Beautify yourself with snail mucus, not just tasty gastropods

Romthan says her $10,000-project does not require heavy manpower.

TUNIS (Reuters) - Electronics engineering graduate Houda Ben Romthan quit a job in administration after 12 years in order to pursue her passion in snail breeding, eyeing an emerging market for the molluscs in Tunisia.

While many may find breeding snails somewhat icky, Romthan has no problem touching the little creatures that have become her source of income.

She says her $10,000-project does not require heavy manpower.

Their mucus can be used to produce beauty products while their meat could make a delicious meal.

The mucus is extracted by placing the snail in a bowl of salt and vinegar mixture for 10 minutes before being sold to clients who use it in skin care products.

Ben Romthan says she sources the snails from the Ministry of Agriculture, which supports her and tens of other local producers as part of an initiative aimed at helping local Tunisian producers breed, market, sell and export snails.

While Ben Romthan only sells her products locally, others export their produce to European markets, mostly to Italy.

Nabil Kriaa, a founder of cosmetics company "Le Naturel" in Tunis, figured out after four years of careful studying the benefits of snail mucus which is rich in hyaluronic acid, collagen and Vitamin E. The price of an average snail beauty product ranges between 15$ to $25.

After selling the mucus extract to clients like Kriaa, ben Romthan cleans the snails’ meat to be ready for cooking. She sells a box of 10 snails for $3.5.

Restaurant owner Mohammed Aziz Smaoui says his signature snail recipe mixed with herbs and served in a special bread ball sandwich is becoming one of his customers’ favourite.

Snail meat is said to be nutritious - it is low in cholesterol and rich in proteins, making it a popular delicacy in various cultures.