ABSTRACT
The history of fermented milks dates back to early civilizations around 10,000 BC where milking animals were fi rst domesticated. Today, a great number of fermented milks are produced at local or industrial scale. Tamime and Robinson (2007) classifi ed the fermented milks into three groups: (1) lactic fermentation products (mesophilic, thermophilic and probiotic), (2) yeast/lactic fermentation products, and (3) mold/lactic fermentation products. Yogurt and kefi r which have economical importance are the most popular members of groups 1 and 2, respectively. Koumiss-a fermented milk product native to Central Asia-has also gained popularity during the last two decades owing to its high nutritive value and therapeutic properties. Until now, numerous scientifi c researches have been conducted to fully understand the microbiological and technological properties, and healthpromoting effects of fermented milks. The microbiology, biochemistry and health-promoting properties of yogurt, kefi r and koumiss will be discussed hereafter. Surely, there are many more fermented milk products which have different microbiological, chemical, physical and sensory characteristics around the globe. The following are recommended for further reading regarding processing technologies and characteristics of other fermented milk products including Nordic/Scandinavian fermented milk products and cultured/sour/fermented cream (Fonden et al. 2006, Lyck et al. 2006, Tamime 2002).
