Camel milk magic - myth or marvel?

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Camel milk magic - myth or marvel?

Anti-infection, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes: these are bold claims to make about any substance, but scientific and commercial interest is growing in such claims that have long been made about the milk of camels. Camels are kept in over a hundred countries, and from Mongolia to Morocco there are traditional sayings or practices in which the alleged healing properties of camel milk and milk products are shared and passed from generation to generation. But are the healing properties of camel milk all myth, or can they be proved and provide a bright future for camel dairying?
"I have studied camels in many countries," says Bernard Faye of the France-based research organisation CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement).http://www.new-agri.co.uk/image/051/fo05.jpg "From the Rift Valley of Africa to Central Asia you often hear it said that camel milk can cure; diabetes, tuberculosis, stomach ulcers, gastro-enteritis, cancer are all claimed to be cured." Not surprisingly, scientists have attempted to verify or disprove the claims. What they have found is that there appears to be some scientific basis for some of the claimed cures, but that the experimental design has not always been sound. Essentially, there are two ways to test the curative capacity of camel milk. First is to have a rigorous experimental procedure and, with humans, double blind trials. The second is to have more information on the constituents of camel milk, specifically the components which could be responsible for the claimed medical properties.
Characteristics of camel milk

Close analysis of camel milk does show some medicinal potential. The milk protein lactoferrin, which is present in large quantities in camel milk (ten times higher than in cow milk), does have some anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Fermented camel milk is high in lactic bacteria, which have been shown to be effective against pathogens including Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and Escherichia. And vitamin C content in camel milk is generally double that in cow's milk. In Russia, Kazakhstan and India there are many examples of camel milk - as much as a litre a day - being prescribed to hospital patients to aid recovery from tuberculosis, Crohn's disease and diabetes.
A natural component of cow and human milk, lactoferrin is also found throughout the human body; it occurs in all secretions that bathe mucous membranes, such as saliva, tears, bronchial and nasal secretions, hepatic bile and pancreatic fluids. Exactly how lactoferrin functions is not entirely clear, but it is known to enhance the immune response, both directly and indirectly (passively,) in reaction to a wide range of immune challenges, and is an essential factor in the immune response in humans.
The health-promoting properties of camel milk are a strong boost for sales and, in certain regions such as the Middle East, they are the driver for intensification of camel dairying. According to Ulrich Wernery of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, it is time for the camel to be managed in some of the ways now well established and successful with milk cows. "I'm convinced that where there's money, such as in the United Arab Emirates, there will be dairy camel operations in the future, just like the world has now with dairy cows. Maybe there will even be high-tech rotary milking parlours," says Wernery. Trials are also proceeding to increase milk yields through intensification and breeding. "We are looking at solar systems to power small-scale milk units. And, we're looking at the genetic potential of the animal too because, in two generations, we will design and breed a camel to suit an automatic system," he claims.
Unique immunoglobulin

Will this system be able to produce the quantities of camel milk required - especially if a potentially large new customer appears on the scene? There has been longstanding interest in the potential to harness the power of lactoferrin in treatments for certain illnesses, but now a whole new constituent of camel milk is under scrutiny. "The medical sector is very interested in the immunoglobulin of camel milk. This is the substance that contributes to immunity against infection. The immunoglobulin of camels is quite unique in the animal world," says Faye. If successful, the research could lead to the development of a whole new family of vaccinations against some of the biggest killer diseases of our time, such as cancer. Not surprisingly, a leading pharmaceutical company has camel milk on its agenda of research.
A medical breakthrough could bring about a huge leap in the respect shown for camels and those who keep them. But could it bring riches to camel owners? Faye has his doubts. "Of course it could be a solution for camel development, but there is also a risk that the pharmaceutical industry could isolate the molecule they are interested in and synthesise it artificially. Then it would be: 'Thank you camel but now you can go back to where you belong.'"

http://www.new-agri.co.uk/05-1/focuson/focuson5.html

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Article Date: 23 Dec 2004 - 13:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/images/transpixel.gif

The milk of the camel has traditionally been used to treat diabetes. Surprisingly, camel milk does seem to contain high levels of insulin or an insulin-like protein which appears to be able to pass through the stomach without being destroyed.

The stomach's acidity would normally destroy insulin - this is why developing 'oral insulin' is such a challenge.

A small month-long study in people with Type 1 diabetes (which does not appear to have been formally published) suggested that drinking almost a pint of camel milk daily improved blood glucose levels, reducing the need for insulin.

As there have not been enough studies in humans yet, Diabetes UK does not recommend camel milk as a treatment for diabetes - an animal's milk contains nutrients that are tailored for its young

We don't know what the longer-term effects of drinking camel's milk are for humans - like any sensible wise man we'll be keeping a close watch on future developments.

"So, don't get the hump this Christmas if your local supermarket doesn't stock camel's milk," jokes Diabetes UK Care Adviser Phil Casey.

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/news/dec04/camel.htm (http://www.diabetes.org.uk/news/dec04/camel.htm)

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: Diabetes Res Clin Pract. (http://javascript<b></b>:AL_get(this, 'jour', 'Diabetes Res Clin Pract.');) 2006 Nov 10; [Epub ahead of print]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query/egifs/http:--linkinghub.elsevier.com-ihub-images-PubMedLink.gif (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/fref.fcgi?itool=AbstractPlus-def&PrId=3048&uid=17098321&db=pubmed&url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0168-8227(06)00450-5) Links (http://javascript<b></b>:PopUpMenu2_Set(Menu17098321);)
Zero prevalence of diabetes in camel milk consuming Raica community of north-west Rajasthan, India.

Agrawal RP (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Agrawal+RP%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Budania S (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Budania+S%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Sharma P (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Sharma+P%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Gupta R (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Gupta+R%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Kochar DK (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Kochar+DK%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Panwar RB (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Panwar+RB%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Sahani MS (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Sahani+MS%22%5BAuthor%5D).Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner 334003, Rajasthan, India.
OBJECTIVES: Preliminary trials reflected the low prevalence of diabetes in Raica community consuming camel milk habitually. Our objective was to describe the prevalence and clinical factors associated with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes (DM) among adults (>/=20 years) in large population group. DESIGN: Population based, cross sectional study METHODS: 2099 participants from different villages of north-west Rajasthan were selected using stratified sampling of a representative Raica and non-Raica Community, consuming or not consuming camel milk. Demographic, clinical, anthropometric parameters were obtained and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed in all individuals to diagnose IFG, IGT and DM. Associations were investigated using multivariate logistic regression using SPSS Version 10.0. RESULTS: In the present study, the prevalence of diabetes in Raica community consuming camel milk (RCCM, n=501) was 0%; Raica community not consuming camel milk (RCNCM, n=554) was 0.7%; non-Raica community consuming milk (NRCCM, n=515) was 0.4% and non-Raica community not consuming camel milk (NRCNCM, n=529) was 5.5%. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that consumption of camel milk was statistically highly significant as protective factor for diabetes. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that camel milk consumption and community factor were associated with decreased prevalence of diabetes. CONCLUSION: Camel milk consumption and lifestyle have definite influence on prevalence of diabetes. Hence, adopting such life pattern may play protective role in preventing diabetes to some extent.
PMID: 17098321 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17098321&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum

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Diabetes Res Clin Pract. (javascript:AL_get(this, 'jour', 'Diabetes Res Clin Pract.');) 2005 May;68(2):176-7. Epub 2005 Feb 24.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query/egifs/http:--linkinghub.elsevier.com-ihub-images-PubMedLink.gif (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/fref.fcgi?itool=AbstractPlus-def&PrId=3048&uid=15860247&db=pubmed&url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0168-8227(05)00010-0) Links (javascript:PopUpMenu2_Set(Menu15860247);)
Camel milk as an adjunct to insulin therapy improves long-term glycemic control and reduction in doses of insulin in patients with type-1 diabetes A 1 year randomized controlled trial.


Agrawal RP (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Agrawal+RP%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Beniwal R (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Beniwal+R%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Kochar DK (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Kochar+DK%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Tuteja FC (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Tuteja+FC%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Ghorui SK (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Ghorui+SK%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Sahani MS (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Sahani+MS%22%5BAuthor%5D),
Sharma S (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Sharma+S%22%5BAuthor%5D).PMID: 15860247 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Does camel’s milk fight diabetes in a Rajasthani tribe? G.S. Mudur investigateshttp://www.telegraphindia.com/1050606/images/06know6a.jpg Mystery chemical: Raicas voraciously drink camel’s milk For centuries, the Raica tribals of Rajasthan have served as keepers of the camels. They breed camels, operate camel cart taxis for journeys across the Thar, and lend their animals to draw water out of wells. The Raicas are also voracious guzzlers of camel milk. Now, medical scientists may have discovered a virtue in that habit.
A series of studies by the researchers in Bikaner and Jodhpur have indicated that camel milk may reduce the need for insulin in insulin-dependent diabetes. The experiments, conducted first on laboratory mice and then on patients with diabetes, have revealed a protective effect of camel milk against insulin-dependent diabetes.
The standard treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes, also called Type I diabetes, involves diet, exercise and insulin injections. In the human experiments, the insulin requirement reduced in some patients by about 30 per cent. “There is something in camel milk that behaves like insulin,” says Dr Rajendra Prasad Agrawal, associate professor of medicine at the S. P. Medical College in Bikaner and principal investigator of the study. “For the moment, it’s a mystery molecule.”
Insulin-dependent diabetes is less common than non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) which is triggered by lifestyle factors such as wrong diet, lack of exercise, and obesity. But while NIDDM may often be tackled through diet and exercise alone, patients with insulin-dependent diabetes need insulin injections.
Agrawal, who specialises in diabetes care, became interested in the virtues of camel milk about five years ago when scientists from the National Centre for Camel Research, an institution of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Bikaner send him some scientific papers that mentioned that Bedouins in West Asia used camel milk for illnesses. One international scientific paper even mentioned that laboratory studies had indicated the presence of an insulin-like molecules in camel milk.
For a detailed study of the effect of camel milk on the human body, Agrawal reasoned, the Raicas would be an ideal population. The Raicas in the Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer districts of western Rajasthan have served as traditional camel breeders. Typically, a Raica may consume up to a litre of camel milk each day. Agrawal and his colleagues from the Desert Medical Research Centre in Jodhpur picked villages with sizeable Raica population and began to compare the blood sugar levels and the milk-drinking habits of the populations.
The study revealed that the prevalence of diabetes among members of the rural Raica community still in the habit of drinking camel milk was significantly lower than among the Raicas who had switched to other milk and among the non-Raica populations who did not drink camel milk.
Simultaneously, veterinary scientist and Agrawal’s collaborator Fateh Chand Tuteja at the National Centre for Camel Research in Bikaner began to study the effect of camel milk with drug-induced diabetes which serves as a model for type I diabetes in humans.
Chand and his colleagues administered mice a drug that destroys the insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas and induced diabetes. The blood sugar levels in the mice soared. But when the mice were given camel milk for three weeks, their sugar levels dropped. This sugar-lowering effect was not seen on two other groups of mice with diabetes that were given cattle milk and plain water. Studies of the pancreas of the mice that got better showed no evidence of regeneration of the insulin-secreting cells.
“Some kind of insulin replacement therapy appears to be taking place,” says Agrawal, who began his study of the effect of camel milk on patients with diabetes about five years ago. In the first study, he picked 24 young patients with type I diabetes, all below the age of 30 years. The doctors divided the patients into two groups ? 12 patients received the standard treatment which included diet, exercise, and insulin injections, and the other 12 received 500 ml of raw camel milk each day in addition to the standard treatment.
While patients in the first group required an average of 30 units of insulin to maintain normal blood glucose level, the average requirement of insulin in the second group was about 18 to 20 units. Agrawal said four children who have received the camel milk therapy have been weaned away from insulin injections.
While type I diabetes can have ‘honeymoon periods’ when patients do not need insulin injections because residual insulin-secreting cells in their pancreas are able to produce insulin. “But honeymoon periods are not usually known to last more than a year,” says Agrawal. The four children have been off insulin for nearly two years.
Agrawal concedes that infection is a potential risk associated with the consumption of raw milk. Laboratory studies indicate that the insulin-like activity of the camel milk reduces to 20 per cent on pasteurisation, he said. In the study at Bikaner, the doctors screened the milk for specific bacteria before giving it to the patients. During the course of the camel milk therapy, the doctors also periodically conducted blood tests to make sure that the patients were not unwittingly picking up infections.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050606/asp/knowhow/story_4792284.asp

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Dissertation
Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover / Bibliothek – School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover / Library


Thomas Stahl

Vitamingehalte und Fettsäuremuster in Kamelmilch

NBN-Prüfziffer
urn:nbn:de:gbv:95-91553
title (engl.)
The content of selected vitamins and the fatty acid patterns in camel milk
publication
Hannover, Tierärztliche Hochschule, Dissertation, 2005
text
http://elib.tiho-hannover.de/dissertations/stahlt_ws05.pdf (http://elib.tiho-hannover.de/dissertations/stahlt_ws05.pdf)
abstract (deutsch)
Es war Anliegen dieser Studie noch nicht bekannte bzw. unsichere Daten zu Konzentrationen an Vitamin A, E, B1, C und ß-Carotin sowie des Fettsäuremusters im Hinblick auf die ernährungsphysiologische Bedeutung der Milch des Dromedars zu erfassen. Dazu wurden Kamelmilch und vergleichend auch Kuhmilch von Tieren aus Dubai untersucht.

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March 10, 2004
Bikaner, India. The camel I was sitting on seemed calm enough.
When I signed up for a 2-day camel trek during my recent trip to India, I was worried that the camel would spit at me, throw me off its back, or run full speed into the desert as I clutched its neck for dear life.

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040310/a344_1709.jpgA camel waiting to set off on a trek across the desert in India.
E. Sohn



I had no idea that such a big, lumpy creature was the product of many years of scientific research, breeding, and training. There are about 19 million camels in the world. Sometimes known as "ships of the desert," they can carry heavy loads and survive where most other animals cannot.
I also learned later that there are no wild camels left in India. The wild Bactrian camel, perhaps the ancestor of all domestic camels, survives in just China and Mongolia and is highly endangered. Learning more about camels might help preserve these rare animals.
Desert trek
After the first hour or two on the back of a mellow camel named Muria, I started to relax. I sat on soft blankets on his hump, 8 feet off the ground. We clomped slowly from sand dune to sand dune through the Indian desert, about 50 miles from the India-Pakistan border. Occasionally, the lanky creature leaned over to chomp off a branch from a scrubby plant. I held his reins, but Muria didn't need much guidance. He knew the terrain well.
Suddenly, I heard a deep, gurgling noise that sounded like a broken toilet overflowing. GURGLE-URRRP-BLAAH-GURGLE. Trouble was surely brewing. The sounds were so loud, I could actually feel them. That's when I realized that the belching sounds were coming from the camel underneath me!
As he grumbled, Muria arched his neck and stuck his nose into the air. Out of his throat came a large, inflated, pink, tonguelike bladder. He stomped his front feet on the ground.

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040310/a344_2590.jpgA male camel shows its dulla—an inflated, pink, tonguelike bladder.
Dave Bass



Soon, the camel was back to normal. I, on the other hand, was petrified. I was sure he was sick of carrying tourists around and was ready to throw me off and stomp me to pieces.
It wasn't until a few days later, when I visited the National Research Centre on Camel in a nearby city called Bikaner, that I got a better explanation. Winter is camel-mating season, I learned. And Muria had just one thing on his mind.
"When a camel is mating, he forgets food and water," explained Mehram Rebari, a 26-year-old tour guide at the center. "He wants only females."
Gurgling is a mating call. The pink protrusion is an organ called the dulla. Sticking it out and foot stomping are two ways in which males show off. Muria must have seen or smelled a female camel and was trying to impress her.
Important uses
Mating rituals aren't the only thing I learned about at the camel research center. Among other projects, scientists are working to breed camels that are stronger, faster, able to go longer on less water, and more resistant to common camel diseases.
Camel research has the potential to change people's lives. More than 1.5 million camels live in India, Rebari told me, and people use them for practically anything you can imagine. Their wool makes good clothes and carpets. Their skins are used for purses, their bones for carvings and sculptures. Camel milk is nutritious. The dung works well as fuel.

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040310/a344_3691.jpgTour guide Mehram Rebari points to the main subject of study at a camel research center in India.
E. Sohn



In the state of Rajasthan, where I traveled for 3 weeks, I saw camels pulling carts and carrying people through the streets of even the biggest cities. Camels help farmers plow fields, and soldiers use them to transport heavy loads across dusty deserts.
Camels are especially useful in dry places because they can survive long stretches without water: 12 to 15 days in winter, 6 to 8 days in summer. They store fat and energy in their humps, and they regurgitate food from their three stomachs to make it last longer.
Camels are extremely strong animals. They can drag loads that weigh more than they themselves do, and some adult camels weigh more than 1,600 pounds.
Breeding camels
Scientists at the camel research center do basic studies to determine the strengths and weaknesses of different types of camels. The 300 camels that live at the center belong to three breeds: Jaisalmeri, Bikaneri, and Kachchhi.
Studies have shown that the Bikaneri breed has the best hair and skin, perfect for making carpets and sweaters. Bikaneri camels are also the strongest. They can haul more than 2 tons of cargo, 8 hours a day.
Jaisalmeri camels are fastest, Rebari said. They are light and lean, and they can run faster than 12 miles an hour. They also have the most endurance.
The Kachchhi breed is known for its milk production: A typical female can give more than 4 liters of milk a day.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/images/camel_loading.jpgLoading up a camel.
E. Sohn


As part of one project at the center, scientists are crossbreeding camels to combine the best qualities of each type. They are also working to breed camels that are more resistant to diseases. Camelpox, foot-and-mouth disease, rabies, and a skin disease called mange are some common ailments that plague the animals. Some of these can kill the camels; others are expensive and inconvenient to treat.
Good milk
Camel milk has been used to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, and other illnesses in people. Unfortunately, Rebari said, camel milk only lasts for about 8 hours outside a camel before going bad.
Even when it's fresh, he said, it doesn't taste great. "Ugh," he sneered, when I asked if I could try some. "It has a salty taste."
Researchers are looking for improved methods of preserving camel's milk, and they are developing ways to process the milk into cheese. Maybe someday camel's milk will be available as a medicine. The day that your local fast-food restaurant sells a camel milkshake, however, is probably a long way off.
As for me, my camel experiences in India made me much less afraid of these animals and more appreciative of how amazing they are.
Imagine what it would be like if you could survive for weeks without water while trudging through the desert with thousands of pounds on your back. It might not be very pleasant, but your friends would be impressed. I learned another important lesson, too. Even though the gurgling noise of a broken toilet grosses me out, not everybody feels the same way. If you're a lady camel during mating season, in fact, there may be few sounds so sweet.

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Stores like Fortnum & Mason and Harrods are interested in selling the milk

Camels' milk could become the latest super food to hit the shelves of health food shops and upmarket retailers.
The United Nations is calling for the milk, which is rich in vitamins B and C and has 10 times more iron than cow's milk, to be sold to the West.
Camels' milk, which is slightly saltier than traditional milk, is drunk widely across the Arab world and is well suited to cheese production.
Harrods and Fortnum & Mason are said to be interested in the product.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifhttp://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif The potential is massive. Milk is money http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif


Anthony Bennett
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation


As well as its high mineral and vitamin content, research has suggested that antibodies in camels' milk can help fight diseases like cancer, HIV/Aids Alzheimer's and hepatitis C.
And work is on-going to see whether it can have a role in reducing the effects of diabetes and heart disease.
The UN's food arm, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), wants producers in countries from Mauritania to Kazakhstan to start selling camels' milk to the West.
It hopes donors and investors will help develop the market.
'Humps in production'
Meat and dairy expert at the FAO Anthony Bennett said: "The potential is massive. Milk is money."
He said there were 200 million potential customers in the Arab world and tens of millions more in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
He suggested the market could be worth at least £5.6 billion although improvements are needed along the supply chain.
"No one's suggesting intensive camel dairy farming, but just with improved feed, husbandry and veterinary care daily yields could rise to 20 litres," he added.
And since fresh camel milk fetches roughly a dollar a litre on African markets it would mean serious money for the nomadic herders who now have few other sources of revenue, he added.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41584000/jpg/_41584556_camelclose203.jpg Camels' milk is thought of as nectar in many Arab countries


Tapping the market for camel milk, however, involves resolving a series of humps in production, manufacturing and marketing, the FAO said.
One problem lies in the milk itself, which has so far not proved to be compatible with the UHT (Ultra High Temperature) treatment needed to make it long-lasting.
But the main challenge stems from the fact that the producers involved are, overwhelmingly, nomads. A spokeswoman for the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Camels' milk could be a useful addition to the diet as it contains calcium and B vitamins and is lower in saturated fat than cow's milk. "However, it is more expensive than cows' milk and does have quite an acquired taste that some people may not like."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4930094.stm

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Milking the camel
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGAinfo/page_img/spacer.gifGetting the milk to market
Although most camel milk is traded informally, a world market worth 10 billion dollars is within the realm of possibility if key improvements are made. [see Box on the right] (see the Link below @ the end)

Production
Camels were once used almost exclusively as a means of transport across harsh environments for both man and goods. However there is a growing recognition of the value and benefits of camels for their milk, meat and fibres. Camel dairy products could provide not only more food for people in arid and semi-arid areas but also give nomadic herders a rich source of income.

The total number of camels globally is said to be 20 million, but as most camels are owned by nomads, this number can only be estimated. Nomads move in search of pasture according to the seasons ­ and can live for up to a month in the desert on nothing but camel milk. As camel milk is normally produced under low input-low output systems, five litres a day is considered a decent yield.

Available world production of camel milk is officially put at 1.3 million tonnes, a tiny figure as compared to cow’s milk. However, a recent FAO/CIRAD/KARKARA workshop estimated global camel milk output as 5.3 million tonnes, although even this may be a conservative estimate. Lactating camels each produce between 1,000 and 12,000 litres of milk for anywhere between 8 and 18 months. The world’s biggest camel milk producer is Somalia, with 850,000 tonnes a year, followed by Saudi Arabia with 89,000 tonnes.

Nutrition
Camel milk is slightly saltier than cows’ milk, three times as rich in Vitamin C and is known to be rich in iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins. It is a natural and essential food item in areas where there is a scarcity of water and forage. High levels of wastage are often reported as herds are usually far from ready urban markets, particularly during the highest production season.

In Russia, Kazakhstan and India, doctors often prescribe it to convalescing patients while, in Africa, it may be recommended for people living with AIDS. Research is also ongoing into the role claimed for camel milk in reducing diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Marketing - Getting over the humps
Such features account for the milk’s appeal not only to young camels and their nomad owners but to an estimated 200 million potential customers in the Arab world ­ and millions more in Africa, Europe and the Americas. Tapping the market for camel milk, however, involves resolving a series of humps in production, collection, processing and marketing. There is an increasing market demand for diversified camel milk products including a recent venture into camel milk-based chocolate!

With improved feed, water availability, husbandry and veterinary care, daily yields could rise to 20 litres. Since fresh camel milk typically fetches over a dollar a litre that would mean regular income for nomadic herders who currently have few other sources of revenue. As the Ahaggar nomads of Algeria say, “Water is the soul. Milk is life”, and money too of course!

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGAinfo/home/en/camel.html

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Camel Facts
The world population of camels is currently estimated at some 20 million. Somalia is believed to have the world's largest herd, with almost as many camels as humans.

World production of camel milk available/used for human consumption is officially put at 1.3 million tonnes – 500 times less than cow’s milk. The generally accepted figure for global camel milk production (most of which goes to the calf) is 5.4 million tonnes. Lactating she-camels each produce between 1,000 and 2,000 litres of milk for a period of anywhere between eight and 18 months.

The world’s biggest camel milk producer is Somalia, followed by Saudi Arabia.

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The next thing: camel milk
FAO sees bright prospects for camel milk

18 April 2006, Rome - In Tunisia, people will travel hundreds of kilometres to get hold of some. Herdswomen from Ethiopia and Somalia think nothing of riding a train for 12 hours to sell it in Djibouti, where prices are high. In N’Djamena, Chad, milk bars are mushrooming all over town.

Half way round the globe people consider it a powerful tonic against many diseases. The Gulf Arabs believe it is an aphrodisiac.

From the Western Sahara to Mongolia demand is booming for camel milk. But there just isn’t enough to go round. State-of-the art camel rearing is rudimentary, and much of the 5.4 million tonnes of milk produced every year by the world population of some 20 million camels is guzzled by young camels themselves.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) thus sees bright prospects for camel dairy products, which could not only provide more food to people in arid and semi-arid areas, but also give nomadic herders a rich source of income.

FAO is hoping financing will come forward from donors and investors to develop the sector not only at local level but help camel milk move into lucrative markets in the Middle East and the West.

“The potential is massive,” says FAO’s Dairy and Meat expert Anthony Bennett. “Milk is money”.

Nutrition

To devotees, camel milk is pure nectar. While slightly saltier than cows’ milk, it is very good for you. After all, nature designed it to help baby camels grow up in some of the world’s roughest environments – deserts and steppes. That helps explain why it is three times as rich in Vitamin C as cow’s milk.

In Russia, Kazakhstan and India doctors often prescribe it to convalescing patients while in Africa it may be recommended for people living with AIDS.

Somalis are gluttons for the stuff and firmly believe in the milk’s medicinal value. Aside from Vitamin C, it is known to be rich in iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins.

Camel Dairy Milk Ltd of Nanyuki, Kenya is planning, in partnership with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), to carry out research into the role claimed for camel milk in reducing diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Such features account for the milk’s appeal not only to young camels and their nomad owners but to an estimated 200 million potential customers in the Arab world – and millions more in Africa, Europe and the Americas.

Getting over the humps

Tapping the market for camel milk, however, involves resolving a series of humps in production, manufacturing and marketing. One problem lies in the milk itself, which has so far not proved to be compatible with the UHT (Ultra High Temperature) treatment needed to make it long-lasting. But the main challenge stems from the fact that the producers involved are, overwhelmingly, nomads.

Imagine a tomato cannery whose suppliers regularly all disappear overnight – taking their tomatoes with them. That’s the kind of problem you need to solve if you want to stay in the camel milk business.

(Nomads of course do not wander about the desert for pleasure. They move in search of pasture according to the seasons–and can survive for up to a month in the desert on nothing but ... camel milk.)

Another problem is that nomad camel herders are often reticent to sell their spare milk, which tradition reserves for honoured guests and the poor. It has been noted, however, that such reticence can be dispelled by the offer of a good price.

One-leg stand

To milk a camel in Sudan, approach the animal from the right. Stand on your right leg. Bend your left leg and place a gourd or other recipient on it. A camel udder has four teats. Seize the nearest two and squeeze. The others are for the calf to feed from. Repeat twice a day.

Having the fine balance of a Yoga master isn’t enough, however. Camels can be pretty stubborn, and if your animal dislikes you she won’t hear of being milked. Unlike cows, which store all their milk in their udders, camels keep theirs further up their bodies.

Also essential is the presence of the mother’s calf. She-camels will feed only their own calves, responding to their specific smell. When a calf dies, crafty herders trick mothers at milking time by presenting them with a dummy covered in camel calfskin.

The bottom line here is that camel milk production is generally a low-tech business, which in turn explains why a meagre five litres a day is considered a decent yield.

“No one’s suggesting intensive camel dairy farming,” says Bennett, “but just with improved feed, husbandry and veterinary care daily yields could rise to 20 litres.” Since fresh camel milk fetches roughly a dollar a litre on African markets that would mean serious money for nomads herders who now have few other sources of revenue. A world market worth 10 billion dollars would be entirely within the realm of possibility.

Sons of the clouds

That camel constraints can be overcome is eloquently demonstrated by a British-born engineering graduate, Nancy Abeiderahmanne, who has been operating a successful camel dairy in Mauritania for more than 15 years.

Ms Abeiderahmanne, whose Tiviski (Mauritanian for “springtime”) company also processes cow and goat milk, currently has some 800 camel herders supplying her on daily basis. She collects the fresh milk from up to 80 kilometres from her base, Nouakchott, and hauls it back to her dairy for pasteurization in a refrigerated truck.

The herders, while still nomads (we are sons of the clouds and where the clouds go we must follow), have learned it makes business sense to leave their nursing camels behind when they move up north. This ensures a welcome measure of continuity in Tiviski’s supplies.

The right stuff

Another major challenge for Ms Abeiderahmanne was that although camel milk keeps longer than cow’s, it still has a limited shelf life. Even worse, production is highest just at the time demand is lowest – in the winter months.

The obvious solution was to turn surplus milk into longer-lived cheese. But there were problems in getting it to harden.

In 1992, Ms Abeiderahmanne, with FAO’s help, found the answer. FAO, which had developed the technology to make camel cheese, arranged for a French expert, J.P. Ramet, to go to Nouakchott and show her how to use a special enzyme to give her products the right consistency.

The result was a soft cheese with a white crust which she called “Caravane”. It was quickly dubbed Camelbert.

In 1993, Ms Abeiderrahmane deservedly received the coveted Rolex business enterprise award for her breakthrough. Tougher, however, turned out to be the question of getting permission to export Camelbert.

Khoormog

An alternative way of storing camel milk in places lacking electricity, let alone refrigerators, was found centuries ago in the steppes of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, where herders keep two-humped Bactrian camels.

Nomads there process the fresh produce into fermented milk, Shubat, a local delicacy which is known in nearby Mongolia as Khoormog. In Kazakhstan’s old capital of Almaty, a modern plant produces Kourt, a cheese so hard that most people prefer to grate it. The facility also manufactures camel milk sweets.

Some experts would like to see Kazakhstan’s simple, traditional techniques exported. But the moot question remains: will Beduin go for Khoormog?

Sticky fingers

An easier sell would appear to be the low-fat, camel milk chocolate, which a Vienna-based chocolatier, Johann Georg Hochleitner intends to launch this autumn. With funding from the Abu Dhabi royal family, his company plans to make the chocolate in Austria from powdered camel milk produced at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, then ship 50 tons back to the Gulf each month.

“It sounds crazy but it’s a huge project. There’s a potential market of 200 million in the Arab world,” says Hochleitner.

And if you get sticky fingers from Al Nassma – the chocolate’s brand name – you can always wash your hands with camel milk soap produced by the Oasis Camel Dairy of Sonora, California, where camels were introduced as pack animals in the 19th Century.

As the Ahaggar nomads of Algeria say, “Water is the soul. Milk is life”. And money too of course. Contact:

Christopher Matthews
Information Officer, FAO
Christopher.Matthews@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 53762

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DAMASCUS, Syria, May 31, 2006 There's no question about the type of meat served at the Camel Gathering Place restaurant.
Camels — stuffed and in pictures — are everywhere. Half a dozen men wait to order camel at the popular little neighborhood restaurant; the line stretches out the door. Behind the counter a man works feverishly, squeezing ground meat onto skewers. Waiters glide by carrying plates of grilled camel, bread and roasted vegetables.
The Camel Gathering Place is so popular that the manager says it sells meat from one camel a week. That's a lot of meat, considering the desert animals weigh up to 1,000 pounds.

Camel to Go?


Camel is beloved in many Persian Gulf countries for the same reason Americans love hamburgers — it's cheap and tasty.
The kebabs served at the Camel Gathering Place have all the consistency and juiciness of a medium-rare steak. The meat's mild flavor resembles that of filet mignon, and camel is lower in fat than other types of meat; many locals opt for camel over the favored lamb.
But it's not exactly fast food.
Camel meat is slow to cook. When someone takes a long time to prepare a meal, locals might quip, "What are they making back there, camel?"
"Productive animals are not usually the first choice for slaughter," says Anthony Bennett, dairy and meat officer for the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.
But the Camel Gathering Place, where an animal's productivity is measured not by how many people it can carry but how many it can feed, serves camels slaughtered at 18 months old.
The camel's most distinctive feature doesn't get cast into a sand dune, either. Some say the hump — which is made up of fatty tissue, not water — is the most flavorful part. It's so delicious that some people prefer to eat it raw.

(Camel) Milk Does the Body Good


"Camel milk is very healthy. It is like liquid Viagra," says one fan of it, smiling mischievously.
"Some cultural beliefs would appear to support this belief," says Bennett. "But I am not aware of any scientific research which supports the claim."
While camel milk may or may not enhance one's sexual experiences, it has three times the amount of vitamin C when compared with cow's milk, and it contains less fat and lactose. The nutrient-rich milk also packs a punch with iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins. All this comes in handy for those baby camels, who grow up in harsh desert conditions.
Some research suggests that camel milk antibodies can help fight diseases like cancer, HIV-AIDS, Alzheimer's and hepatitis C. In Kenya, studies are under way to determine the effect of camel milk on diabetes and heart disease.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization hopes that camel milk will catch on in the West. This would provide camel-breeding nomads with an additional source of revenue, a kind of "cash camel."
"The potential is massive," says Bennett. "Milk is money."

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Monday, 10 December, 2001, 19:21 GMT
Camels could help cure humans

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1700000/images/_1702393_camelap300.jpg Camels give many deadly viruses the hump


By North Africa correspondent David Bamford
Scientists from the United Arab Emirates have proposed using one of the world's hardiest mammals - the camel - in the campaign to fight and eradicate human diseases.
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Camels are free from viruses such as foot and mouth


A team led by Dr Sabah Jassim, from the Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and Traditional Medicine, says camels are highly resistant to many deadly viral diseases and believes their antibodies could be used for new drugs.
Camels have a unique physiology that allows them to thrive in some of the world's harshest environments.
They can survive the perils of desert dehydration by storing water in their bloodstream; they can survive lack of food by holding extra fatty tissue in their humps; their milk stays fresh much longer than that of a cow.
Natural immunity
But as well as these advantages, they have immune systems that are so robust. They remain free from many of the viral diseases that affect other mammals, such as foot-and-mouth and rinderpest.
The antibodies that camels carry inside them are structurally much simpler than those of humans, and Dr Sabah Jassim suggests they could be much simpler to replicate artificially than human antibodies.
Writing in the British Institute of Biology's magazine, The Biologist, Dr Jassim says the small size of camel antibodies would also allow them to penetrate deep into human tissue and cells that would not be otherwise accessible.
He said the camel antibodies, by being transported from the desert sands into the laboratory test tube, had the potential to be a vital weapon against human diseases.

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2001, 18:08 GMT
'New' camel lives on salty water

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The camels' habitat was used for nuclear testing


By environment correspondent Alex Kirby in Nairobi
Scientists believe they have found a new mammal species, a camel that lives in a remote part of Asia.

[The camels] are blown to pieces and picked up as meat

John Hare, Wild Camel Protection Foundation
The animal survives in this inhospitable area by drinking water from salty springs. Most of the camels live on a former nuclear weapons testing range.
But human incursions have now raised concern for the creature's survival. There are thought to be fewer than 1,000 of the camels, making them more endangered than the giant panda.
The news of the camel's discovery was announced at the meeting here of the United Nations Environment Programme's (Unep) governing council.
Dynamite danger
Unep is providing funds for the animals' home, the Arjin Shan Lop Nur nature reserve, which lies in the Kum Tagh sand dunes on the edge of the Tibetan mountains.
The area is in China's Xinjiang province, and was used by the Chinese for testing nuclear weapons from 1955 until 1996.
Since then people have been entering Lop Nur, and some have taken to planting dynamite and other explosives around the water holes where the camels come to drink.
The camels have lived in the area from time immemorial, but it is only recently that their unique identity was suspected.
Genetic tests on camel samples collected by a Sino-British team in 1999 have found significant variations between the animals and their domesticated cousins.
Distinctive kneecaps
The only visual difference is that the Chinese animals have their humps further apart than other Bactrians, and are said also to have hairier kneecaps.
The joint expedition leader is John Hare, founder of the UK-based Wild Camel Protection Foundation. He said: "The scientists doing the genetic tests have found a 3% difference in the base pairs between the domesticated and these wild Bactrian camels.
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When people think about charismatic wildlife, they too often tend to think about animals like the tiger or the cheetah
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Robert Hepworth, Unep
"You have to remember that there is only a 5% difference between man and chimpanzees. So these wild camels may be a different species never domesticated by humans.
"The remoteness of the area has helped preserve them. But with the cessation of nuclear tests, illegal hunters and miners looking for gold and iron ore are moving in. We found land mines put by the salt water springs.
"So when the camels come to drink they step on them, bang! They are blown to pieces and picked up as meat."
The team conducting the genetic tests hope to publish their results soon.
One of the team leaders is Professor Olivier Hanotte, a molecular geneticist from the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi.
Breeding programme
He said: "There are two possibilities here. One is that the domestic camel was bred from these wild ones some time back in history.
"The second is that the domestic camel we see today was bred from another species that has disappeared. This would mean that these wild camels are a totally separate species."
The number of animals at Lop Nur is estimated, from surveys and interviews with local herdsmen, at about 600.
There are thought to be a further 300 identical camels in the Gobi desert in Mongolia, and 15 animals in captivity.
John Hare said: "If the camels become extinct, then we do not have the numbers or the genetic diversity among those in captivity to guarantee a successful captive breeding programme. That makes them more endangered than the giant panda."
There are hopes nevertheless that the wild camels could breed with domesticated ones, to pass on their ability to withstand harsh environments and the physiological stress of drinking salt water.
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The camels live in China's Xinjiang Province


The World Conservation Union's Red List classifies the wild Bactrian camel as highly endangered, but some experts think it should be listed as critically endangered, the highest threat category for a species.
Robert Hepworth, a Unep biodiversity expert, said: "It seems pretty certain that this is a new species, and the differences appear sufficient to identify it as one.
"When people think about charismatic wildlife, they too often tend to think about animals like the tiger or the cheetah. But these camels may well be as special in the natural world as these other better-known rare and endangered species."
Mr Hepworth told BBC News Online: "The salt water is not ideal for the camels, and they have had to adapt to drinking it. Some young animals can't adapt, and they die as a result, which means a further stress on this already endangered group of animals. There is no fresh water available within the reserve itself."
Unep and the Global Environment Facility have spent $750,000 on establishing the Lop Nur reserve, which is one and a quarter times the size of Poland. Unep also spent $1,650,000 in 1979 helping Mongolia to set up the Great Gobi Reserve, which protects the camels there from wolves and other threats.

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Thursday, 12 October, 2000, 14:44 GMT 15:44 UK
Gobi camel reserve plan

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The Bactrian camel is rarer than the Giant Panda


China and Mongolia have agreed to set up a cross-border reserve to protect some of the world's last surviving wild camels, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reports.
There are thought to be only about 300 wild bactrian camels remaining in the world, making them more endangered than the giant panda.
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The bactrian camels' origins are still disputed


The proposed trans-national protection zone would extend an existing Mongolian reserve, the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area, across the border into the Chinese province of Xinjiang.
Environmental officials in the province say an international conservation effort is required, as the camels often move back and forth across the border into China to look for new sources of water and food.
China has already established one reserve - the size of Poland - in the Lop Nor region of Xinjiang, a former nuclear testing zone.
Salt water
Bactrian camels are some of the rarest and least studied animals on the planet.
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As few as 300 wild animals are thought to remain


The camels, which roam the vast arid spaces of the Gobi Desert, are thought to be the ancestors of the world's domesticated two-humped camels and the only mammals in the world capable of surviving on salt water.
Its main enemy is the wolf. But as the Gobi is exploited for its mineral resources, the camels have come under increasing threat from hunters and illegal miners.
Bactrians were originally thought to have been descended from escaped domesticated stock used by Mongolian herdsmen.
However, recent DNA testing suggests that in fact they are the genetically pure descendants of the original wild animals which, three or four million years ago, crossed from what is now North America into Asia over a land bridge in the Bering Straits. It is thought that the world's entire camel population, including the more common single-humped dromedary camel of Arabia and South Asia, is descended from these original animals.

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24/08/2006 - A leading dairy firm in the Middle East is attempting to trade on the health benefits of camel’s milk by using it to make a lower fat, reduced sugar ice cream.

Al Ain Dairy said it had launched the first camel milk (http://javascript<b></b>:KeywordSearch('KEYWORDS=camel+milk&period=all&inner=1');) ice cream (http://javascript<b></b>:KeywordSearch('KEYWORDS=ice+cream&period=all&inner=1');) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), positioning the product as a healthy alternative to other ice cream products.

Camel's milk has long been considered healthy in the Arab world, but discussion on its commercial potential has increased in recent years.
Al Ain, which has set up a camel farm and processing facility, said its new ice cream would be available in supermarkets and petrol stations in chocolate, caramel and strawberry flavours.
The group has targetted weight watchers by highlighting that camel milk ice cream contains only 2.5 per cent fat, compared to between six and nine per cent for standard ice creams.
It added that camel milk ice cream was safe for consumers with lactose intolerance, and contained three times more vitamin C than cow's milk.
One would still get much more vitamin C from fruit and vegetables, but it is health (http://javascript<b></b>:KeywordSearch('KEYWORDS=health&period=all&inner=1');) benefits like this that have seen camel's milk capture more attention in dairy circles.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said recently that camel's milk had strong potential with millions of consumers across Africa, Europe and the Americas.
The FAO was instrumental in developing the first camel milk cheese, dubbed 'camelbert', in 1992. Since then, camel milk chocolate has appeared, while an Israeli scientist, professor Reuven Yagil, reportedly developed a camel milk ice cream in 1999.
Low fat dairy, such as semi-skimmed and skimmed milk, has taken market share off full fat products in several western markets.
This trend has been particularly visible for ice cream in Europe over the last few months, with three large firms, including Unilever and ingredients group Danisco, announcing new low fat products.
Camel's milk, as well as being low in fat, also contains vitamin B, iron and unsaturated fatty acids.
Its nutritional value has led to a range of health claims. One small study, released by the Camel Applied Research and Development Network, found camel's milk could help treat Type 1 diabetes.
Some doctors and researchers have also said camel's milk may help treat a range of other illnesses, including ulcers, tuberculosis and even breast cancer. More studies will be needed, however, to bring some of these claims out of regional folklore.

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Milking the benefits: Kenya's new camel dairy

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East Africa is home to 60 per cent of the world's camel population, and the popularity of camel products in Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia has rapidly increased in recent years, with milk not just consumed by pastoralists but being increasingly sold in urban areas. However, camel milk processing has generally been done informally and, with camel production areas often located far from markets, delays in milk delivery reduce milk quality. Storage in unhygienic containers, pooling of milk from different suppliers, and adulteration of the milk with water also increase the potential contamination and spoilage of milk. But it seems that a new commercial enterprise is offering a solution. A recent addition to supermarket shelves is Vital Camel Milk - pasteurised camel milk sold in half litre packs, with a ten-day guaranteed shelf-life.
Camel farmers living in the vast arid and semi arid areas of Kenya are steadily abandoning the practice of supplying milk to vendors, instead opting to supply to the factory - Camel Dairy Milk Limited - based in Nanyuki town, established in 2005. Local camel farmers are excited that the new factory could expand trade in camel products and cut out brokers who, they claim, buy the milk at low prices, and sell it at inflated prices.
Cow or camel milk: medicinal values

Besides the Somalis who consume camel rather than cow milk, many new consumers are eager to try the sweetness of camel milk, which is highly nutritious and believed to have medicinal value for some common ailments. Camel milk - it is believed - offers a preventive cushion over peptic ulcers. It provides an alternative for those allergic to cow milk, and it is three times richer than cow's milk in Vitamin C. It is also rich in iron, non saturated fatty acids and Vitamin B. Camel milk has anti-bacterial components that suppress bacteria and pathogens from inducing disease, and could be the solution to increased incidences of diabetes in Kenya. According to Mario Younan, Executive Director of Camel Dairy Milk Limited, and a vet who has worked with camels for many years, studies from India and Dubai indicate that regular intake of camel milk helps to control blood sugar levels. To validate medicinal claims and clarify the role of camel milk in reducing diabetes and coronary heart disease, the company hopes to partner with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).
The company is also hoping to expand its coverage into the North-Eastern Province (NEP) where there is a larger population of camels, though the factory was constructed in Nanyuki because it has a relatively good infrastructure and availability of clean water for milk processing. Farmers with large herds in Nanyuki have arranged to ferry their daily milk output to the factory using bicycles, pick-ups, and trucks. But they still face other problems with milk production.
Grazing at a price

Fatuma Mohammed Abdi is one such farmer who supplies milk to the factory, getting twice the price she once did by selling milk to local vendors. But, she says, farmers are faced with exorbitant costs by ranchers who own the grazing fields. With her herd of over 100 camels scattered in different ranches within the area, Fatuma pays a monthly bill of over Kshs. 20,000 ($278). To reduce costs, Fatuma has been keen to consolidate the herd but the ranch owners will not allow more than 50 camels on their land. Fatuma is saddened by the reluctance of ranchers to let her put her entire herd together, forcing her to divide the animals in three different ranches with the milk producing herd kept some 15 kilometers from the factory.
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However, the Dairy does provide support to the camel herders, to improve animal husbandry and production. Drugs are made available at reduced rates to treat diseases, including trypanosomosis and ring worm. Salt licks are also provided, which is a vital but expensive food supplement for camels. And, to ensure milk hygiene and food safety, the company has begun a training project to sensitise farmers on improved handling to produce uncontaminated milk. In addition to providing stainless metallic cans - which can be cleaned easily - soft tissues are provided to farmers for washing the teats with warm water before milking.
Camel Dairy Milk Limited, currently the only company of its kind, is now eyeing export markets for its products. Products have been expanded to include pasteurised milk, ice cream, and fermented milk, which is particularly popular with Somalis. With the proceeds from increased sales, Mario Younan hopes that the company will be able to increase milk supplied to the dairy by establishing cooling plants in rural areas. He says the camels produce up to six litres of milk each day, fetching roughly double the price obtained from cow's milk. With more farmers looking to supply the dairy, he looks forward to expanding the market to other countries in eastern Africa, including Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia, which has the world's largest camel population.

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World: The Overlooked Resource Of Camel Milk
By Jeremy Bransten (javascript:newWindow('/features/authors/bransten.asp',325,280)) http://gdb.rferl.org/4b3a92e5-ff36-4a49-842e-899a351f60b4_w220.jpgTiviski camel-milk collection center in Mauritania(courtesy photo)
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says camel milk is a nutritional and economic resource that many countries, especially in Central Asia and the Middle East, ignore. That's why the FAO has launched a new campaign to draw attention to this untapped resource. RFE/RL talks to an entrepreneur in the African desert nation of Mauritania, who founded and runs one of the world's few state-of-the-art camel dairies.


PRAGUE, April 27, 2006 (RFE/RL) – When Nancy Abeiderrahmane quit her native England in the 1960s to follow her husband to the sandy shores of Mauritania, she left behind many modern conveniences.

One of them was being able to walk to the corner store for a carton of milk.

In Nouakchott, Mauritania's capital, most milk comes from camels. Back then, getting a splash of milk in your afternoon tea meant an adventure into the desert.

"You had to go to the edge of the town in your car, wait until the camel was milked, have it in a plastic bag, take it home, and filter it," Abeiderrahmane says.

But thanks to Abeiderrahmane, shoppers can now go to their nearest grocery store and pick up a liter of fresh, pasteurized camel milk, butter or even French-style cheese dubbed "camelbert" -- all in attractive, modern packaging.

The products come from Abeiderrahmane's Tiviski dairy -- the first modern milk-processing plant in Mauritania. Tiviski means "spring" in the local language; the season when grass blooms on the edge of the desert.

The Tiviski dairy now boasts over 200 employees and some 1,000 suppliers, and is a success story that is being held up by the FAO as an example of the bright prospects for camel milk.

Bringing Camel Milk To The World

For centuries, camel milk's medicinal properties have been known to people in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In India and Kazakhstan, for example, camel milk is sometimes prescribed to patients suffering from diabetes, heart disease, or tuberculosis. It is much richer in Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and iron than is cow milk.

But aside from sanatoriums or the villages, it is not widely available.

And that is where the FAO believes the Tiviski dairy has forged a new path. If it can be done in Mauritania, one of the worlds' least-developed countries, camel-milk processing can be done anywhere, the UN organization believes.

Running a dairy where the animals are owned by nomads requires some adjustments. But Abeiderrahmane says this poses no major obstacles.

"There isn't a fence among my thousand suppliers, so they're all mobile," she says. "Some of them move quite a bit. Others move twice or three times a year. They do tend to go around. So we have collecting centers in the more 'rainy' areas in the south, where there's more grass. And around these centers there are a number of pickup trucks, which are mostly four-wheel-drives. But there are some donkey carts and some normal pickup trucks. They go all over the bush. They have their routes and they pick up the milk cans and bring them to the collecting centers."

At the collecting centers, the milk goes through quality control. "We check the milk for freshness, for watering, and then chill it quickly," Abeiderrahmane says. "We have tanker trucks and when it is cool at night, we have the tanker trucks bring the milk to the plant and that's where it gets turned into nice products."

Abeiderrahmane adds that camel milk is "not heavy milk. It's very light, it's very hydrating. It's full of vitamins, minerals. It's very complete. You can live on it alone for months to the exclusion of other food, which is quite amazing."

Economic Resource As Well

But the nomadic herdsmen who are Abeiderrahmane's suppliers no longer need to subsist on camel milk alone. Thanks to the business, they are earning a steady income.

"It's given value to livestock that was almost disappearing, except for meat," Abeiderrahmane says. "Camels are right back there now and they [the nomads] do definitely make money because they have a daily income. Instead of only getting money when they sell an animal, now they have daily income or monthly income or whatever -- but it means that every day they can make money from their animals."

When not supervising her dairy, Abeiderrahmane travels all over the world to spread the good word about camel milk. Recently, she visited Turkmenistan where it was camel-love at first sight.

"I was invited in 2004 to a seminar in Ashgabat about camels. I'm always asked to go and tell everybody how we did it. And I obviously tell them it can be done," she says. "It's really a good thing collecting the milk, processing it, turning it into nice modern products that can be kept in fridges and go into cities. We went out to a camel farm and we saw the camels, we saw their beautiful horses and beautiful dogs and beautiful sheep. But their camels were absolutely fabulous."

Abeiderrahmane's big hope is opening up European markets to camel dairy products, but the "problem is that camels are in countries that are not acceptable to the European veterinary inspection system," she says.

"First we had to overcome some hurdles about camel milk. But that can be overcome," she continues. "The problem is that today, we can't export our cheese to Europe, for example. Cheese is good. You need a huge amount of milk to make a little bit of cheese so if you're exporting, you're spreading money around to a lot of people. But it's Mauritania that 's not acceptable. And that's a complicated thing. But the [United Arab] Emirates, for instance, they're putting in millions -- $40 million -- into camels and a camel dairy and I would say that they may hit the market before we do, in Europe."

This African entrepreneur looks forward to the day when gourmets in her native England will be going to the corner store for their "camelbert." Until then, you can find Abeiderrahmane tending her flock in Nouakchott

[potemkin]

Camel Milk Travels from the Desert to the Dairy

Matthew Hennessey
October 12, 2006
http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/briefings/data/:v_get/29876/camelmilk_article/_res/id=sa_PictureFor thousands of years, nomadic desert tribes in Africa and the Middle East have relied on camel milk for sustenance during periods of drought and famine. Now, two innovative thinkers—one in Mauritania, the other in Israel—are working to transform this traditional beverage into a modern commercial enterprise. In the process, they are developing a possible alternative to the way the international aid community looks at emergency relief.
The milk of dromedaries, or domesticated one-hump camels, is high in both protein and vitamin C, and low in cholesterol. Loaded with minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, camel milk is easily digestible by those with lactose intolerance and has been hailed as a possible cure for everything from diabetes to Crohn’s disease. Camels are capable of producing remarkable amounts of this ultra-nutritious foodstuff in some of the most challenging climatic conditions on earth.
Sub-Saharan Africa is at constant risk of famine and drought, and relief efforts don’t necessarily provide the kind of sustained support that the region desperately needs. As a solution that derives from local knowledge and is adapted to the native climate, camel-milk harvesting presents an opportunity to alleviate hunger while establishing sustainable industry.
Mauritania’s arid climate and historically nomadic population have made it difficult to promote viable economic development. Yet where some see stagnation, entrepreneur Nancy Abeiderrahmane sees opportunity. Tiviski, the small dairy she founded in 1989, buys camel milk from semi-nomadic livestock owners and processes it into products such as cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese. The nomads have benefited from the income their camels provide, and Tiviski, in turn, has begun exporting its products to Europe. The dairy provides much needed economic activity in a country where 40% of the population lives in poverty.
Tiviski’s business model is unusual by Western standards, but Abeiderrahmane believes in local solutions to local problems. Nomadic camel herders arrange delivery of raw milk to intermediaries who transport it to collection centers. With high desert temperatures and huge distances to be covered, keeping the milk flowing can be tricky. “Most experts think that our collection system is weird and cannot be profitable, but it actually works, and keeps us and our one-thousand-odd suppliers busy,” Abeiderrahmane said in a recent interview with Policy Innovations.
In Israel, Dr. Reuven Yagil, professor emeritus of physiology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, has devoted his professional life to the promotion of camel-milk products. In 2000, Yagil started an experimental camel farm in the Israeli desert where he developed techniques for consistently getting more than 10 liters of milk (2.6 gallons) per day per camel. While this amount is less than the average cow’s milk yield, his achievement represents a significant improvement over the 5 liters per day that is typical of a hand-milked camel.
Yagil envisions his farm serving as a model for expanded local production of camel milk. “I know that by marketing camel products manufactured in the third world, the proceeds can be used to save starving children,” Yagil wrote in a recent email conversation. The ability of camels to thrive in severe desert climates holds the key to their potential. “These are the same environments where hunger, poverty, and illiteracy are rife,” he noted.
A 1980 study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) found that camel milk could help feed starving people. So why has this idea taken so long to catch on? Many entrepreneurs have shied away from potential investment because of technical issues associated with storage and pasteurization.
“Camel milk is great stuff… however, it is tricky to process, and camels tend to be in the wrong place with respect to markets,” laments Abeiderrahmane. Furthermore, in many countries, camel herding is the province of nomads who are often reluctant to settle down and devote themselves to farming.
Yagil sees other obstacles to the successful commercialization of camel milk. “The camel herders were assumed to be primitive and non-productive, even being a security problem for many countries,” he said. In addition, countries on the receiving end of aid often prefer the fungibility of money.
Thanks to Yagil and Abeiderrahmane, the visibility of camel milk is on the rise internationally. But it will take the encouragement of stakeholder governments and financial capital to kick-start the industry. If successful, it could be the straw that breaks the back of hunger and economic underdevelopment in the desert.

[potemkin]

Can Camel's Milk Cure Cancer and Liver diseases? http://www.zawya.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.zawya.com/images/spacer.gif


Saturday, 04 November 2006
TAIF: People are turning to drinking camel milk in many cities. Drive around any city and you find camels with shepherds and some drinking milk utensils waiting ready for camel milk thirsty customers.
"I take the camels out every morning to the desert so the camels eat from thorn trees, available in the Taif area. They eat from the desert, so the milk of the camels will be better. After that I come back to the farm and wait for the customers," Bila, a Sudanese camel herder told The Saudi Gazette
"The milk is good for the bones, it makes them strong, also it is good for the liver, sexual libido and many other health benefits," he said.

Turky Al-Otaibi, a businessman in Taif, swears by it, saying: "I drink camel milk everyday because I have two wives. It helps me a lot to please them. I have no need of medications for erectile dysfunction, camel milk does the job."

Milking a she-camel, however, is tricky.

"Approach the animal from the right leg. Bend your left leg and place a pot on it or anything else you can use to drain the milk," he advised.

"A she-camel has four nipples. Seize the nearest two and squeeze. Repeat twice daily," he added.

Ayed Al-Harthi an employee at a hospital said, "I suffer from high-blood cholesterol because of bad eating habits like eating Kabsah every night. I tried many medications, but unfortunately they are only good for short periods of time."

"Somebody advised me to try to drink camel milk every night. Then I did a blood test the result was nice, my cholesterol dropped to the normal level. I told the physician about that, he said he did do not have scientific studies on that," he added.

Khaled, a student at a Jeddah teacher's college said, "When I come to Taif, I go to the camel farms to drink milk without boiling it at all. I just say 'In name of Allah' and I drink."

"Nothing has happened to me at all so far. I have no fears of getting brucellosis," he said

Ibrahim Al-Halawani's father had liver cirrhosis.

"My father had liver cirrhosis and there is no treatment for this kind of disease with the modern medicine, so somebody advised me to give my father both milk and urine of the camel, they said it was a medicine used by the Prophet (pbuh). I started giving him the mix but my father's condition was too far gone and, as a result he died," Halwani said.

Emad Al-Sayed, Oncology and Radiotherapy consultant, said he could not confirm or deny that camel's milk or urine had any medicinal prupose.

"I do not have any evidence or studies that prove that camel milk treats cancer or liver cirrhosis as known to common people," he said.

"The she camel's milk soothes the liver and the effects of a spoiled constitution," said Al-Razi, an Islamic scientist.

In the book, the centuries-dead Islamic scientist in his book Al-Qanoon, writes "Camel's milk is an effective cure, and the best remedy for dropsy and other ailments."

Professor Ahmad Ahmadani, laboratories dean at the Sudanese Al-Jazera University, experimented with camel's milk and gave patients of liver cancer, liver cirrhosis and ascites calculated doses of camel milk and urine. After 15 days, all patients were cured from the disease, some of them continued to drink the mix. In another experiment, Ahmadani administered doses of camel's milk to diabetes patients. The result was the blood sugar decreased remarkably after one year of drinking camel's milk.
By Mohammad Murad © The Saudi Gazette 2006

[potemkin]

What a pain in the finger and camel's milk
11/8/2005

I have recently been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (http://www.aafp.org/afp/981015ap/mayfield.html) and it is just such a pain in the finger. Daily finger prickings to test blood sugar levels have got the best of me. Anyone who does not want to change his/her lifestyle should be warned, don't end up with diabetes because it changes everything and the constant threat of raised blood sugar levels is always in the back of the mind.

Since I have been diagnosed with this condition I have found some interesting information; there appears to be a link between diabetes, insulin resistance and camel's milk (http://www.diabetes.org.uk/news/dec04/camel.htm)

Now I only need to find a couple of female camels- which is near impossible around where I currently live and be able to milk them. Short of this it looks like I will have to stick to the usual medication and lifestyle changes ( exercise and diet). If any one knows of where I can get camel's milk I would be more than grateful for the information.

[potemkin]

The effect of heat treatment, pasteurization and different storage temperatures on insulin concentrations in camel milk
Auteur(s) / Author(s)

WERNERY U. ; NAGY P. ; BHAI I. ; SCHIELE W. ; JOHNSON B. ;
Résumé / Abstract

The effect of heat treatment, pasteurization and different storage temperatures on the insulin concentration of 19 dromedary milk samples was tested. Insulin concentrations between the milk samples obtained from individual camels varied widely, and the overall mean insulin value of fresh camel milk taken 3 times within one month was 41.9 ′ 7.38 μU/ml (mean ′ SEM). There was a significant difference in insulin concentration between the 3 milk samples collected on three different occasions within a one month period. Pasteurization, freeze drying or storage of camel milk at 4°C for 4 days as well as freezing at -20 °C resulted in a statistically significant reduction in insulin concentrations; however, this was minimal. Contrary to other researchers, our study demonstrated that the mean insulin concentration in camel milk does not significantly exceed the values found in bovine milk. However, the fact that camel milk, in comparison to bovine milk, does not coagulate in acid environment most probably is the main factor for its therapeutic effect on insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.
Revue / Journal Title

Milchwissenschaft (Milchwissenschaft) ISSN 0026-3788 CODEN MILCAD
Source / Source

2006, vol. 61, no1, pp. 25-28 [4 page(s) (article)]
Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

AVA, Kempten, ALLEMAGNE (1946) (Revue)

[potemkin]

The Camel Milk Answer



Mauritania (http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20060901/wl_csm/ocamelsmilk), a poor North West African nation (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mr.html) is experimenting in selling a local commodity, camel's milk, as a way a of developing their county and improving their economy. Camel's milk is hot right now because of its reputed fertility boosting abilities inspired by a Indian man's (http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/08/29/camel.milk.ap/) claims of having impregnated a woman in his 80's. The West may show an interest, as well, as scientist studies indicated that camel's milk can help with diabetes (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=18278), food allergies (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1134309561153&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull), and fight general infection (http://www.new-agri.co.uk/05-1/focuson/focuson5.html). It is likely this last ability that has given this milk its reputation in the Arab world as a cure for everything from upset stomach and dropsy to tuberculosis. There is even a story about how the Prophet Mohammad gave some travelers camels milk (http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=43163) to cure their sickness (and later brutally tortured and killed them in retaliation for attacks on his shepherds).

Camel's milk tends to be hard to get to market because camels and their owners frequently live in remote places. However, a company (http://www.tiviski.com/)in Mauritania, has opened a camel dairy with products such as cheese and yogurt (http://www.tiviski.com/frames.html)as well as pasteurized milk. It even looks like shipping camels milk to the UK could be an option. However, when it comes to marketing camel's milk Mauritania seems to be far behind United Arab Emirates who are planning on selling camel milk chocolates(with and Austrian company) (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1321489.html) and ice cream (http://www.dairyreporter.com/news/ng.asp?n=70076-camel-milk-ice-cream-health) in the near future. Camel diaries even exist in the United States however, soap (http://www.cameldairy.com/camel_milk_soap.htm) not cheese is the main use for the milk.

Even if the camel milk business remains local it could have a lasting positive effect on Mauritania that needs the industry and home-grown markets even more than aid if are to get out their cycle of poverty. They are doing plenty on their own however, this could blossom to even more, if the West will lower tariffs and restrictions that would allow this country to sell their product abroad?

[Krista]

Israeli-made camel-milking system installed in Dubai


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ALISA ODENHEIMER, Bloomberg, THE JERUSALEM POST Feb. 6, 2007

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A camel-milking system largely manufactured by Israel's S.A.E. Afikim that can simultaneously milk 48 camels, was sold by Afikim's British distributor, to a buyer in Dubai, the Jordan Valley-based company said Sunday. The statement didn't identify the buyer.

Israel and Dubai don't have diplomatic relations.

Cooperation between Israeli companies and the nation's foreign ministry "is the best way to enter new markets in which only intervention on the level of governments can open doors for Israeli manufacturers," Afikim Chief Executive Officer Yossi Shemer said in the statement.

The sale of camel milk could become a $10 billion industry, providing food to people in desert areas and income for nomadic herders, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. Camel milk is three times richer in vitamin C than milk from cows and contains vitamin B, iron and unsaturated fatty acids. Camels produce as much as 20 liters of milk a day, compared with as much as 36 liters a day for cows.

Nutritional and other benefits could make the product attractive to about 200 million potential Arab customers, as well as others in Africa and other parts of the globe, according to the FAO.

Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products, a company owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, last September started selling bottled camel milk, branded "Camelicious," in the United Arab Emirates.

Afikim's computerized Afimilk system measures milk production in real time, and alerts farmers to any deviation in performance, thus allowing early detection and treatment of udder disease, according to the company's Web site.

Afikim developed the systems and equipment sold to Dubai.

The British distributor handled the installation, the Israeli company said.

Israel's foreign ministry plans to advance marketing efforts of similar systems in Arab and Muslim countries and also in Asian nations where camel milk is commonly drunk, Haim Divon, the foreign ministry's deputy director general for international cooperation said in the statement. (Bloomberg)


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[Krista]

I'm new to this forum and I'm a little uncomfortable with this whole format. Please excuse me if I make some sort of mistake. I don't do IM, chat rooms etc. so I'm a real novice here. However, I am an information junkie.

I've been researching camel milk dairies for several months now. I'm planning on writing an article about it that I would like to publish in a magazine for economic development professionals.

I live in Kansas in the United States. Much of the land here in the plains states are experiencing some real problems. Our water resources are becoming depleted. There isn't enough water to water crops. Also, there isn't enough fodder for cattle. Farmers are abandoning their lands. I'm convinced that camels and camel's milk daries could exist here -- Dromedaries in the southwester states like Texas and Bactrians in the more northern states like the Dakotas.

I'm thinking that a few small camel's milk dairies could exist helping to create a market for camel's milk here in the U.S. I'm hoping that the demand would result in making imports viable. The poorest and most undeveloped countries in the world seem to have the most camels. It makes sense to create a demand here in America for products that these undeveloped countries have in abundance.

The Tiviski Dairy model in Mauritania makes a lot of sense. These pastoral people's could sell their milk, the dairies would process and sell it -- creating jobs and income for people. Consuming it here in the U.S. could help make people healthier. There is a real groundswell here right now for more healthy products, behaviors etc. It all just seems win/win to me.

I want to put all of this in my article. Any information those of you in this forum could provide me with would be welcome. There is a fledgling camel milk dairy in California -- Oasis Camel Dairy. Are there any others? Any people that want to start one up? Does anyone out there know? Also, I'm looking for the right forum in which to publish. I'd like the magazine to be read by economic development people, farmers, ranchers etc. and be largely for the Midwest. Any suggestions on magazines? (I have the necessary credentials to pitch my article, once I get past their incredulous reaction to camel's milk)

Two asides:

1. After doing all this research, I was disturbed to discover that the camel in my Christmas Nativity Set is not anatomically correct. It is obviously a Dromedary camel but it has two humps instead of one.

2. People are incredulous when I start talking about camel milk dairies. However, I simply inform them that real mozzarella cheese is made with water buffalo milk. I would rather milk camels than water buffalo.

[Cameleer]

I have been to the Oasis Camel Dairy and know Gil quite well. He does not sale camel milk because it would cost him around one hundred thousand dollars to set up a dairy, so for now he’s just content with making soap from the milk.

I don’t know how many people that write these camel milk articles have actually tried camel’s milk, but I’m guessing not many.
I’ve had the milk a number of times, two times still warm from the camel and a few other times with flavoring added to it or made into ice cream.
Camel’s milk seems a little thicker than cow’s milk and it has a very salty taste to it, that’s why they were adding flavoring to it which makes it taste very much like eggnog. Having that salty taste on your cereal or in your coffee would not be very good!

Some people have started using it in making candy. I’m guessing there would a bigger demand and larger profits in it this way. It would also keep longer and could be shipped anywhere in the world.
Also cow milking machine should not be used on a camel, the pressure and strokes per minute is different.

I’ve also water buffalo’s milk and butter a number of times, it’s very popular in India.

Anyway, that’s my 2 cents worth.

[Krista]

[QUOTE=Cameleer;425]I don’t know how many people that write these camel milk articles have actually tried camel’s milk, but I’m guessing not many.
I’ve had the milk a number of times, two times still warm from the camel and a few other times with flavoring added to it or made into ice cream.
Camel’s milk seems a little thicker than cow’s milk and it has a very salty taste to it, that’s why they were adding flavoring to it which makes it taste very much like eggnog. Having that salty taste on your cereal or in your coffee would not be very good!"

It's my understanding that that is the chloride in it. From what I've read it is definitely more salty tasting. There can be other tastes too that result from the camel's diet. This can be controlled somewhat.

There was a study done with school children and how they responded to camel's milk. The children were receptive to flavored camel's milk.

"Some people have started using it in making candy. I’m guessing there would a bigger demand and larger profits in it this way. It would also keep longer and could be shipped anywhere in the world."

Yes, this is the attraction with using it in ice-cream, cheese and chocolates. Another intriguing use is infant formula.

"Also cow milking machine should not be used on a camel, the pressure and strokes per minute is different."

I read about a camel milking prototype developed by an engineering student in Israel in the mid 1990s, it was awaiting funding. Obviously, it is being used now. Check out this picture:
http://www.camelsandcamelids.com/journals/june2004.jpg


"I’ve also water buffalo’s milk and butter a number of times, it’s very popular in India."

Check out this link:
http://www.starhilldairy.com/
They supply a lot of high end restaurants who want the REAL mozzarella.

I've prepared an email I use to inform people about camel milk and camel milk dairies. I've got a ton of hyperlinks in it. If anyone wants it just let me know. I've enabled my options on this forum to allow other members to send me emails. (At least I think I have). I'd really like to get this information into the hands of people that have the resources and inclination to really run with it. Feel free to send it to anyone you think fits this profile.

[potemkin]

Dreams are good! But the reality is totaly different. There will be no authority to give a permission to sell legal Camelmilk in the Western Hemisphere. The Reason: There will no be tolerated any kind of competition with cow milk. Could be a very big market. Even if your opinion sounds good, there will be no chance! In the European Union it is forbidden to Import any part of Camels. Hair, meat & milk....... For sell milk you need first a very expensive parameter with the content of all pathogen germs. To stabilished that you need several Houndertousend Dollars or Euros. Some more questions?

[Krista]

Dreams are good! But the reality is totaly different. There will be no authority to give a permission to sell legal Camelmilk in the Western Hemisphere. The Reason: There will no be tolerated any kind of competition with cow milk. Could be a very big market. Even if your opinion sounds good, there will be no chance! In the European Union it is forbidden to Import any part of Camels. Hair, meat & milk....... For sell milk you need first a very expensive parameter with the content of all pathogen germs. To stabilished that you need several Houndertousend Dollars or Euros. Some more questions?

I don't have any direct knowledge of the Euopean Union. I know Nancy A. is working on that front so her dairy in Tiviski can supply that market. She claims her products are already there -- camel's milk cheese smuggled in tourist's suitcases. She would, however, like the cheese to get there legally. The U.N. (FAO) is a huge fan of camel's milk. They are already pushing it.
http://www.fao.org:80/ag/againfo/subjects/en/subjects.html

As for the United States, where there is a political will, there is a way. What luck I have a Ph.D. in the necessary field. My husband's degree in industrial management and years as a manufacturing executive should come in handy as well. I have no illusions about this effort though. I know it could be years and it may not be in my lifetime. Democracy is slow. I'm hoping to hang my hat on the current groundswell of social philanthropy and social entrepreneurism.

Starting out, it would be best if camel's milk products don't compete with cow's milk -- infant formula for example, may be a good first effort.

Personally, I don't care if I get any credit. I'm perfectly willing to empower others to pick up on the idea and run with it -- even if it is those strongly embedded in in the current cow's milk market. If they reap the profits, why would they fight it?

You need to be careful about telling me something is impossible, it just makes me more determined . . .

[dziring]

I'm a scientist and am investigating internet reports that Camel's milk is good for Crohn's disease. I haven't been able find any published reports in the medical literature. Is there a source for this information?

Thanks