"camel milk" news and stories

These days, the question isn't really "got milk?" It's more like "which milk?"

Everything from old-fashioned whole milk to lactose-free skim to unsweetened soy -- it seems like the last time everyone in the family reached for the same gallon may have been back when they all shared the same phone number, too.

And if a venture backed by Dubai's ruling sheik gains momentum, Americans may one day be adding yet another carton to their shopping carts: camel milk.

As the Associated Press reports, a company in the United Arab Emirates has recently been cleared by E.U. health regulators to become the largest exporter of camel milk products to Europe. If all goes well there, camel milk could eventually make its way to the U.S.

It might sound odd, drinking camel milk or making cheese from it, but really it is no different from using cows, sheep or goats. It is just that camels are, well, odd.

But according to the BBC camel milk is to be the next big thing (and who would have guessed that in their interviews?)  and it is all down to the United Nations who are calling for the milk, rich in vitamins B and C to be sold in the West. The milk also holds 10 times more iron than cow's milk and is slightly saltier too. It is widely consummed across the Arab world.

When top retailers such as Harrods and Fortnum & Mason express an interest, perhaps to cater for the large number of top spending Arabs customers in their stores rather than the likes of you and me, then it could have a niche to fill.

A couple of problems though, before camels milk makes it mainstream. Firstly the main producers are nomadic and second that the milk has so far not proved to be compatible with the UHT (Ultra High Temperature) treatment needed to make it long-lasting.