Camel Milk Seized in Kansas City

US Federal authorities seized 4300 16oz bottles of frozen raw camel milk, camel colostrum, and camel kefir which were stored in a Kansas City warehouse.   One issue was that they were shipped across state lines which was illegal.  Second is that the label and website health claims made are not scientifically supported (see Warning Letter).  One of those claims being that camel milk can help people with autism.   FDA issued an alert earlier this year stating that camel milk is not a treatment for autism.

I see that camel milk is also a 'thing' for putting in your coffee.  According to a Huffington Post article, camel milk is slightly sweet and creamy and slightly salty.  And even more nutritious.  The hard part may be deciding one hump or two.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article179929871.html#storylink=cpy
Feds seize gallons of camel milk they allege was illegally shipped to Kansas
By Tony Rizzo  trizzo@kcstar.com
October 20, 2017 10:07 AM



Federal and Kansas authorities have seized gallons of camel milk in Kansas City, Kan., that they allege falsely claim unproven health benefits.

A legal action was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court seeking the forfeiture of the seized milk products.

Prosecutors allege that the California company selling the products advertises that they are “intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment of disease.”

Those diseases listed by the company include autism, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, hepatitis, gastrointestinal problems, heart problems and cancer, according to documents filed by federal prosecutors

But none of the seized products have been “generally recognized as safe and effective by qualified experts” for those claimed uses, and as a result, prosecutors said they would need to be classified as “new drugs” under federal law.

Such products cannot be introduced in interstate commerce without prior approval or an exemption to that approval, according to the government’s case.

In August, investigators with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Kansas Department of Agriculture saw products labeled as raw camel milk, raw camel milk colostrum and Kefir made from raw camel milk at a distribution center in Kansas City, Kan.

There are no licensed dairy operations in Kansas that bottle raw or pasteurized camel milk, but at least some of the seized products were produced at a farm in Miller, Mo., according to the documents.

As a result, the government has concluded that all of the products were moved in interstate commerce and are subject to forfeiture.

The case involves eight and 16 ounce bottles of various products. All told, more than 4,300 bottles worth an estimated $70,000 is being held.

Earlier this year, the FDA put out a warning that included camel milk among a list of ineffective and potentially dangerous things being touted as a treatment for autism.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article179929871.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.kansascity.com/living/health-fitness/article144265774.html
FDA: Don’t try raw camel’s milk to treat autism
By Andy Marso
amarso@kcstar.com
April 12, 2017 5:35 PM

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an updated alert Wednesday warning consumers not to try a long list of ineffective and potentially dangerous things being peddled as autism treatments — including raw camel’s milk.

The alert from FDA regulatory officer Jason Humbert said the agency has “warned and/or taken action against a number of companies” advertising treatments like camel’s milk, chelation therapy, hyperbaric chambers, detoxifying clay baths and essential oils.

Steve Silberman, a science writer and autism advocate, said that as bizarre as some of the treatments sound, he’s heard of all of them — even the camel’s milk.

“Oh, sure, all the time,” said Silberman, the author of “Neurotribes: the Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity.” “The history of autism is basically a history of quack interventions because so little has been known about autism at a biological level, and there’s been a tremendous amount of bad information out there about what causes autism, for instance, vaccines and heavy metals.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/living/health-fitness/article144265774.html#storylink=cpy