Research on donkey milk · Study 71

Halari donkeys from India: nutrients, minerals and vitamins of the milk

The Halari are a recently recognised donkey breed from western India. An Indian team measured their milk for the first time – from fat content to the individual B vitamins and amino acids.

Important: A descriptive milk analysis of nine jennies. It shows what is in the milk – no statement about an effect in humans.

Experimental setup · runs automatically

Seven stations in the sample carousel

Schematic. According to the paper, minerals, vitamins and amino acids were measured in external testing laboratories. Statistics: only mean ± standard deviation, no comparison group.

Basic composition

100 grams of milk under the magnifying glass

Measured values in % or g/100 g (mean). Dry matter 9.61 g; lactose, protein, fat and ash together add up to 9.15 g – the remaining 0.46 g is not assigned to any component in the paper. Casein (0.84 g) is part of the protein. Carbohydrates “by difference”: 6.23 %, i.e. more than the measured lactose; the authors suspect oligosaccharides, but they were not measured.

Minerals and vitamins · tap a compartment

A type case full of trace substances

Mean
Range
SD

Fill level = mean relative to the highest value in the respective row (calcium or pantothenic acid). Biotin converted to mg for comparison. Vitamin B12 was not detected. Measured values, not a statement about an effect.

Amino acids

The family tree of protein building blocks

g/100 g milk, means from Table 4. Branch thickness corresponds to content. 14 of 20 amino acids were reported; threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and cysteine are missing. Marked red: values we consider implausible (see below).

Critical assessment

The proof sheet

Nine jennies on a research farm, only the second half of lactation (weeks 21–30), no comparison group and no statistical tests: the study is a first description, nothing more. When proofreading, we also noticed contradictions between text and tables.

Editorial assessment: The authors describe donkey milk as almost identical to breast milk and as a substitute for it. This was not examined in this study. Donkey milk is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula. Funding: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); according to the paper, no conflicts of interest. For comparison: Study 56 (minerals over the year).

Proofread: text, table, calculation

Research question for DON DONKEY’S®

Which vitamins and minerals are in our milk?

The Halari study provides figures for one breed in one section of lactation. For the milk of our partner farms, we do not want to adopt such values but rather collect our own laboratory data and openly show how much they vary.

Our own laboratory valuesBreed comparison: Study 70Document lactation stage

Original publication

Milk from Halari Donkey Breed: Nutritional Analysis, Vitamins, Minerals, and Amino Acids Profiling

Original title of the publication.

Garhwal R., Bhardwaj A., Sangwan K., Mehra R., Pal Y., Nayan V., Iquebal M. A., Jaiswal S., Kumar H.
Foods · 2023 · volume 12, issue 4, article 853 · open access
Amity University Rajasthan; ICAR – National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar; other ICAR institutes and universities (India)

DOI: 10.3390/foods12040853

Transparency: funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Ministry of Agriculture of India). According to the paper, no conflicts of interest. No product-related statement for DON DONKEY’S®.

Summarised and reviewed by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team on the basis of the original publication · as of October 2026

End of the study summary

Note on our products

The study summarised above was carried out independently of DON DONKEY’S® and does not relate to our products. It serves solely to inform about the state of research.

DON DONKEY’S® donkey milk and donkey milk powder are foods. They are not intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease and do not replace medical advice.

From our shop

DON DONKEY’S® donkey milk

100 % donkey milk · raw milk, frozen

On this page we report the findings of a published study. Independently of that, you will find our donkey milk here: 100 % donkey milk, frozen as raw milk.

Transparency: The study examined milk from Halari jennies in India – not the milk of our partner farms.

€24,90

100 ml bottle / 100ml · Unit price: €249,00 / 1 l · incl. VAT, plus shipping

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Also in our shop

Donkey Milk Powder

Donkey milk in powder form

For anyone who prefers a longer shelf life: our donkey milk in powder form – easy to store and portion.

Transparency: The study examined fresh donkey milk, not our donkey milk powder.