Detection of water adulteration in camel milk by freezing point

This Research Communication aimed to establish reference freezing point (FP) values for raw Bactrian and dromedary camel milk and to evaluate the detectability of water dilution up to 30% using the cryoscopy method. A total of 38 milk samples from healthy camels in Kazakhstan were analysed. Pure Bactrian camel milk exhibited FP values between -0.542°C and -0.799°C, while dromedary milk ranged from -0.527°C to -0.655°C. Progressive dilution caused a significant linear increase in FP in both species (p < 0.0001). Although a 10% water addition resulted in measurable changes, natural variability may mask slight adulteration. FP showed weak correlations with protein and pH, with species-specific differences. These results provide reliable reference values for the FP and confirm the possibility of detecting adulteration of camel milk.