Pierluigi Christophe Orunesu

Q. What in your background prepared you for your current role?

I was born in Switzerland, but my family is from a Sardinian background, where they have a lot of donkeys. Every summer I grew up seeing donkeys around Sardinia. In 2007, I found a farm that had bred donkeys for over 20 years and launched Eurolactis.

I had been looking for a project, and in 2008, there was a financial crisis. It occurred to me that there was a very strong project for donkey milk – it is natural and healthy. It has use in the cosmetic industry and there is a strong potential for nutritional products. Investors were afraid but I convinced them I had a very strong business plan.

Q. How has the market for donkey milk grown?

Donkey milk has an important legacy in the Mediterranean area. It has long been used in cosmetics. Remember, Cleopatra bathed in donkey milk. Infant nutrition is also an important use for the milk. Doctors know the milk is very similar to the composition of human milk, as donkeys only have one stomach, versus the multiple stomachs of other ruminants. So, the milk is much lighter than traditional cow or sheep milk. The composition of donkey milk is around 95 per cent similar to human milk.

The farm had originally 350 donkeys but, the number has grown to over 900, in response to the increased demands we are seeing for donkey’s milk, both for cosmetic reasons (the firm supplies milk to a French cosmetics company that makes soaps and creams) as well as for dietary ones.

Q. What are the key markets for the products?

We have several different divisions in the company. The business to business division is for cosmetics and other active ingredients in donkey milk. For example, we’ve recently provided a Swiss customer with donkey milk for its chocolate containing the milk. We offer powder for nutraceuticals and food specialities. We are also used in formulas for pre-term babies, and there has recently been a large clinical trial with donkey milk powder on premature infants, with good results. On the consumer side, customers buy our powders online for integrating into feeding their allergic infants and small children.

We have also patented five probiotic strains found in donkey milk.

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Greatest challenge?

Our greatest achievement so far is that we’ve helped donkey breeders to increase collections over the past eight years. We’ve also managed to achieve the patents for baby milk concentrate proteins and probiotics. Our greatest challenge is to increase the production of donkey milk. Donkey output has not changed very much since ancient times, while cow production has increased greatly. So, an average donkey produces two to three litres per day, while a cow can produce around 40 litres. It will never be as mainstream as cow or goat milk. It is more like buffalo milk.

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

As a CEO, I have lots of things to do in a typical day. My work is on the marketing and commercial side, and we have a fantastic team here. We have a research team in Italy – Milan, Turin and Rome. We are working on increasing production as sales are going up. Luckily, we are receiving more and more requests from farmers to work with us. We are selling to Europe, and now we are selling to Asia as well.

Q. Outside of work, what are your hobbies/interests?
I enjoy classical music, and I also spend a lot of time with my wife.

Related content

Leave a reply

Dairy Industries International