Donkey milk direct from our own producer in Seliminovo! We operate our own farm with over 300 free-range donkeys!

Health is the result of many interconnected factors, some of which depend on us and others that do not. One factor we can certainly control is the most effective and accessible form of prevention we have: our diet.
From the earliest times, milk and dairy products have been an indispensable food for people. They are especially valuable for children, but in fact can be regarded as universal foods for all age and professional groups—both in health and in illness. The biological value of milk is evident in the simple fact that it supplies a newborn with all the necessary nutrients for its intensive metabolism, growth, and development, without the need for any other food.
For humanity, cow’s milk is the most commonly used food for newborns, but it’s also the first allergen they encounter in life (Mariani, 2008).
The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology distinguishes allergy from intolerance (Sampson, 2004). Allergy is an adverse reaction to food involving the immune system, whereas intolerance is an adverse reaction to food that does not involve the immune system and manifests with different symptoms. Adverse reactions to cow’s milk are detected in 2% of infants during the first year of life: 30% of cases occur within the first month, 60% before the third month, and 96% by the twelfth month (Stintzing and Zetterstrom, 1979; Bock, 1987).
An alternative substitute for human and cow’s milk can be the milk of various animals such as goats, sheep, buffaloes, camels, mares, and jennies. The donkey (Equus asinus) is a member of the horse family, and its wild ancestor is the small gray African wild ass (Equus africanus), domesticated around 4000 BC on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The donkey’s most common role is transportation, and it remains an important animal in poorer regions of the world.
Donkey milk is rich in vitamins and contains important fatty acids and proteins very similar to those in human milk. For this reason, it can be recommended as a dietary alternative in cases of allergy to cow’s, sheep’s, or soy milk (Tesse et al., 2009). Donkey milk has low total solids (8–10%), low protein (1.5–1.8%), and high lactose (6–7%). Its proteins are characterized by a low casein level (47.3%) and a high concentration of essential amino acids such as valine and lysine (Taha and Kielwein, 1990; Salakidou et al., 2009). Whey proteins comprise about 36.9% of the total protein, with β-lactoglobulin alone accounting for around 30% (Salimei et al., 2004).
The high lactose content in donkey milk, comparable to that in human milk, plays an important role by stimulating intestinal calcium absorption through its positive effect on bone mineralization, thereby supporting the proper development of the nervous system during the first few months of an infant’s life (Taha and Kielwein, 1990).
The fat content of donkey milk ranges from 0.28% (Chiavari et al., 2005) to 1.82% (Oftedal and Jennes, 1988). Its lipid fraction is rich in essential fatty acids. It’s recommended to obtain these fatty acids daily through specific foods or dietary supplements (Guo et al., 2007). These lipids possess significant therapeutic properties, contributing to brain and retinal development. Donkey milk is particularly high in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids—similar to human milk (52–54%)—and contains a high percentage of linoleic acid, which has immunostimulatory and cholesterol-lowering effects (Taha and Kielwein, 1990).
The omega-3 fatty acids in donkey milk play an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease, as they help reduce thrombosis and can avert heart rhythm disturbances.
The mineral composition of donkey milk closely resembles that of human milk, except for its higher levels of calcium and phosphorus, while the Ca:P ratio remains similar (Salimei et al., 2004). In this regard, beyond its use for infants, donkey milk may have multiple effects on osteogenesis, atherosclerosis therapy, rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular diseases, prevention of premature aging, and hypocholesterolemic diets (Chiofalo et al., 2001).
Various studies have shown that donkey milk has significance beyond its nutritional value. It is also of interest in cosmetics (Vincenzetti et al., 2007), because the vitamins it contains (A, B2, C, and E) influence skin aging and regeneration (Guo et al., 2007). Donkey milk is rich in vitamin C, which has an antioxidant effect, thereby promoting a “slowing” of the aging process and accelerating the skin’s healing mechanisms. Vitamin E is likewise recognized as a potent antioxidant that delays skin aging and ensures the stability of cellular structures (Iacono et al., 1992).
Certainly, donkey milk has nutritional properties that make it closer to human milk than that of any other mammal. For this reason, it can be used not only as a substitute for allergic children but also as a novel dietary food for people. One of the most important issues concerning its supply is its seasonal availability throughout the year. The fertility of female donkeys is strictly linked to light exposure, and the breeding period is limited to a few months—mainly from February to July.
Compared to the milk of ruminant animals, donkey milk is much less studied, but in recent years interest in it has grown—on the one hand to meet the need for an alternative to cow’s milk and on the other to clarify its legendary cosmetic and therapeutic properties.

References
1. Salakidou, H., Simov, Zh., Dimitrov, Zh., Ioanidu, K. (2009). Characterization of the proteins in donkey milk. In Proceedings of Food Science, Technique, Technologies – 2009, October 23–24, Plovdiv, pp. 69–75.
2. Bock SA. 1987. Prospective appraisal of complaints of adverse reactions to foods in children during the first 3 years of life. Paediatrics. 79: 683-688.
3. Chiavari, C., Coloretti, F., Nanni, M., Sorrentino, E., and Grazia, L. 2005. Use of donkey’s milk for a fermented beverage with lactobacilli: Lait, 85, 481–490.
4. Chiofalo B, Salimei E, Chiofalo L. 2001 Ass’s milk: Exploitation of an alimentary resource. Riv. Folium 1 (Suppl. 3): 235–241.
5. Guo, H.Y., Pang, K., Zhang, X.Y., Zhao, L., Chen, S.W., Dong, M.L., Ren, F.Z. 2007. Composition physicochemical properties, distribution, and amino acid profile of donkey milk: Journal of dairy Science, 90:1663-1643.
6. Iacono, G., Carroccio, A., Cavataio, F., Montalto, G., Soresi, M., and Balsamo, V. 1992. Use of donkey’s milk in multiple food allergy: J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 14:177–181.
7. Mariani P.L, 2008. “Donkey milk nutraceutical characteristics: a biochemical evaluation of nutritious and clinical properties”. Doctorate thesis, University of Camerino.
8. Oftedal, O.T. and Jenness, R. 1988. Interspecies variation in milk composition among horses, zebras and asses (Perissodactyla: Equidate): J. Dairy Res. 55:57–66.
9. Salimei E, Fantuz F, Coppola R, Chiofalo B, Polidori P, Varisco G. 2004. Composition and characteristics of ass’s milk. Animal Research 53: 67–78.
10. Sampson HA. 2004.Update on food allergy. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 113: 805-819.
11. Stintzing G, Zetterstrom R. 1979. Cow’s milk allergy, incidence and pathogenetic role of early exposure to cow’s milk formula. Acta Paediatr. Scand. 68: 383-387.
12. Taha, N.M. and Kielwein, G. 1990. Pattern of peptide-bound and free amino acids in camel, buffalo and ass milk: Milchwissenschaft 45:22–25
13. Tesse, R., Claudia, P., Serena, B. and Lucio, A. 2009. Adequacy and tolerance to ass’s milk in An italian cohort of children with cow’s milk allergy: Department of biomedicine of the Developmental age, pediatric unit „s. Maggiore“, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
14. Vincenzetti, S., Polidori, P., Mariani, P., Cammertoni, N., Fantuz,F., Vita, A. 2007. Donkey’s milk protein fractions characterization: Food Chemistry 106 (2008) 640–649.

Donkey milk

Indicators	1	2 (Beginning of Lactation)	3 (End of Lactation)
Total protein	2,74	2,47	1,82
Fat content	0,4	0,9	0,2
Density	1,0317	1,031	1,033
Total solids	7,32	9,03	8,74
Titratable acidity	3,2	4,84	3,63

1. BS EN ISO 8968-1:2014 – Milk and milk products. Determination of nitrogen content. Part 1: Kjeldahl principle and calculation of crude protein (ISO 8968-1:2014).
2. BS EN ISO 1211:2010 – Milk. Determination of fat content. Gravimetric method (Reference method).
3. BDS 1110:1973 – Milk. Methods for determination of density.
4. BDS 1111:1980 – Milk and milk products. Determination of acidity.