Camel milk
Encyclopedia
Camel's milk has supported Bedouin
, nomad
and pastoral
cultures since the domestication of camels millennia ago. Herders may for periods survive solely on the milk when taking the camels on long distances to graze in desert and arid environments.
Camel dairy farming is an alternative to cow milk in dry regions of the world where bovine farming consumes large amounts of water and electricity to power air-conditioned halls and cooling sprinkler systems. Camel farming, by utilising a native species well-adapted to arid regions, able to eat salty desert plants, has been linked to de-desertification by UNESCO
. Camel milk can be found in supermarkets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Kenya.
Camels' vital role in supporting human populations in some of the poorest and frequently drought-stricken areas of the world has now been widely acknowledged (Hjort af Ornäs, 1988). Droughts in Africa, India and Mongolia over the past decade have demonstrated that camel ownership can give pastoralists an excellent chance for survival as the advanced physiology of a camel allows it to go one month without water and continue to produce milk on the poorest of diets. While entire herds of cattle, sheep and goats succumb to arid conditions, camel populations survive relatively unscathed. Consequently, some pastoral groups with deeply ingrained traditions of cattle herding, such as the Samburu
in northern Kenya, started to acquire camels (Sperling, 1987), a fact which has come to the attention of development agencies and international organizations.
Compared to cow, buffalo and ewe milk fat, camel milk fat contains less short-chained fatty acids, but the same long-chained fatty acids can be found. Some researchers claim that the value of camel milk is to be found in the high concentrations of volatile acids and, especially, linoleic acid and the polyunsaturated acids, which are essential for human nutrition.
Camel milk has a high vitamin and mineral content and immunoglobin content. The composition of camel milk depends on its feed and species: Bactrian milk has a higher fat content than Dromedary milk.
•Camel milk is low in lactose compared with cow's milk. However, levels of potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, sodium and zinc are higher than in cow's milk.
•Cholesterol in camel milk is lower than cow or goat milk.
•Camel milk is 3 times higher in vitamin C than cow’s milk and 10 times higher in iron.
•It is also high in unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins but less in vitamin A and B2.
•The fat content in camel’s milk is similar to that of cow’s milk.
•Camel milk is rich potassium, iron and minerals such as sodium and magnesium.
Several farms owning collections of breeding camels are adopting camel milking programs in the states of Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, with new milking programs set to open in Louisiana, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Idaho, Tennessee, and Florida. Most of the camel dairies in the US are small, with four to 20 camels, each producing a minimum of five litres per day.
Laws in the United States allow an individual who owns an animal to consume that animal's milk but until recently it was a felony to sell camel milk in the US. Milk sold in the U.S. must be tested for antibiotic residue if it crosses state lines or is sold commercially in stores. As the law stands in most states, the dairies are allowed to sell the milk directly from the farms to customers who buy it directly from the farm. Each state is different with regulations governing the sale of the milk. Milk is allowed to be sold, depending on the state, in raw form, pasteurized, or cow share program.
The current market for the milk in the US is for medical purposes and as a food for ethnic populations. There is also a very large demand for the colostrum, which is in very limited amounts and is quite expensive.
The cost of producing a quart of camel's milk is considerably higher than that of producing a quart of cow's milk; approximately fifty times more expensive. In the United States, female camels are very rare; they mature slowly and can only be bred safely after age four. Their thirteen month gestation period must conclude in a live birth followed by suckling, else the female camel will stop producing milk. Unlike a dairy cow which is parted from her calf when it is born and then gives milk for six to nine months, a camel can share her milk with the farmer and her calf for twelve to eighteen months.
, the Rashaida tribe use this method to store surplus milk in the rainy season, pulverising the dried curds and adding water for consumption in the dry season. In Mongolia camel milk is consumed as a product at various stages of the curd-making process. Recent advances in cheese making technology have made it possible to coagulate camel milk with a vegetable rennet and camel rennet.
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
, nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
and pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
cultures since the domestication of camels millennia ago. Herders may for periods survive solely on the milk when taking the camels on long distances to graze in desert and arid environments.
Camel dairy farming is an alternative to cow milk in dry regions of the world where bovine farming consumes large amounts of water and electricity to power air-conditioned halls and cooling sprinkler systems. Camel farming, by utilising a native species well-adapted to arid regions, able to eat salty desert plants, has been linked to de-desertification by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Camel milk can be found in supermarkets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Kenya.
Camels' vital role in supporting human populations in some of the poorest and frequently drought-stricken areas of the world has now been widely acknowledged (Hjort af Ornäs, 1988). Droughts in Africa, India and Mongolia over the past decade have demonstrated that camel ownership can give pastoralists an excellent chance for survival as the advanced physiology of a camel allows it to go one month without water and continue to produce milk on the poorest of diets. While entire herds of cattle, sheep and goats succumb to arid conditions, camel populations survive relatively unscathed. Consequently, some pastoral groups with deeply ingrained traditions of cattle herding, such as the Samburu
Samburu
The Samburu are a Nilotic people of north-central Kenya that are related to but distinct from the Maasai. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats and camels. The name they use for themselves is Lokop or Loikop, a term which may have a variety of...
in northern Kenya, started to acquire camels (Sperling, 1987), a fact which has come to the attention of development agencies and international organizations.
Nutritional value
Camel milk is a rich source of proteins with potential antimicrobial and protective activities; these proteins are not found in cow milk or found only in minor amount. Camel milk is a whole food meaning it has enough nutrients to sustain a person through the day. In many countries, camel milk is given to babies suffering from malnutrition.Compared to cow, buffalo and ewe milk fat, camel milk fat contains less short-chained fatty acids, but the same long-chained fatty acids can be found. Some researchers claim that the value of camel milk is to be found in the high concentrations of volatile acids and, especially, linoleic acid and the polyunsaturated acids, which are essential for human nutrition.
Camel milk has a high vitamin and mineral content and immunoglobin content. The composition of camel milk depends on its feed and species: Bactrian milk has a higher fat content than Dromedary milk.
•Camel milk is low in lactose compared with cow's milk. However, levels of potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, sodium and zinc are higher than in cow's milk.
•Cholesterol in camel milk is lower than cow or goat milk.
•Camel milk is 3 times higher in vitamin C than cow’s milk and 10 times higher in iron.
•It is also high in unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins but less in vitamin A and B2.
•The fat content in camel’s milk is similar to that of cow’s milk.
•Camel milk is rich potassium, iron and minerals such as sodium and magnesium.
Production
Camel milk is still largely a subsistence product, but production in camel milk dairies is a growing industry.India
The NRCC (National Research Centre for Camels) in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India is a research institute producing a quantity of milk daily that it sells at a subsidised price to diabetic patients and to an alternative therapy centre for children with disabilities.USA
The USA has an imported population of 5,000 camels.Several farms owning collections of breeding camels are adopting camel milking programs in the states of Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, with new milking programs set to open in Louisiana, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Idaho, Tennessee, and Florida. Most of the camel dairies in the US are small, with four to 20 camels, each producing a minimum of five litres per day.
Laws in the United States allow an individual who owns an animal to consume that animal's milk but until recently it was a felony to sell camel milk in the US. Milk sold in the U.S. must be tested for antibiotic residue if it crosses state lines or is sold commercially in stores. As the law stands in most states, the dairies are allowed to sell the milk directly from the farms to customers who buy it directly from the farm. Each state is different with regulations governing the sale of the milk. Milk is allowed to be sold, depending on the state, in raw form, pasteurized, or cow share program.
The current market for the milk in the US is for medical purposes and as a food for ethnic populations. There is also a very large demand for the colostrum, which is in very limited amounts and is quite expensive.
The cost of producing a quart of camel's milk is considerably higher than that of producing a quart of cow's milk; approximately fifty times more expensive. In the United States, female camels are very rare; they mature slowly and can only be bred safely after age four. Their thirteen month gestation period must conclude in a live birth followed by suckling, else the female camel will stop producing milk. Unlike a dairy cow which is parted from her calf when it is born and then gives milk for six to nine months, a camel can share her milk with the farmer and her calf for twelve to eighteen months.
Milk yields
Pakistani and Afghanistani camels are supposed to produce the highest yields of milk, up to 30 litres per day. The Bactrian camel, produces between 2.5-5 litres per day and the dromedary produces an average of 6-9 litres per day. Intensive breeding of cows has created animals that can produce 40 litres per day in ideal conditions. Camels, with their ability to go 21 days without drinking water, and produce milk even when feeding on low-quality fodder, are a sustainable option for food security in difficult environments.Camel cheese
Camel cheese is almost impossible to make. It does not coagulate easily and bovine rennet fails to coagulate the milk effectively. In camel herding communities camel milk cheeses use spontaneous fermentation, or lactic fermentation to achieve a sour curd. In SudanCamel farming in Sudan
Over the past few decades camels have regained recognition for their food-producing potential in arid and semi-arid areas of Sudan. After having been dismissed as uneconomical by the Sudanese government, their vital role in supporting human populations in some of the poorest and frequently...
, the Rashaida tribe use this method to store surplus milk in the rainy season, pulverising the dried curds and adding water for consumption in the dry season. In Mongolia camel milk is consumed as a product at various stages of the curd-making process. Recent advances in cheese making technology have made it possible to coagulate camel milk with a vegetable rennet and camel rennet.