How to Make and Sell Mala (Fermented Milk) in Kenya
- Heat-treat → cool to room temperature → add mala culture → ferment → cool → pack
- Mala ferments slowly at room temperature; yoghurt sets fast at about 42–45 °C
- Follow your culture supplier's time and temperature
- Licences: Kenya Dairy Board and KEBS
On this page
Mala vs Yoghurt: What Is the Difference?
| Mala (fermented milk) | Yoghurt | |
|---|---|---|
| Culture | Mesophilic (works at room temperature) | Thermophilic (works warm) |
| Fermenting | Slow, many hours at room temperature | A few hours at about 42–45 °C |
| Texture and taste | Drinkable, smooth, mildly sour | Thicker set, often sweetened and flavoured |
How to Make Mala Step by Step
- Test the milk on arrival: smell, lactometer and a freshness test. See how to test milk with a lactometer.
- Heat-treat it in a pasteurizer to kill unwanted bacteria. See pasteurization time and temperature.
- Cool it to the temperature your culture needs (room temperature for mala cultures).
- Add the culture, stir well, cover and leave it to ferment for the time the supplier gives.
- Check thickness and sourness; when ready, stir it smooth.
- Cool to about 4 °C to stop fermentation, then pack, seal and code the batch.
Pasteurizers for Mala
50 Liters Milk pasteuriserKSh 140,000
100l milk pasteuriser kenyaKSh 160,000
200 Liters Milk PasteuriserKSh 210,000
300 liters H-Tech milk pasteuriserKSh 270,000| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| 50 Liters Milk pasteuriser | KSh 140,000 |
| 100l milk pasteuriser kenya | KSh 160,000 |
| 200 Liters Milk Pasteuriser | KSh 210,000 |
| 300 liters H-Tech milk pasteuriser | KSh 270,000 |
Current listed prices incl. VAT (updated 20 October 2026).
Packing and Selling
Mala sells in sealed cups, pouches and bottles to shops, schools and milk bars. Keep it cold from packing to sale and print a batch number and use-by date on every pack. See cup filling and sealing machines and batch coding.
Approvals
Dairy processing needs a licence from the Kenya Dairy Board, and packaged products need KEBS certification, plus county permits for the premises.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping heat treatment: wild bacteria give off-flavours and gas.
- Fermenting too warm or too long: very sour, separated mala.
- Poor cleaning of cans and pasteurizer between batches.
- Breaking the cold chain after packing.
Watch: Milk chillers and pasteurizers
Frequently asked questions
How is mala made?
Milk is heat-treated, cooled to room temperature, inoculated with a mala culture and left to ferment for many hours until thick and mildly sour, then cooled and packed.
What is the difference between mala and yoghurt?
Mala uses a room-temperature culture and ferments slowly; yoghurt uses a warm culture and sets in a few hours at about 42–45 °C.
How long does mala take to ferment?
Many hours at room temperature; follow your culture supplier's instructions.
Do I need a licence to sell mala in Kenya?
Yes: a Kenya Dairy Board licence for processing and KEBS certification for packaged products.
What machine do I need to make mala?
A milk pasteurizer is the main machine, plus clean cans, a cooler and packing equipment.