Probiotic Dairy Innovations: Exploring Buffalo Milk Potential for Food Product Development
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(Published version)
Date
2025
Authors
Habiba, M.U.
Augustin, M.A.
Varela, C.
Morris, H.
Rahman, M.M.
Bozkurt, H.
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Journal article
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Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 2025; 24(4):e70236-1-e70236-32
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Mst. Umme Habiba, Mary Ann Augustin, Cristian Varela, Helen Morris, Md. Morshedur Rahman, Hayriye Bozkurt
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Abstract
Buffalo milk has emerged as a promising substrate for probiotic dairy innovations due to its distinctive nutritional profile and diversemicrobial community. This review critically examines the current knowledge on buffalo milk and its potential applications in developing functional probiotic dairy products. Buffalo milk offers a rich matrix of bioactive components, with higher levels of fat, vitamin A, and biotin, along with comparable calcium content but lower sodium levels relative to cow milk. These compositional differences may have implications for calcium absorption and retention. Lower sodium levels support calcium balance, whereas higher saturated fat content may reduce calcium absorption efficiency, highlighting the need for further study. The review explores the microbial diversity of buffalo milk, emphasizing the prevalence of lactic acid bacteria and other probiotic candidates, and discusses their suitability for use in fermented dairy products such as yoghurt, kefir, and cheese. Innovative processing strategies, including microencapsulation and non-thermal technologies, are assessed for their roles in enhancing probiotic survival and product quality. Additionally, global regulatory frameworks and safety considerations for probiotic dairy products are outlined, alongwith advanced analytical approaches such as metagenomics andmetabolomics for product evaluation. Despite its promising attributes, significant knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding probiotic strain performance, nutrient bioavailability, consumer acceptance, and clinical validation of health benefits specific to buffalo milk-based products. Addressing these gaps through targeted research will support the development of high-value, health-promoting functional dairy products derived from buffalo milk, particularly in regions where buffalo farming contributes to sustainable food systems.
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© 2025 The Author(s). Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.