| Buffalo
- the Facts
• The domestic buffalo is descended from the wild
water buffalo
• The horns of all buffalo are triangular in section
• Most domestic water buffalo are found in the hot,
wet areas of the world where rice is produced
• Over 95% of water buffalo are found in Asia
• More than one-half of the remainder are found in
Africa, primarily Egypt
• The annual milk yield of good cows, depending on
strain, is between 1500 and 3000kg
• Buffalo milk contains 7-8% fat
The production of buffalo milk in the Asian-Pacific
region exceeds 45m tonnes annually
• Over 30m tonnes are produced in India alone
No difference in the nutritive value and digestibility
of milks from cow and buffalo
• Cholesterol content of buffalo milk is 0.65 mg/g
as compared to 3.14 mg/g for cow milk
• Buffalo
milk has 11.42% higher protein than cows milk
• Buffalo milk is superior to cows milk in calcium
(+9%), iron (+37.7%) and phosphorus (+118%)
• Buffalo metabolise all dietary carotene into vitamin
A, which is passed into the milk
• The presence of higher levels of immunoglobulins,
lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase make buffalo milk suitable
for special dietary and health foods
• Cheese made from buffalo milk displays typical
body and textural characteristics.
More specifically, where chewing and stringing properties
are specially desired as in the case of Mozzarella cheese
• Domestic
buffalo, in human care, are placid and patient.
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