Bacterial microbiota composition of fresh unpasteurized cow's milk and home-made and commercially available fermented milk products.

The anti-allergic properties of raw and fermented cow's milk are being explored globally.1,2 Traditionally fermented milk (isiXhosa - 'amasi') is consumed regularly by rural South African communities. To produce amasi, unpasteurized milk is left for three to five days to naturally ferment at room temperature. Commercially fermented amasi (CFA) is produced from pasteurized milk reseeded by microorganisms (commercially available starter cultures) and allowed to ferment. In South Africa, the process of commercial milk pasteurisation is standardized and comprise heating to 72 degrees Celsius for at least 15 seconds and not longer than 25 seconds followed by rapid cooling.