Kazakhstan’s camel milk may hit shelves in China and Middle East stores
Kazakhstan approved a new national standard for pasteurized camel milk to help domestic producers expand exports to China, the Middle East, and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Deputy director general of the Kazakh Institute of Standardization and Metrology Alexander Razzarenov told a briefing at the Central Communications Service.
According to him, Kazakhstan has long had a standard for saumal (fresh mare's milk). This year, a separate standard for pasteurized camel milk was developed based on scientific research.
He noted that laboratory tests showed Kazakh camel milk products outperform comparable products from trading partners in terms of quality. As a result, the new standard introduces stricter quality requirements, which are expected to strengthen the competitiveness of Kazakh producers in international markets.
Camel milk is widely used in Kazakhstan to produce the traditional fermented beverage shubat. Pasteurized camel milk is also used in the production of ice cream, jams, and coffee-based drinks, including the popular “camelccino,” a camel-milk version of cappuccino.
The Ministry of Trade and Integration said that the national pasteurized camel milk standard was approved on September 11, 2026, and will come into effect on November 1. The document establishes unified requirements for the quality, safety, labeling, packaging, transportation, and storage of pasteurized camel milk.
To note, Kazakh dried kumys and horse meat adapted to foreign market requirements.