Quality characteristics and nutrient contents of Bactrian camel milk as determined by mid-infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

Reference methods for determining the contents of functional traits in camel milk are expensive and complex, hindering their widespread use. Mid-infrared technology has the advantages of fast, economic, batch processing for dairy detection. In the present study, mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) prediction models previously established based on cow milk were used to predict 1101 Bactrian camel milk samples in terms of fat, protein, lactose, total solids, total casein, β-casein, K, Ca, Na and Mg contents. The MIRS-predicted values for the 10 traits were close to the reference values, demonstrating the utility and efficiency of the proposed method. Furthermore, the quality characteristics of camel milk were compared with those of other dairy animals, confirming that it is a valuable and rich source of essential nutrients for humans.