The ship of the desert may have bad breath and an ill-temper but it has been supplying Bedouins with milk for centuries, and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that it could soon appear on the shelves of European supermarkets. Not entirely sure about promoting it as ‘almost like mum’s own’ though.
The United Arab Emirates wants to export camel’s milk to Britain and other European countries and the European Commission recently approved plans for screening camel milk, and will send an EU panel to inspect the UAE’s two dairy farms producing camel milk – Al Ain Dairy, with ‘Camelait’, and the Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products’ ‘Camelicious’, found in most UAE grocery stores.
Camel milk is closer in composition to human milk, making it a healthier option than cow’s milk. It is high in vitamin C, contains insulin and it doesn’t cause allergic reactions, so it can be drunk by people with lactose intolerance without any problem.
It will, of course, be a bit more expensive than cow’s or goat’s milk.