A survey on the milk chemical and microbiological quality in dairy donkey farms located in NorthWestern Italy

There is a growing interest in donkey’s milk as food for sensitive consumers, such as infants with cow’s milk protein allergy and elderly people. The aim of this study was to carry out a survey on the dairy donkeys farming in Piedmont, Italy. The research was conducted in order to analyze the farm characteristics as well as the chemical and microbiological quality of milk. The donkey milk from Piedmont farms was characterized by a protein content around 1.5% and a fat content lower than 0.1%. Lysozyme activity was considerably higher than what reported in raw cow milk. The milk microbiological profile differed greatly among the farms, there was no significant difference between different seasons of the year. However, the farms practices of milking affect the microbiological quality of the milk. Samples were tested for several pathogens, negative results were observed except for the detection of B. cereus in one farm. The survey provided useful data for the laying down of a recent regional regulation for the production and commercialization of donkey’s milk. The results of the survey indicate that further research is needed in order to define the best management and nutritional strategies for the improvement of the quali-quantitative production of dairy donkeys.