A qualitative exploration of fermented milk processing traditionally practiced by the pokot ethnic group of Karamoja in Uganda

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dc.contributor.authorOwiny Emmanuel
dc.contributor.authorOyet Sunday Mark
dc.contributor.authorChemutai Doreen
dc.contributor.authorKitambo Enos
dc.contributor.authorMuggaga Christopher
dc.contributor.authorOkello Uma-Ipolto
dc.date.accessioned2026-09-22T13:59:45Z
dc.date.available2026-09-22T13:59:45Z
dc.date.issued2026-07-09
dc.descriptionAcknowledgement: The authors express sincere gratitude to the caregivers and household heads from the study districts for their time, cooperation, and willingness to participate in this research. We also appreciate the support provided by local leaders, district agricultural officers, and Village Health Teams, whose facilitation and guidance were invaluable in accessing the communities and conducting data collection effectively.
dc.description.abstractTraditional food processing methods have the potential to combat malnutrition while providing sustainable livelihoods in communities such as the Karamojong devasted by a high burden of malnutrition and associated health consequences. The purpose of the current study was to document the traditional milk processing among the Pokot community in Karamoja subregion of Uganda, specifically focusing on the sour milk. A qualitative study involving five key informants and 46 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) participants was employed. We found that traditional knowledge of fermenting milk is passed by the older women to younger generations while in their childhood. We also observed that the Pokot ethnic community used burnt plant parts for treating fermentation vessels. Calabash or gourds were the most common fermentation vessels though some households used plastic jerricans as fermentation vessels. A traditionally fermented milk locally known as lolon, follows seven key steps: cleaning of the gourds, milking, sieving, boiling, defatting, fermentation, and draining. Our study demonstrates that milk processing by traditional methods by the Pokot ethnic community is culturally entrenched, initiated when the women are at a young age. Cultural identity associated with the milk processing among the Pokot reinforces food systems, therefore, we recommend the need for further empirical research beyond the current exploration such as innovations for improving and optimizing the process steps to improve food security and nutrition among the Pokot community in Karamoja subregion.
dc.identifier.citationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ferfo.2026.100016
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/942
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.subjectFermented milk Traditional knowledge Traditional foods Pokot community Pastoralism Karamoja subregion Uganda
dc.titleA qualitative exploration of fermented milk processing traditionally practiced by the pokot ethnic group of Karamoja in Uganda
dc.typeArticle

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