A Comprehensive Review on the Properties of Camel Milk and Milk Products (original) (raw)

Camel (Camelus dromedaries) milk is an important source of proteins for the people living in the arid lands of the world. Globally, 2.9 million tones of camel milk are produced annually. Camel milk has been recognized for its extraordinary medicinal properties. It is known to have a therapeutic potential against many diseases including diabetes, anemia, jaundice, arthritis, and cancer. Epidemiological surveys have indicated that people who are consuming camel milk have low prevalence of diabetes. Various researchers have worked on the compositional aspects of camel milk. The milk of camel is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and im-munoglobulins. The manufacturing of dairy products, such as butter, ghee, cheese, and yoghurt from camel milk is difficult due to the unique structural and functional properties of the milk components. However, attempts have made for preparing several dairy products like cheese, butter, yoghurt, ice cream, paneer, and others from camel milk. As milk is extremely susceptible to spoilage by microbes present in the environment, therefore, it is imperative that good hygienic practices must be followed during the production and processing of milk and dairy products. The people in camel raising areas should be educated to avoid the consumption of raw milk to prevent milk borne diseases.