Insights into a traditional Iranian food, “Kashk” as a promising candidate for functional food: A literature Review

Abstract

The traditional foods of many nations can be a platform for the development and introduction of functional foods. Iranian kashk is a fermented milk product obtained by adding water to yogurt, churning butter, adding salt, and then drying the product. This review was aimed to provide insight into all aspects of introducing chemical and nutritional components, production stages, further improvement, and enrichment. This review will also look at the types of microbial and chemical contamination found in kashk. Traditional Iranian kashk contains valuable protein, mineral content, and probiotics (such as types of Lactobacilli, Enterococci, Bifidobacteria, and Pediococci), alongside functional peptides with healing functionality. Therefore, kashk can be a good candidate for further development as a functional food. However, due to the traditional preparation and manufacturing process, the production of kashk contains all the challenges and contaminations associated with dairy foods. The presence of microbial contaminants, chemical toxins, and heavy metals such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium spp., Aspergillus spp., aflatoxins, phthalates, PCBs, iron, copper, lead, and arsenic must be considered. Moreover, it is necessary to adopt strategies to reduce them to develop a functional and safe product. This study, the first of its kind, filled the gap in the comprehensive evaluation of Iranian kashk and presented a comprehensive picture of its platform for the supply of functional foods. 

Keywords: Functional Foods; Kashk, Probiotics; Lactobacillus spp.; Nutrition