A Dubai producer of camel milk expects it will be able to export in more significant volumes to Asian and Muslim markets internationally after receiving halal certification from Malaysia.

Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products (EICMP), which produces under the brand Camelicious, earlier received an EU permit enabling it to export its products to some of the most demanding and sophisticated European markets.

Malaysian certification for halal is prized by production facilities worldwide as it gives an entrée into religiously sensitive Muslim consumers who number more than a billion.

Announcing the Malaysian win, the company said: “This certification marks a new milestone in the growth of the company as well as in the progress of the growing camel milk industry in the UAE.”

Mutasher Al Badry, deputy general manager and business development manager at EICMP, said the EU permit and halal certification “show the tremendous potential of our industry and it opens the door to future growth in the Malaysian and other Muslim economies around the world.”

“This achievement also reflects the advancement of our products in quality and natural purity, matching the highest standards in food production and fulfilling the stringent halal regulations of the Malaysian authorities. Receiving the halal certification for such an important market as Malaysia also underlines the increasing awareness for camel milk products globally,” he continued.

The company produces fresh milk, milk powder, whey powder, milk with flavours in dates, saffron, chocolate and strawberry, three types of cheeses namely Nboulsi, Akawi and white cheese, and laban.

EICMP is working on expanding its product line.

Exhibition exposure

Preparing for greater export opportunities, EICMP participated in the 5th OIC Muslim World Biz Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. The UAE camel milk producer introduced its product range to Southeast Asian markets and worked at creating new business ties with potential partners for future ventures and expansion into the region.

Equipment at the EICMP plant

The Kuala Lumpur event hosted around 1,200 exhibitors of the halal product sector from more than 35 countries. The exhibition is recognised as a powerful trade platform for enhancing intra-trade among Muslim countries and providing a platform for governments, international investors and industry players to explore joint ventures and trading opportunities.

“Participation in this year’s OIC Muslim World Biz is a meaningful step forward in our efforts to reach out to global consumers and particularly to Muslim populations all around the globe.” Al Badry highlighted.

“We are certain that with our camel milk products we can make a significant contribution to the global halal food sector. This sector is of great importance for us, as a lot of Muslim consumers are already aware of the virtues of camel milk. We are excited and very optimistic about the potential of camel milk on the international markets and Muslim economies and we are looking forward to what the future holds for us,” Al Badry added.

EICMP recently established “a successful business module” with a leading Malaysian wholesale supplier of health goods, “Taqa Tropica,” for exporting Camelicious fresh camel milk products and camel milk powder to Malaysia.

The daily average output of Camelicious is around 6,000 litres of milk. EICMP has 4,200 camels against 3.500 that were on its complex in November 2013.

The potential

Fresh camel milk newly bottled at EICMP’s plant in Dubai under the Camelicious brand

The main market for Camelicious is domestic where it has grown over the past eight years. Last year the only exports were to Kuwait, but prospects have brightened with the winning of the EU permit, which in fact has made EICMP the first and only producer of camel milk to receive that certification. The quantities of fresh milk, milk powder and whey powder shipped to Europe in 2013 were quite small and only for trial purposes in the cosmetic and nutritional supplements sector. However, in February of this year the company started exporting fresh milk, milk and whey powder and flavoured options to the UK and only very recently began exporting fresh milk and milk powder to Malaysia.

The company can expect to serve growing demand as camel milk has several health benefits including being lower in lactose than cow’s milk and lower in cholesterol than cow or goat milk  while having a  three times higher content of vitamin C than cow or goat milk and being high in unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins. 

The idea of a camel-milking facility was born at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) in Dubai some 25 years ago. Research commenced with the specific aim to obtain scientific proof of the outstanding health benefits of camel milk. The ultimate goal was to introduce camel milk to the markets and make it accessible to a large number of consumers.

After the completion of research in 2003, EICMP was established. By 2006, the milk production facility was completed and the first camel milk products under the brand name Camelicious hit the UAE shelves in August of the same year.

EICMP has deployed the latest technology and standards and runs the most advanced and the first fully integrated camel milk production facility in the world.

Production at its facilities is closely monitored and the company obtained the ISO 22000 certification for both the farm facilities and dairy processing. It fulfills the strict EU requirements for export into the European Union and follows HACCP procedures.