The article discusses the research conducted on the development of a fermented milk product for specialized nutrition of young children, produced on the basis of a dairy-vegetable food system consisting of a fermented milk drink kefir and pumpkin powder added to it, produced by freeze-drying, to obtain a product that is more balanced in terms of its chemical composition, in accordance with the physiological needs of children, compared to kefir, which is traditionally used for artificial and mixed feeding. The relevance of the study is due to the strategic objectives of the Russian Federation's state policy in the field of child health, as set out in Presidential Decree No. 358 "On the Strategy for Integrated Child Safety in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030", as well as the need for import substitution and expansion of the range of domestic products for specialized nutrition, the share of which in the breast milk substitutes market is only 6%. The optimal dosage of freeze—dried pumpkin powder has been experimentally substantiated - 2% of the product weight, at which the best organoleptic parameters are achieved. Capillary electrophoresis confirmed a change in the carbohydrate profile: in the test sample, the lactose content decreased from 4.12% to 3.00%, while fructose (1.25%) and glucose (0.71%) appeared, which improves the digestibility of the product by the child's body. It was found that the addition of pumpkin powder can increase the protein content to 3.1 g, calcium to 120 mg, potassium to 194 mg, magnesium to 17 mg, phosphorus to 102 mg per 100 g of the product, as well as enrich the product with beta-carotene (0.4 mg) and vitamin C (2.6 mg). It has been shown that the daily consumption of 100 g of the developed product ensures that the daily needs of young children (from 1 to 2 years old) are 5-12% higher in a number of nutrients than traditional kefir. The product meets the requirements of TR CU 033/2013 for safety and physico-chemical parameters, and according to the results of 7-day storage, the acidity does not exceed the permissible standards (98 °T), which confirms its stability in a dairy kitchen. Technical documentation for a new type of specialized products has been developed.

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