UAE, Dubai granted dairy export approval – camel milk processor
Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products (EICMP) – the manufacturer of the popular Camelicious camel milk brand - announced last week that the European Commission (EC) had granted the UAE and Dubai final approval under Regulation (EU) No 605/2010 to export dairy into the EU.
EICMP, which boasts a camel herd of around 3,000, claims that it is among a list of 28 companies that have been approved by the EC to export dairy into the 27 EU Member States.
According to EICMP, its inclusion will make it the first dairy in the Middle East to export camel milk products into the EU.
DairyReporter.com approached the EC to confirm the claims, but no response was forthcoming prior to publication.
Dairy export “stamp of approval”
“Camel milk is, without a doubt, one of the best dairy products in the world because of its exceptional health and nutritional value,” said EICMP deputy general manager and business development manager, Mutasher Al-Badry.
“The EU Commission’s approval for the export of Camelicious products is a stamp of approval to the quality standards of the UAE in general, and to our company in particular.”
EICMP claims it was granted approval from the EC following a five-year battle to bring its food quality and safety standards up to European level.
The company claims to have obtained international standards and regulations, consulted EU food safety experts, invested in new technology, and worked with laboratories to analyse the safety of its products.
According to EICMP, these tests “consistently” proved the safety and quality of its Camelicious camel milk.
It also praised the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water and the Dubai Municipality for issuing and amending regulations and guidelines to comply with the demands of the EC.
Increased global camel milk demand
According to EICMP, camel milk is naturally lower in fat than cows’ milk, is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, contains three times as much vitamin C as cows’ milk, and has been proved to reduce cholesterol boost the immune system.
It also represents a milk alternative for people with lactose intolerance, EICMP claims.
Al-Badry added that the company will be taking a number of steps in the near future to boost its production of camel to meet the anticipated demand increase.
“International research on camel milk has resulted in increased global demand for the product, and we will be taking steps to boost production in order to meet that demand, both regionally and globally. We also have plans to partner with international companies to utilise camel milk in other areas such as medicine, beauty products, and specialised foods because of its great benefits,” he said.
