Raw milk in camelids. Peculiarity and legislative considerations

Multiple research studies have demonstrated that dromedary milk has compositional and organoleptic characteristics more similar to human milk than donkey milk. For this reason, it could be a further key element in the paediatric feeding for the treatment of allergies to some proteins of bovine milk and other animal species and to multiple food intolerances. Dromedary milk should be considered as a good alternative to breast feeding or to paediatric food formulations. Moreover, dromedary milk is characterized by high calcium levels and it could be indicated for subjects that need a higher dietary calcium intake, as for example post-menopausal women at risk for osteoporosis, or women of childbearing age with amenorrhea. For these reasons the recent interest of certain consumer groups to the product is justified. Dromedary milk production and market need specific criteria, in order to prevent consumer health problems and/or some negative effects on milk quality; in fact it is usually sold directly from producer to consumer as raw food. As a result, special attention must be paid controls for dromedary health and for quality and sanitary criteria for milk during the primary production. On the basis of these considerations, the Authors describe the main compositional and sanitary characteristics of dromedary’s milk and make a comparison with dromedary camel’s milk. Then, they examine the laws relating to the sale of raw milk, and show that only a few references in national and EU legislation exist about production and sale of dromedary and dromedary camel milk. In the same context hygienic and sanitary requirements are considered for milk, because these criteria have a particular importance for the quality control. It is therefore hoped a more detailed regulatory framework allowing producers to set high-level quality and safety standards for milk, and to select a reliable product for the market.