Best Practices for managing Awassi Sheep and milk processing 5 Best Practices for Managing Awassi Sheep 5- and Milk Processing

The information in this booklet was compiled by: Muhi El-Dine Hilali and Adnan Termanini. English Version by: Muhi El-Dine Hilali

Illustration, layout and design by: Fahed Hariri, English version by: Muhi El-Dine Hilali

Photography by: Adnan Termanini

For more information please contact: Dr. Barbara Rischkowsky [email protected] ICARDA, C/O ILRI , P. O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Phone: +251 11 617 2283 Fax: +251 11 617 2001

Electronic copy can be found on: www.icarda.org

Milk and milk processing 5 Foreword This booklet is part of a ten-part series of technical Guidelines describing ‘Best practices for managing Awassi sheep’ – the dominant sheep breed in Contents several countries across the Middle East. The series is targeted at sheep Good quality milk...... 6 farmers and milk processors, and provides practical, easy-to-follow advice on managing Awassi sheep under dryland conditions. Evaluation of Milk Quality...... 7 Efficient husbandry, feeding and milk processing are crucial in management Milk contamination...... 8 of Awassi sheep in dry areas; but many small-scale producers are unfamiliar Dealing with Milk and Milk Tools...... 9 with simple productivity-enhancing practices. This series aims to fill this Milking...... 10 information gap, enabling farmers to increase their income from livestock Factors affecting the Quality...... 11 while using resources more efficiently and sustainably. Processing of products...... 12 The series draws on the practical experience of researchers, as well as the extensive literature, to capture scientific and local knowledge in an easily ...... 13 accessible format in the local language. The bulletins are organized in ac- ...... 14 cordance with sheep management calendar,and describe the management Butter oil (Ghee)...... 15 of Awassi ewes during important physiological stages over the year. Supple- Labneh...... 17 mentary guidelines provide additional information on each stage. White ...... 18 These booklets were produced as part of an IFAD-ICARDA project, Scal- ing up best practices for managing Awassi dairy sheep to small- scale sheep Feta cheese...... 20 farmers in West Asia, implemented in Syria and Lebanon in collaboration Halloumi cheese...... 22 with IFAD development projects in both countries. Mousannara cheese...... 24 We would like to thank all those involved in the preparation of these guide- Jameed...... 26 lines and also for IFAD’s financial support to this important project. We Ricotta (Karisheh)...... 27 expect these booklets will be useful to sheep farmers, milk processors, ex- tension staff, as well students of agriculturaldevelopment and knowledge Surkeh...... 28 transfer. Shinklish...... 29

Dr. Nadim Khori Mahmoud Solh Dr. Mahmoud El Solh Director, Near East and North Africa Division Director General ICARDA Program Management Department, IFAD Good quality milk Evaluation of milk quality

Good quality milk is obtained from healthy animals and can be To obtain good milk and high quality products, farmers should fol- processed into different dairy products with high quality, that could low correct ways when dealing with milk. be sold at a higher prices. Good quality milk is a guarantee for consumer health.

• Exclude milk from sick animals or those being treated with an- tibiotics. • Apply the instructions for the withholding period for milk rec- Good quality milk is characterized by the following: ommended by the manufacturing company when vaccines and • Good taste, aroma, and flavor, and is creamy white in color antibiotics are used, • Free of impurities, drug, medicine traces (such as antibiotics) • Milk should be checked before being processed to ensure of its and pesticide residues. validity by using sensory tests and chemical and microbial analy- • Low microbial load and free of diseases’ agents and has good sis to ensure safety. preservation quality and does not spoil quickly (long expiry pe- riod). Reasons for bad flavor, smell or color changes of the milk • Acidity. To obtain good quality milk, workers who are dealing with milk • Chemicals, drugs and bleaches, such as contamination with de- should be aware of general health rules taking the followings points tergents and disinfectants. into consideration. • Feed type or polluted atmosphere. • Wash hands and milk processing utensils and tools with clean • Boiling low quality milk. water and soap before dealing with the milk. • Presence of smokes. • Trim nails periodically. • Microbial spoilage. • Wear special clean clothes and rubber boots. • Rancid milk, as it happens to cow milk at the end of the season. • Do not deal with the milk if you are infected with diseases and • Oxidation due to the presence of heavy metals (such as copper). skin inflammations, particularly hands and head. • Exposure to light. • Take a shower periodically.

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 6 7 Milk contamination Dealing with milk and milk tools

Milk containers and utensils Containers and other utensils should: Sources for milk contamination • be made of materials suitable for foods, such as food grade stain- • Udder. less steel. Avoid tools made of copper and its alloys, because cop- • Milk man hands. per causes oxidation and rancidity and gives non agreeable taste • Un-clean milk utensils. • have a smooth surface and be devoid of scratches and rusts • Deformed milk utensils. • have wide openings to facilitate its cleaning • Storing and transportation utensils. • be used only for milk and milk products. • Environment (dust, chemicals and insects). • Sick animals. Cleaning and sterilization of milk’ utensils and tools • Sick milk man. Cleaning is to get rid of dirt and milk traces whereas sterilization is getting rid of bacteria. Importance of water • Milk container and other utensils should be cleaned immediately Water is extensively used in milk production and and regularly after each use. processing, it is important in washing processes and in indirect • Washing with water is not sufficient and chemical disinfectants heating and cooling. Hence, water should be clean and free of pol- such as alkaline detergents (caustic soda) and acidic detergents lutants (pesticides and bacteria). This will protect your health and such as sodium hypochlorite should be added (at the recom- that of your animals, and prevent contamination and spoilage of mended rates clarified in the leaflet associated with the refill) to milk and dairy products. kill microorganisms.

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 8 9 Milking Factors affecting the quality

Contamination Unclean receptacles and dust increase the microbial load and re- duce the milk preservation period. Thus, it is important to ensure the cleanliness of container and to cover them during transporta- 1 tion. Milking should be done at the same time of the day and by the same Storage temperature person. As temperature increases, the growth of bacteria increases at high Dry the udder with a clean tis- Wash and dry the udder with a clean tissue before milking. rate, leading to milk acidification. Thus, make sure of maintaining sue after washing it Disinfect the teats after milking in a hypochlorite solution (such as the low temperature of milk by using insulated containers or plac- Chlorox) at 4%. A tea spoon full of Chlorox is added to small tea ing ice blocks around them. cup of clean water, alternatively an iodine solution available on the Time delay 2 local market Time between milking and milk cooling is of prime importance. The Cleaning and drying the udder prior to milking helps in getting At the beginning, bacteria reproduce slowly but the reproduction rid of dirt attached to the udder and promotes process. becomes very quick after two hours when every 20 to 30 minutes a new generation appears. If milk cannot be cooled during transpor- Use a cup to get rid of the first tation, you must make sure that milk arrives to the center within milk droplets Milk cooling • Milk should be cooled directly after milking to limit bacterial two hours maximum. growth Light exposure` • The optimum temperature for milk storage is 2 - 4°C. This tem- Milk is sensitive to light. Direct exposure to sunlight affects fat 3 perature should be attained within two hours maximum after quality and some vitamins, leading to a disagreeable taste. milking. Milk cooling is essential when there is a long expected Excessive period between milking and processing Milk fart is influenced by milk churning that may lead to its oxi- Milking should be completed • It is recommended to process the milk immediately if no refrig- dation. For this reason, milk churn should be filled well to avoid within 10 minutes erator is available. churning effect during transportation

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 10 11 Processing of dairy products Cream

Benefits of milk processing Cream is obtained through fat separation by layering or by cen- • Increased income trifugation (cream separator) • Improved nutrition • Add value • Improve the quality and safety

Pasteurization is the first step in milk processing. It includes heating of milk and its derivatives to 65°C for 30 minutes. This leads to the death of bacteria and other micro- organisms that affect the consumer’s health. 1 2 3 Pasteurization makes milk consumption safe and increases its preservation period. The best way for milk pasteurization is the indirect heating, by putting milk receptacle in a bigger one containing water (water bath), and heating the external receptacle con- Milk filtration Milk heating (50°C) Separation by centrifugation at taining water directly by using direct heat source. (50°C) Low temperature long time pasteurization means heating the milk at 65°C for 30 min, and is suitable for treating milk prior to cheese processing. High temperature sort time pasteurization means heating the milk at 72°C for 15 second, and is suitable for treating relatively big amounts of milk (more than 250 liter).

Sterilization 4 Treatment with ultra-high temperature (UHT): This treatment is carried out in big plants by using special equipment at 135-140°C at least and under high hygiene con- ditions to preserve liquid milk for six month duration without a need for refrigera- tion. Cream sterilization (90°C) followed by cooling

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 12 13 Butter Butter oil (Ghee)

Butter is obtained through concentrating milk fat to at least to 80% Butter oil is milk fat devoid of water and is obtained by water evap- and moisture content is 16%, solid fat 2%, salts 2%. Butter quality oration from cream or butter. declines if moisture content is higher than 16%.

1 2 3 Butter oil (ghee) contains 99% fat and is used for cooking pur- poses. Processing ghee from butter is less energy consuming as Cream heat treatment Cooling (45°C) Culturing with a dairy culture compared with processing ghee from cream. (90-95°C) (2%)

4 5 6 7 8

Incubation Churning Forming and packaging Butter is heated on low heat Filling and packaging (45°C for 2-3 hours) until water evaporates and tem- then cooling (8°C) perature rise to about 120-125°C

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 14 15 Yoghurt & labaneh

Yoghurt is a semi solid product produced by milk fermentation.

For manufacturing of yoghurt, fresh and healthy milk (low microbial load), free of antibiotics and detergents should be used. Do not use or milk from infected udders in yoghurt manufacturing. 5 6 7 1

Inoculation (2-3%) Incubation (45°C for 3-4 h) Cooling (4-8°C) Milk filtration Marketing and consumption

Labneh Labaneh is the product obtained by condensing yoghurt 8 9 2 3 4

Filling of yoghurt in cotton sac After yoghurt concentration, Milk heat treatment Filling Cooling (45°) for separation paste is packed in suitable (90-95°C for 15-30 min) containers

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 16 17 White cheese

Cheese is a semi solid product, obtained by rennet milk coagula- tion. Milk used for cheese manufacturing should be of high qual- ity and should be filtered. Pasteurization at 63-65°C for 30 minutes should be carried before cheese manufacturing.

White cheese is an optimal product for small producers. The yield is estimated to be 1 kg cheese per 3 – 4 liters of and 8 liters for and cows’ milk. Because it is a fresh product, it should be preserved refrigerated. 4 5 6 White cheese may be consumed directly. it is possible to boil the cheese without a change in its form.. Rennet preparation Rennet addition Cutting after 60 min, Rennet is dissolved in water Coagulation within leave for 10 min and then steer according instructions 20-30 min for 5 min.

1 2 3 7 8 9

Milk filtration Milk Pasteurization Cooling (38°C) Molding Pressing (1-6 h) Cutting cheese in cubes, salting (63-65°C for 30 min) and leave for an hour

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 18 19 Feta cheese

Salted white cheese made from sheep or goats’ milk, preserved in salt solution for 5 – 6 months. Each 4 kg of milk give 1 kg of cheese

4 5 6

Add a dairy culture (0.1-0.3%) Add the rennet so as the curd Curd cutting to cubes of is ready to cutting within 2-3 cm and leave for 15 min, 50-60 min steer to separate whey

1 2 3

Milk filtration Milk Pasteurization Cooling (32°C) 7 8 9 (63-65°C for 30 min)

Whey is separated after mold- Cutting cheese to the suitable Cheese is conserved in (16%) ing and pressing till next day. size and salted by salt sprin- salt solution, and is ready for Curd is molded in cheese cloth kling marketing and consumption and in wooden frames.

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 20 21 Halloumi cheese

A white cheese that can be melted when heated. Each 5 liter of sheep milk, 9 liter of cows or goats’ milk yields around 1 kg of cheese that is preserved for several months in brine. .

1 2 3 7 8 9

Milk filtration Milk heating to (34°C) Rennet addition Pressing for 2-3 hours. During Cheese is cut into pieces of Put cheese pieces into the hot (coagulation must be done this period the resulted whey is 3×10×10 cm. whey. Cheese pieces are left till within 20-30 min) heated to 80-90°C. they float on the whey (around 30 min).

4 5 6 10 11 12

Curd cutting into cubes The curd is steered gently with Crud molding using cheese- Kneading and pressing warm Cheese is cooled on a table for Cheese pieces are stored in tins (3-4 cm after 40-50 min) temperature raise to 40-42°C cloth and wooden frames cheese pieces several time to 20-30 min. Salt (3-5%) and dry filled with brine (around 15% during 30 min for 20 min become elastic. mint are sprayed and the pieces salt). Marketing and consump- are folded. tion.

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 22 23 Mousannara cheese

White cheese obtained from sheep, goats or cows’ milk and is being boiled after processing. This cheese can be grilled. .

4 5 6

Curd is cut into cubes of 1-2 Curd packaging and pressing Cheese is cut into small cubes cm after 60 min for 2-4 hours of 2×3×3 cm. Salting and rest- ing till the next day. 1 2 3

Milk filtration The milk is warmed to 34-38°C Rennet addition (coagulation within 29-30 min) 7 8 9

Boiling in salt solution (10%) Cheese cooling over a table and Preservation is a saturated for 5 min black seeds added brine and is ready for market- ing and consumption

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 24 25 Jameed Ricotta (Karisheh)

Jameed is a by-product of ghee processing. It is a dry acidic and There are two types of cottage cheese, sweet which is processed salted churned with solid texture and its preser- from cheese whey and acidic cottage cheese from skimmed milk, vation does not need refrigeration. from which Sourki and Shankleesh are processed.

1 2 3

Heat the skimmed milk to Collecting the curd formed and Pressing 50-60°C for 30-60 min without gently place it over a cheese- moving cloth or in cotton sac

4 5 1 2 3

Heating cheese whey until Collecting curd and put it in a Packaging and consumption Salting and kneading. Forming into small balls (8-12 boiling . A 10% of milk may be cotton sac or processed into Sourki and cm) and set to dry in a shady added. Shankleesh and well ventilated place.

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 26 27 Surkeh Shinklish

Sourki is produced from ripening and drying cottage cheese.. Shankleesh is a tradtional dairy product of fungal ripening Sourki.

1 2 3

Heat skimmed milk till boiling Transfer crud to cotton sacs Add salts and spices (such as for few minutes and then cool- and leave for draining at room black seed, red pepper and saf- ing it to the room temperature temperature till obtaining a flower) for crud to precipitate relatively dry crud 4 5 6

Forming into balls and leave it Packaging in closed containers Washing and dipping in fine 4 5 drying aerobically for 2-4 days and leave for several months green thyme. for fermentation.

Forming into balls and set to Dip the balls in green fine dry aerobically for 2-4 days thyme

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 28 29 To preserve milk and milk products quality

• Wash milk receptacles after use, • Do not use milk containers and utensils to store other things, • Do not transport milk with other materials and you should label “For Milk Only” on the refills, • Maintain the milk cool as much as possible, • Milk should be permanently covered to protect it from dusts and sun radiation, • Milk should be quickly transported to processing center, • Odors affect milk and reduce its value, do not smoke or deal with other material such as diesel and gasoline near the milk or dur- ing its processing, • Avoid excessive churning/agitation.

Milk and milk processing Milk and milk processing 30 31 Best Practices for Managing Awassi Sheep 1 Mating Period 2 Pregnancy 3 Lambing 4 Lactation Period 5 Milking and Milk Processing 6 Sheep Selection 7 Health Care Guide 8 Feed Reference Guide 9 Preparing Urea Treated Straw 10 Body Condition Scale 11 Lamb Fattening

ICARDA MH-16 Jul 2019