+0.310 |
+0.258 |
| Titratable acidity, as % lactic acid |
0.16 |
0.15 |
| pH, at 20°C |
6.7 |
6.6 |
| Viscosity at 27°C in centipoises |
2.245 |
1.450 |
| Curd tension, in g |
32.85 |
28.54 |
| Electrical conductivity, mho/cm |
3.22-6.67 |
4.00-5.50 |
| Thermal conductivity, Kcal/h at 37°C |
0.569 |
0.46 |
| Heat capacity, Cal/g/°C at 30°C |
0.852 |
0.93-0.95 |
There is no difference in nutritive value and digestibility of milk and milk products prepared from cow and buffalo milk.
Cholesterol content
Contrary to popular perception, the cholesterol content of buffalo milk is 275mg/100g while the cholesterol content of cow milk is higher at 330mg/100g.
More proteins
Milk proteins obtained from buffalo milk has a higher protein energy ratio (PER) of 2.74 and that for cow milk proteins is 2.49. Quantitatively buffalo milk has 11.42 percent more proteins than cow milk.
Minerals
Important minerals like calcium, iron and phosphorous are present in a higher concentrations at 92, 37.7 and 118 percent respectively than those present in cow milk.
Vitamin A
Since Buffalo metabolizes all the carotene in to Vitamin A and is passed as such in milk (which is in turn responsible for the pure white colour of buffalo milk), the Vitamin A concentration of buffalo milk is significantly higher.
Profitability
Commercially buffalo milk is more viable for its higher fat and solids not fat (SNF) content and hence in the preparation of fat and SNF based dairy products.
Whey Proteins
The whey proteins of buffalo milk is more heat resistant and hence less affected by heat denaturation than that of cow milk.
Cheese
Cheese made from buffalo milk is known for its unique body and texture characteristics.
Healthy Dairy Food
With consumer awareness on the rise among the public, it is natural to search for health foods and the presence of different bio-protective factors render buffalo milk the ideal candidate in preparing special dietary and health foods.
Buffalo milk cheese
Cheese made from buffalo milk displays typical body and textural characteristics and unique in nature. Buffalo milk is preferred over cow milk where chewing and stringing properties are specifically desired as in the case of manufacture of Mozzarella cheese. Moreover, buffalo milk is the preferred commodity in preparing certain pickled cheeses of Middle east and traditional cheese varieties of India like paneer. The yield of Cheddar, Swiss, Cottage, Mozzarella and other types of cheeses is higher when prepared from buffalo milk and the sensory qualities of cheese (more so with cottage and Mozzarella cheese varieties) made from buffalo milk is far superior.
Italy, the home town of Mozzarella cheese, where fresh Mozzarella and Borelli cheeses belonging to the pasta filata varieties are traditionally made from buffalo milk. It is natural to see that in a country where buffalo milk predominates, there will be a variety of cheeses made from buffalo milk. The preference of population, more so in Western Europe, to cheese varieties made from buffalo milk has given a new dimension to the growth and development of buffalo milk cheese industry. The term “Mozzarella di bufala” in Italy has a legal protection as a product, strictly and solely made from buffalo milk. The superior gloss, good stretching and smooth texture associated with Mozzarella cheese is one of the best varieties of cheese that Italy has given to the rest of the world. Though Mozzarella is prepared from cow and mixed milk in rest of the world, the name “Mozzarella” is used only to refer to cheese that is made from only buffalo milk.
World over, dairy technologists are tirelessly working to find ways to prepare other cheese varieties with buffalo milk and one such example is Swiss cheese, known for its shiny eyes, a slightly woody texture, sweet fragrance and a hazelnut like flavor and they score over their Cheddar cheese counterparts because of the mild flavor. Attempts have been made successfully to prepare Swiss cheese by using a mixture of buffalo and cow milk in the ratio of 60:40 and the results are encouraging.
Another area where buffalo milk has made strong inroads is in the preparation of cheese spreads. They are popular for their mild flavor and the ease of use. Cheese spreads were successfully prepared from buffalo milk cheddar cheese. By evaluating the blends of emulsifying salts and chakka, the manufacture of cheese spreads from buffalo milk is standardized. Buttermilk solids can be used at different levels in processed cheese spreads to improve the economy of the operation and increase the functionality without affecting the overall organoleptic properties.
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