High temperature, humidity, and climate change affect the levels of flora in dairy products, and consequently, can alter the taste of products made from them, including popular cheeses like Italian Parmesan and Damietta cheese, according to AbdelMoneim Katilo, the CEO of Katilo Dairy Company in Egypt.
Katilo told “Food & Climate” that the dairy and cheese industry is facing increasing challenges due to climate change and rising temperatures. This has prompted European countries to reconsider the size of their herds and begin reducing their livestock numbers to limit the heat emissions resulting from raising them, which emits large quantities of methane gas.
On the sidelines of the third round of the Egyptian Ministry of Investment’s “Egypt Can Export” initiative, which launched in Damietta Governorate last week, Katilo pointed out that the difference in cow productivity between Egypt and some European countries remains significant.
In his interview with “Food & Climate,” Katilo added that this difference is clearly evident when comparing the production of Egypt and the Netherlands.
The impact of climate change and shifting production patterns isn’t limited to quantities; it extends to the very identity and taste of food products, especially cheeses, whose character is tied to the quality of milk, feed, and other inputs used in their production. Katilo elaborates on these and other details in the following interview:
As the president and founder of Katilo, have the repercussions of climate change already begun to appear in the dairy and cheese industry?
Climate change has a clear impact on food production, including the dairy industry. It’s no longer just a prediction; some countries have already begun addressing the effects of climate change on livestock, particularly regarding the heat emissions generated by cattle.
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In Europe, some countries have started reducing their livestock populations for this reason. In the Netherlands, for example, farms that once housed around 1,800 head of cattle now have only about 200. This is because there are restrictions on the number of cattle that can be raised, based on land area. Consequently, these countries have begun reducing livestock production to protect the climate and limit emissions.
But the situation in Egypt is different. There’s a trend toward increasing livestock and dairy production. Could this be a positive development?
In Egypt, we need to change the existing cattle breeds. Many other countries have already begun developing new breeds and have achieved clear results.
For example, some breeds produce around 40 liters of milk per cow per day, while the local Egyptian cow produces only about 7 or 8 liters.
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We always say that Egypt has about 5.5 million head of cattle, producing about 6 million tons of milk. In contrast, the Netherlands has roughly the same number of cattle, but produces about 25 million tons of milk annually.
So, the main difference isn’t just the number of cattle, but the productivity per head.
Does this difference in productivity extend to the quality and taste of Egyptian dairy products and cheeses?
Absolutely, because the final product is affected by the inputs used in the production process: what the cattle eat, what type of feed they receive, and their psychological state. All of these factors ultimately impact the final product.
We’re talking about the identity of food products, and unfortunately, we’ve lost a significant part of this identity. Only a few companies manage to maintain the identity of their products.
How can we preserve the identity of cheeses?
We maintain the identity of some cheeses, such as Roumi and Domiati, but there are other products that incorporate processed cheese, like some European cheeses.
In the Roumi cheese we’re discussing, the flavor can be derived from the natural flora (the natural microbiome of raw milk) present in the milk.
Ultimately, it depends on the manufacturing method. Do you rely on specific ingredients to achieve the desired flavor, or do you depend on the natural flora present in the milk?
High costs negatively impact the preservation of the identity of cheeses and dairy products. Other factors, such as the seasonality of production and drying times, also affect the cost.
What is the difference between using natural fat and vegetable fat?
The difference is the cost. For example, a ton of natural fat can cost around 600,000 Egyptian pounds, while vegetable fat costs around 70,000-80,000 Egyptian pounds, a difference of about ten times.
There is a significant difference between the two types of fat, and one of the factors we consider is the melting point.
Vegetable fats melt at 42 degrees Celsius (the temperature at which a human would die), while natural fats have a melting point of around 36 degrees Celsius, while the human body temperature is around 37 degrees Celsius.
According to this argument, natural fats help maintain arterial elasticity, while vegetable fats may contribute more quickly to atherosclerosis.
In light of climate change, how do you see the future of the dairy industry in Egypt?
We can’t talk about climate alone. There are other influential factors, most notably income levels, purchasing power, and the rising dollar exchange rate.
Today, the middle class in Egypt has shrunk considerably, from 34% of the population to 21%, with some statistics suggesting it has fallen as low as 19%.
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Looking at what has happened, we find that approximately 1% to 1.5% have moved from the middle class to the upper class, while a larger percentage have fallen into poverty. This is a significant indicator of living standards.
While inflation rates and prices have increased several times over, incomes have risen at a lower rate. When real consumer income declines, people tend to buy only the products they can afford and seek out basic food items that fit their means. This means that the decline in purchasing power poses a greater threat to the future of industry than climate change.