Electrical Conductivity, pH, Minerals, and Sensory Evaluation of Airag (Fermented Mare's Milk).

Traditional airag (fermented mare's milk) is a sour, slightly alcoholic drink handmade by Mongolian nomads. As airag is not heated after production, the fermentation continues to proceed and the taste changes rapidly. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of the sensory taste evaluation of airag with some properties-electrical conductivity (EC), pH and concentrations of macro minerals (calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and sodium (Na))-of airag. We held an airag contest in Mogod county, one of the most famous airag production areas, in order to collect samples of airag for the analysis of airag properties and to conduct an airag taste evaluation by Mongolian people. The results of the statistical analysis indicated that the EC-value was related to the evaluation score of airag. Except for EC, no statistically significant relationship between the taste score and the other properties was found in this study. It was concluded that the EC-value would be a simple measurement indicator for evaluating the quality of airag on site.

Movements of dams milked for fermented horse milk production in Mongolia.

Airag, (Fermented horse milk) is a traditional milk product in Mongolia. Herders separate foals from their dams and tie them at a milking site during the daytime to produce airag. To evaluate the effects of horse management on the movement of dams, we tracked three dams in a herd in camp 1 during summer and camp 2 during autumn of 2013 and analyzed their movements during the milking (daytime) and non-milking (nighttime) periods in an area famous for its high-quality airag. Dams were gathered every 1.7 ± 0.0 h between 07.46 and 15.47 hours at the milking sites and milked 4.6 ± 0.2 times/day during the study period (86 days). Daily cumulative and maximum linear distances from the milking sites were longer (P < 0.01) during the non-milking period than during the milking period. Daily home ranges were 91 and 26 times greater during the non-milking period (P < 0.001) in camps 1 and 2, respectively. The greater range during the non-milking period would reflect the spatial distributions of water, salt and forage. The dams initially used similar areas and gradually shifted their daily home ranges after several days. This shift suggests that the dams grazed farther afield as forage availability declined around the milking site. For better airag production and sustainable pasture use, our results provide insights useful for evaluating the effects of milking management on vegetation and soil in those pastures, for selecting the appropriate milking times and frequency, and for choosing the right timing to shift milking sites.

Assessment of the Effects of Severe Winter Disasters (Dzud) on Public Health in Mongolia on the Basis of Loss of Livestock.

OBJECTIVE: Mongolia experienced one of its most severe natural winter disasters (dzud) in 2009-2010. It is difficult to accurately assess the risk of the effects of dzud on human lives and public health. This study aimed to evaluate the Mongolian public health risks of dzud by assessing livestock loss. METHODS: We analyzed data from all 21 provinces and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia and compared the changes in infant mortality (2009-2010) and the decline in the numbers of livestock (percentage change from the previous year), which included horses, cattle, camels, sheep, and goats (2009-2010) and/or meteorological data. We also evaluated the association among the trends in the infant mortality rate, the number of livestock, and foodstuff consumption throughout Mongolia (2001-2012). RESULTS: The change in the infant mortality rate was positively correlated with the rate of decreasing numbers of each type of livestock in 2010. Average temperature and total precipitation were not related to the change in the infant mortality rate. In the trend from 2001 to 2012, there was a significant positive correlation between the infant mortality rate and the number of livestock and the consumption of milk products. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of livestock and shortage of milk products leading to malnutrition might have affected public health as typified by infant mortality in Mongolia. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:549-552).