Buyer protection
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Does cow's milk cheese taste different when a little donkey milk is added? A team from the University of Basilicata in southern Italy made a Caciotta, a popular Italian soft cheese, once from pure cow's milk and once with 5% donkey milk. After 10 and 45 days of ripening, 80 adult cheese consumers evaluated the samples. The result reversed with the ripening time: the pure cow's milk cheese came out on top when young, and the cheese with donkey milk after 45 days.
Consumer test on sensory properties (taste, appearance, texture) – no statement about an effect on humans. A cow's milk cheese with 5% donkey milk addition was evaluated. Donkey milk is a food.
Study profile
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Original title | Effect of the Addition of Donkey Milk on the Acceptability of Caciotta Cow Cheese |
| Authors | Cosentino C., Paolino R., Rubino M., Freschi P. |
| Journal | Animals, 12(11): 1444 (Short communication) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Country | Italy |
| Study type | Sensory consumer test with chemical cheese analysis |
| Sample | 80 adults (41 men, 39 women, 21–58 years); two types of cheese, two ripening times |
| DOI | 10.3390/ani12111444 |
What question did the researchers ask?
Until now, there had been no data on how consumers accept a mixed Caciotta made from cow and donkey milk. In a preliminary study, the researchers wanted to know whether 5% donkey milk would change the evaluation of color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall impression after short and medium ripening.
How it was investigated
- Milk: Cow's milk from Friesian cows and donkey milk from Martina Franca donkeys, milked on the same day and analyzed in the laboratory.
- Cheesemaking: The cow's milk was pasteurized and divided into two 100-liter vats: one without and one with 5% donkey milk. This produced 1 kg wheels, ripened at 8–10 °C. The experiment was carried out twice.
- Tasting: 20 g of cheese with a random three-digit code, in random order, in individual booths. Evaluated on a 9-point scale (hedonic scale: 1 = extremely unpleasant, 9 = extremely pleasant).
- Evaluation: Comparison of the cheese types and ripening times using analysis of variance.
The results
The raw milks differed significantly: donkey milk contained 0.32% fat and 1.51% protein, cow's milk 4.48% fat and 3.31% protein; in terms of lactose, donkey milk was higher at 6.37% than cow's milk at 4.53%. In the finished cheeses, however, dry matter, protein, fat, and ash did not differ statistically – only the pH was lower in the mixed cheese (4.60 after 45 days instead of 4.93). The ratings:
| Feature | Cow, 10 days | With donkey milk, 10 days | Cow, 45 days | With donkey milk, 45 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color | 7.24 | 7.02 | 6.76 | 7.38 |
| Aroma | 7.13 | 6.64 | 6.64 | 7.11 |
| Taste | 7.27 | 6.62 | 6.87 | 7.51 |
| Texture | 6.78 | 6.89 | 7.00 | 7.24 |
| Overall impression | 7.29 | 6.71 | 6.87 | 7.56 |
Means on the 9-point scale. After 10 days, the pure cow's milk cheese came out on top in taste (p = 0.022) and overall impression (p = 0.031). After 45 days, the cheese with donkey milk was rated better in color (p = 0.002), aroma (p = 0.020), taste (p = 0.004), and overall impression (p = 0.001). There was no difference in texture at any time.
With 5% donkey milk, the young Caciotta was rated slightly worse, and the longer ripened one slightly better than the pure cow's milk cheese. All four samples were in the pleasant range above 6 points.
Critical assessment
- Sample: 80 habitual cheese eaters, recruited via posters at the university – not representative. It is not explicitly stated in the paper whether the same people evaluated all four cheeses.
- Text and table: The text calls the aroma difference after 10 days significant (p < 0.05), while Table 2 states p = 0.051.
- Statistics: The interaction of cheese type and ripening time was supposed to be non-significant, although the ranking reversed. How the two experimental runs were included remains unclear.
- Scope: Short communication, described by the authors themselves as preliminary; no trained expert panel, no aroma compound analysis.
- Not investigated: Shelf life or probiotic properties, which the authors mention in the discussion, were not measured.
Funding, conflicts of interest, and level of evidence
The study was funded by the Rural Development Program of the Basilicata Region (INNOPROLATTE Project). The authors declare no conflicts of interest; according to the paper, the funder had no influence on the study. All participants gave their consent.
Level of evidence: sensory consumer test on humans – describes taste preferences, no statement about effects.
What does this mean for donkey milk as a food?
The study shows that even a small proportion of donkey milk can change the judgment of a cheese – and that ripening time plays a role. It says nothing about pure donkey milk cheese and nothing about health issues.
Our research question: How do the aroma and texture of cheese with donkey milk develop during ripening – and how do we describe the flavor profile transparently?
Frequently asked questions
What is a Caciotta?
A soft to semi-hard cheese widely spread in Italy, made from cow, sheep, goat, or buffalo milk and ripened for a short or longer period.
How much donkey milk was in the cheese?
5% of the milk in the vat. The rest was pasteurized cow's milk. It is therefore a cow's milk cheese with a donkey milk content.
What does the 9-point scale indicate?
It measures how pleasant people find something. 6 means "slightly pleasant", 7 "moderately pleasant". It measures preferences, not quality or ingredients.
You can find all measurements, interactive graphics, and the full critical assessment on our research page: Study 85: Caciotta with 5% donkey milk in a consumer test. Further studies in the research archive.
Cosentino C., Paolino R., Rubino M., Freschi P. (2022). Effect of the Addition of Donkey Milk on the Acceptability of Caciotta Cow Cheese. Animals, 12, 1444. DOI: 10.3390/ani12111444
Summarized and reviewed by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team based on the original publication · As of: October 2026. This summary does not replace the original work.
End of the study summary. The study was conducted independently of DON DONKEY'S® and does not refer to our products. Our donkey cheese and our donkey milk are foods.
