Donkey milk research · Study 194

Donkey milk yoghurt: what dietary fibre changes in texture and taste

A donkey milk yoghurt with passion fruit fibre reached an apparent viscosity of 824.7 mPa·s in the experiment, the highest value among the variants tested. In the sensory test, however, this very variant performed poorly. All donkey milk yoghurts contained significantly more lactic acid bacteria than the cow milk yoghurt.

Important: A food technology lab study on texture, microbiology and taste. It does not examine any health effect of donkey milk or yoghurt.

At a glance · swipe or use the arrows

The key figures

5yoghurt variants made

4of them from donkey milk

1cow milk control

3fibres: inulin, apple, passion fruit

824.7mPa·s with passion fruit fibre

4yoghurts in the sensory test

n/asize of the sensory panel

2021year of publication

8authors

Study design

How it was studied

Food technology lab study. Five yoghurts were made: plain donkey milk (DC), donkey milk with inulin (DI), with apple fibre (DAFF) and with passion fruit fibre (DPFF), plus a plain cow milk yoghurt as control (CC). Physico-chemical and microbiological parameters were measured, including pH, colour, apparent viscosity and lactic acid bacteria counts. Four yoghurts were then assessed in a sensory test (DC, DPFF, CC and a cow milk yoghurt with passion fruit fibre). Assessed based on the abstract; the full text was not available to the editorial team. Fibre amounts, starter cultures, storage time, measured values other than viscosity and the size of the sensory panel are therefore not known.

Laboratory study

Study typeLaboratory study (food technology)CountryBrazilYear2021JournalLWT

Results

What the study measured

The donkey milk yoghurts contained significantly more lactic acid bacteria than the plain cow milk yoghurt.

pH and colour depended on both the type of milk and the added fibre. The abstract gives no specific values.

The donkey milk yoghurt with passion fruit fibre reached the highest apparent viscosity of the variants at 824.7 mPa·s.

Based on these results, four yoghurts were tested for sensory attributes: plain donkey milk, donkey milk with passion fruit fibre, and cow milk plain and with passion fruit fibre.

According to the authors, adding passion fruit fibre led to low acceptance – despite the thicker texture.

Authors’ conclusion: Passion fruit fibre provided the highest apparent viscosity but lowered sensory acceptance. The study shows differences in texture, colour and bacterial counts under laboratory conditions; it says nothing about nutritional effects of the fibres or the yoghurts.

Critical appraisal

Strengths and limitations

Only the abstract assessedClear limitation

Fibre amounts, starter cultures, variability and almost all measured values other than viscosity are missing. Funding and conflicts of interest could not be checked.

Sensory test without key detailsNote

Panel size and composition and the rating scale are not stated. Acceptance can therefore only be assessed qualitatively.

Not all variants tastedNote

The yoghurts with inulin and apple fibre were not included in the sensory test. Their acceptance remains open.

Bacterial count is not an effectClear limitation

Higher lactic acid bacteria counts in yoghurt are a microbiological measurement. Any effect in humans was not studied.

Direct comparison with cow milkStrength

A cow milk yoghurt served as control, in the sensory test even with and without passion fruit fibre. This helps to separate the effects of milk type and fibre.

clear limitationnotestrength

Editorial note: The paper illustrates a typical challenge with donkey milk products: a thicker texture can be achieved with fibre, but it is not necessarily liked. As only the abstract was available, amounts and individual values remain open. The study provides no basis for claims about effects of the yoghurts. To the research archive.

Research question for DON DONKEY’S®

Can a yoghurt with a stable texture be made from thawed donkey milk without added fibre – and how do pH and lactic acid bacteria counts develop during chilled storage?

Laboratory studyYoghurtFood technology

Original publication

Impact of fiber-rich donkey milk yogurt on apparent viscosity and sensory acceptance

Original title: Impact of fiber-rich donkey milk yogurt on apparent viscosity and sensory acceptance

Salgado M.J.G., Ramos M.S., Assis D.J., Otero D.M., Oliveira R.L., Ribeiro C.V.D.M., Costa M.P., Oliveira C.A.A.
LWT – Food Science and Technology · 2021 · 145, 111494

Research group in Brazil (author affiliations were not fully available to the editorial team)

DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2021.111494

Transparency: funding and conflicts of interest could not be checked from the abstract. No product-related statement for DON DONKEY’S®.

Summarised and checked by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team against the original publication · As of: November 2026

End of the study summary

Note on our products

The study summarised above was carried out independently of DON DONKEY’S® and does not relate to our products. It serves solely to inform about the state of research.

DON DONKEY’S® donkey milk and donkey milk powder are foods. They are not intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease and do not replace medical advice.

From our shop

DON DONKEY’S® donkey milk

100 % donkey milk · raw milk, frozen

On this page we report the findings of a published study. Independently of that, you will find our donkey milk here: 100 % donkey milk, frozen as raw milk.

Transparency: The study examined milk from another herd – not the milk from our partner farms.

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Also in our shop

Donkey Milk Powder

Donkey milk in powder form

For anyone who prefers a longer shelf life: our donkey milk in powder form – easy to store and portion.

Transparency: The study did not examine our donkey milk powder.