en تخصصي Special Original article Original article <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:115%">Background</span></span></b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:115%">: Kefir, a probiotic-rich fermented milk product, offers significant health benefits. However, its ethanol content remains a concern for halal compliance. This study assesses the impact of low-temperature fermentation on ethanol content, Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) viability, and antioxidant activity of milk kefir as key quality indicators relevant to halal compliance and potential health benefits.</span></span></span><br> <span style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt">Methods</span></span></span></b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt">: Milk kefir was fermented at 2&ndash;10 &deg;C using varying starter concentrations (5&ndash;50%) and analyzed for pH, LAB viability, ethanol content (determined by iodometric titration), and antioxidant activity (using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] method). Sensory properties were assessed using a hedonic quality test with 15 semi-trained panelists. Statistical analysis was conducted using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey&#39;s post hoc test (<i>p</i><0.05), and LAB growth kinetics were modeled using Gaussian regression. </span></span></span></span><br> <span style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:115%">Results</span></span></b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:115%">: Fermentation at low temperatures (2&ndash;10 &deg;C) for 72 h reduced ethanol levels (<0.5%), ensuring compliance with halal certification standards while maintaining optimal LAB growth (10⁷ Colony Forming Unit [CFU]/ml) and strong antioxidant activity (Half Maximal Inhibitory Concentration [IC₅₀] = 1.7586 parts per million [ppm]). The Gaussian kinetic model best represented LAB growth dynamics (R&sup2; = 0.948). The optimized kefir formulation with 50% starter concentration exhibited enhanced sensory properties and favorable probiotic characteristics.</span></span></span><br> <b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:107%">Conclusion</span></span></b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:107%">: In summary, low-temperature fermentation offers a practical approach to better control ethanol formation while maintaining LAB viability and enhancing antioxidant activity. These improvements support the production of kefir with more favorable quality attributes relevant to halal compliance and product acceptability; however, broader health-related claims should be confirmed in future studies through targeted metabolite profiling and expanded functional assays.</span></span><br> <br> <span style="line-height:107%"><b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="letter-spacing:.1pt">DOI:</span></span></span></b><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="letter-spacing:.1pt"> 10.18502/jfqhc.13.2.22141</span></span></span><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="letter-spacing:.1pt"></span></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Kefir, Fermentation, Lactic Acid Bacteria, Ethanol, Antioxidants 121 131 http://jfqhc.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1973-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 R.B. Satiyarti 0000-0002-2150-9143 No Department of Chemistry, State Islamic University Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, Indonesia N. Windayani nenengwinda.ftk@uinsgd.ac.id 0000-0002-7623-1960 Yes Department of Magister Science Education, State Islamic University Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, Indonesia T. Cahyanto No Department of Biology, State Islamic University Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, Indonesia T. Juwitaningsih No Department of Chemistry, State University of Medan, Medan, Indonesia R.N. Hidayat No Integrated Laboratory, State Islamic Univerisity Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, Indonesia