IDM ¦ Column
IDF symposium on goat,
sheep and other non-cow
milks goes digital
Author: Dr María Sánchez Mainar, DMV, PhD,
IDF Science and Standards Programme Manager
Good news for those interested
in the world of non-cow milks
as the 8th IDF International
Symposium on sheep, goat,
and other non-cow milk moves
to a digital format. Originally planned for May
2020 in Brussels, Belgium but postponed due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers
have decided on a new approach for the leading
event on milk originating from other ruminants
than cows.
The now exclusively digital event on 4-6
November 2020 will cover sustainability, nutrition,
animal health, milk production strategies
and processing technologies, quality and safety
from farm to table and novel milk products,
and will be of vital interest to scientists and
other professionals involved in the sheep's,
goat's and other non-cow dairy sectors.
“Those attending will have the opportunity
to learn about a suite of safe and nutritionally
valuable non-bovine milk products. Going
digital presents an opportunity to connect
with many more attendees from across the
globe on this important topic," said Dr María
Sánchez Mainar, DMV, PhD.
While cows produce much of the world’s
milk supply, goat, sheep, and other non-cow
milks are also widely distributed throughout
the world. The 1.84 billion goats and sheep
globally play a vital role in the lives of livestock
keepers, providing income and invaluable nutrition.
Their management is often done by
women, providing livelihoods and a path out
of poverty for many. The Symposium presents
a valuable opportunity to find out more about
this essential part of the dairy sector.
In-depth insights
Topics to be discussed on the agenda include
socio-economic sustainability, policies and social
aspects of non-cow milk production; Managing
sheep farm performances to improve
productivity and environmental performance;
The medicinal values of camel milk and its significance
for food security; Udder health and
mastitis in small ruminants; How processing of
sheep milk impacts human digestion; Development
of novel products based on donkey
milk; Processing technologies for non-bovine
milk: opportunities and challenges and why
somatic cell counts in goat milk matter.
"Among the benefits of this Symposium is
the opportunity to build a deep, mechanistic
knowledge of the health properties of non-
16 · September/October 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com
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