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]Cows' milk is a complex liquid that is about 87 percent water and 13 percent solids—the solids being a combination of fat, carbohydrates in the form of lactose, minerals and protein. The major component of the milk proteins is casein; in turn about 30-35 percent of the casein (equivalent to two teaspoons in a litre of milk) is beta-casein, of which there are several varieties, determined by the genes of the cow. The most common of these variants are A1 and A2 (named for the order in which they were identified by scientists), with the sole difference between the two being one of the 209 amino acids that make up the beta-casein proteins: in a complex sequence of those amino acids, a ] occurs at position 67 in A2 beta-casein, while in A1 beta-casein a ] occurs at that position. Scientists believe the difference originated as a mutation that occurred between 5000 and 10,000 years ago—as cattle were being taken north into Europe—when the proline at position 67 was replaced by histidine, with the mutation subsequently spreading widely throughout herds in the western world through breeding.<ref name="woodford35">{{cite book | last =Woodford | first =Keith | title =Devil in the Milk | publisher =Craig Potton Publishing | year = 2010 | location = Nelson | pages =16, 35—42 | isbn =9781877333705 }}</ref><ref name="swinburn">{{cite journal | last = Swinburn | first = Boyd | title = Beta casein A1 and A2 in milk and human health| work=Report to New Zealand Food Safety Authority | date = 13 July 2004}}</ref><ref name="truswell">{{Citation | last = Truswell | first =A.S. | title = The A2 milk case: a critical review | journal = European Journal of Clinical Nutrition | volume = 59 | pages = 623–631 | year = 2005 | doi = 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602104 | url= http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v59/n5/full/1602104a.html |accessdate = 29 June 2014}} </ref> ]Cows' milk is a complex liquid that is about 87 percent water and 13 percent solids—the solids being a combination of fat, carbohydrates in the form of lactose, minerals and protein. The major component of the milk proteins is casein; in turn about 30-35 percent of the casein (equivalent to two teaspoons in a litre of milk) is beta-casein, of which there are several varieties, determined by the genes of the cow. The most common of these variants are A1 and A2 (named for the order in which they were identified by scientists), with the sole difference between the two being one of the 209 amino acids that make up the beta-casein proteins: in a complex sequence of those amino acids, a ] occurs at position 67 in A2 beta-casein, while in A1 beta-casein a ] occurs at that position. Scientists believe the difference originated as a mutation that occurred between 5000 and 10,000 years ago—as cattle were being taken north into Europe—when the proline at position 67 was replaced by histidine, with the mutation subsequently spreading widely throughout herds in the western world through breeding.<ref name="woodford35">{{cite book | last =Woodford | first =Keith | title =Devil in the Milk | publisher =Craig Potton Publishing | year = 2010 | location = Nelson | pages =16, 35—42 | isbn =9781877333705 }}</ref><ref name="swinburn">{{cite journal | last = Swinburn | first = Boyd | title = Beta casein A1 and A2 in milk and human health| work=Report to New Zealand Food Safety Authority | date = 13 July 2004}}</ref><ref name="truswell">{{Citation | last = Truswell | first =A.S. | title = The A2 milk case: a critical review | journal = European Journal of Clinical Nutrition | volume = 59 | pages = 623–631 | year = 2005 | doi = 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602104 | url= http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v59/n5/full/1602104a.html |accessdate = 29 June 2014}} </ref>

During digestion, the A1 beta-casein produces a peptide of a string of seven amino acids called beta-casomorphin-7, or BCM7. The BCM7 peptide is not produced during digestion of A2 milk. The existence of casomorphins—so-called because they are derived from casein and have opioid or narcotic properties, similar to morphine—was first reported by German scientists in 1979.<ref name="woodford35" /><ref name="swinburn" /><ref name="truswell" />


The prevalence of the A1 and A2 beta-casein protein varies between herds of cattle, and also between countries and provinces. While African and Asian cattle continue to produce only A2 beta-casein, the A1 version of the protein is common among cattle in the western world.<ref name="woodford35" /> In Australia some cattle produce only A2 or A1, while many produce both A1 and A2 beta-casein in equal amounts in their milk. In normal milk in Australia, the milk protein ratio is about 60 per cent A2 and 40 percent A1. On average, more than 70 percent of Guernsey cows produce A2 milk, while among Holsteins and Ayrshires between 46 and 70 percent produce A1 milk.<ref>{{cite press release | title = The A-B-C of milk | publisher = Dairy Australia | date =21 April 2011 | url =http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Standard-Items/Media-Releases/2011-Media-Release-Archive/A-B-C-of-milk.aspx | accessdate = 3 July 2014}}</ref> The prevalence of the A1 and A2 beta-casein protein varies between herds of cattle, and also between countries and provinces. While African and Asian cattle continue to produce only A2 beta-casein, the A1 version of the protein is common among cattle in the western world.<ref name="woodford35" /> In Australia some cattle produce only A2 or A1, while many produce both A1 and A2 beta-casein in equal amounts in their milk. In normal milk in Australia, the milk protein ratio is about 60 per cent A2 and 40 percent A1. On average, more than 70 percent of Guernsey cows produce A2 milk, while among Holsteins and Ayrshires between 46 and 70 percent produce A1 milk.<ref>{{cite press release | title = The A-B-C of milk | publisher = Dairy Australia | date =21 April 2011 | url =http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Standard-Items/Media-Releases/2011-Media-Release-Archive/A-B-C-of-milk.aspx | accessdate = 3 July 2014}}</ref>

Revision as of 07:46, 16 July 2014

A2 milk is cow's milk that contains only the A2 type of beta-casein protein rather than the more prevalent A1 protein commonly found in regular milk. A2 Milk is branded by The a2 Milk Company and sold mostly in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. There is no consensus that A2 milk has benefits over "A1" milk. A2 milk is not a milk substitute for infants with cow milk protein allergies.

A1 and A2 beta-casein are genetic variants of the beta-casein milk protein with different chemical structures. The A1 beta-casein type is the most common type found in cow's milk in Europe (excluding France), the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

A genetic test, developed by The a2 Milk Company, determines whether a cow produces the A2 or A1 type protein in its milk. The test uses hair from the cow's tail to determine this. The test allows The a2 Milk Company to give licenses to milk producers once these producers prove their cows produce only A2 beta-casein protein in their milk, to the exclusion of the A1 beta-casein protein type.

A review of the relevant scientific literature by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), published in February 2009, found that "a cause and effect relationship is not established between the dietary intake of BCM7, related peptides or their possible protein precursors and non-communicable diseases".

Background

Guernsey cow herds produce a high rate of A2 milk.

Cows' milk is a complex liquid that is about 87 percent water and 13 percent solids—the solids being a combination of fat, carbohydrates in the form of lactose, minerals and protein. The major component of the milk proteins is casein; in turn about 30-35 percent of the casein (equivalent to two teaspoons in a litre of milk) is beta-casein, of which there are several varieties, determined by the genes of the cow. The most common of these variants are A1 and A2 (named for the order in which they were identified by scientists), with the sole difference between the two being one of the 209 amino acids that make up the beta-casein proteins: in a complex sequence of those amino acids, a proline occurs at position 67 in A2 beta-casein, while in A1 beta-casein a histidine occurs at that position. Scientists believe the difference originated as a mutation that occurred between 5000 and 10,000 years ago—as cattle were being taken north into Europe—when the proline at position 67 was replaced by histidine, with the mutation subsequently spreading widely throughout herds in the western world through breeding.

The prevalence of the A1 and A2 beta-casein protein varies between herds of cattle, and also between countries and provinces. While African and Asian cattle continue to produce only A2 beta-casein, the A1 version of the protein is common among cattle in the western world. In Australia some cattle produce only A2 or A1, while many produce both A1 and A2 beta-casein in equal amounts in their milk. In normal milk in Australia, the milk protein ratio is about 60 per cent A2 and 40 percent A1. On average, more than 70 percent of Guernsey cows produce A2 milk, while among Holsteins and Ayrshires between 46 and 70 percent produce A1 milk.

Human milk, as well as that from goats and sheep, are free of A1 beta-casein.

Commercial production and sale

The creation of a simple but conclusive DNA test method to check the A1/A2 status of cows paved the way for the commercial production of A2 milk. The test, patented by the then A2 Corporation Ltd of New Zealand, is carried out on hairs plucked from the cow's tail. Those identified as having A2A2 alleles are tagged and milked separated, with the milk regularly audited to ensure the absence of A1 beta-casein. A2 cows are also mated with A2 bulls, or artificially inseminated using semen from A2 bulls, to ensure the herd produces only A2 milk, with herd conversion times varying from three months to seven years, depending on the percentage of the herd that is already A2 and how aggressively the farmer wishes to make a change.

Australia, New Zealand

In 2001 the A2 Corporation granted an exclusive licence to a distribution and marketing company, New Zealand Dairy Foods, to put A2 milk on New Zealand supermarket shelves by February 2002. When NZDF failed to achieve its goal, A2 issued non-exclusive local licences to several small to medium-sized dairy producers. In early 2003 a New South Wales dairy farmer and processor, Phil Denniston, began producing Fairbrae Jersey Gold A2 milk under license from A2 Corporation—the first time A2 milk had been retailed anywhere in the world. In April 2003 A2 milk became available in New Zealand, from Klondyke Dairies in Christchurch and Ridge Natural Foods in Hamilton.

A2 milk on sale in Australia.

In 2004 A2 Corporation licensed a second Australian company, A2 Dairy Marketers Pty Ltd, which signed up six Queensland dairy farms to supply it, with the aim of eventually marketing A2 milk Australia-wide. In September 2004 A2 Dairy Marketers was placed into receivership and A2 Corporation's Australian subsidiary, A2 Australia Pty Ltd, took over its marketing and distribution role. The Australian subsidiary was sold in 2005 to Singapore food and beverage company Fraser and Neave and by the end of the year A2 milk was available in more than 600 supermarkets and convenience stores in mainland Australia, with weekly sales of about 100,000 litres. In April 2006 A2 Corporation bought A2 Australia Pty Ltd back from Fraser and Neave. In May 2007 A2 Corporation launched a joint venture with listed company Freedom Nutritional Products to develop the Australian and Japanese markets and by 2013 the renamed Freedom Foods Group Ltd had become the A2 Corporation's biggest single shareholder, with an 18 percent stake in the company. In April 2014 the A2 Corporation changed its name to The a2 Milk Company Ltd.

By 2010 some 40 million litres of A2 milk was being produced by 12,000 A2-certified cows across Australia, with milk processed at four plants in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland; in 2014 the a2 Milk Company said its milk was sourced from 28 A2-certified farms throughout Australia. Yoghurt made with A2 milk went on the market in Australia in April 2010 under the Jalna brand. A2's premium infant formula brand, Platinum, was launched in New Zealand and Australia in September 2013 and A2 thickened cream was launched in January 2014.

United States

A2 Corporation formed a partnership with a US company, A2 Milk Company LLC, in 2005 to develop the North American market and in April 2007 A2 milk was launched in seven midwestern states by The Original Foods Company through the Hy-Vee supermarket chain. In December 2008 the A2 Milk Company announced it was withdrawing product from sale pending a rebranding and relaunch on a broader scale across the US.

United Kingdom

A2 Corporation formed a joint venture with a major British biggest milk supplier, Müller Wiseman Dairies, in November 2011 to process, market and sell its A2 milk products in Britain and Ireland. In June 2014 a2 Milk Company reported it had 20 dedicated farms supplying milk for processing in the UK. In its first year the milk recorded ₤1 million in sales through 1000 stores.

China

In April 2012 A2 Corporation announced New Zealand dairy processor Synlait Milk would manufacture A2 brand milk powders and infant formulas. The company appointed a Shanghai company as the exclusive Chinese distributor of its new Platinum infant formula brand in April 2013 and two consignments were sent that year. A2 Corporation said it expected to be generating annual sales of NZ$60 million in China by 2016. Consignments were halted in May 2014 after the Chinese government introduced strict new import regulations for infant formula that required exporters to apply for registration and demonstrate a close association between brand owner and manufacturer. The new regulations were a response to the 2008 Chinese milk scandal in which more than 300,000 infants were poisoned by contaminated milk formula. Synlait announced in May 2014 it had failed to gain registration because a new $21 million laboratory and canning facility was still under construction in Canterbury. A2 Milk Company also missed out on registration, but the company said its Chinese distribution partner held sufficient levels of inventory of A2 Platinum infant formula to meet consumer demand.

Consumer demographics

The a2 Milk Company describes its typical customer as health conscious, more optimistic, younger and with a high disposable income. In the first three months of the Australian supermarket "milk war" of 2011, in which rival supermarket companies Coles and Woolworths cut the price of home brand milk to $1 a litre, A2 milk recorded an 8 percent growth in sales.

Criticism and controversy

Findings about the adverse effects of A1 beta-casein proteins have been disputed by some scientists. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has dismissed a scientist's cautions about A1 milk contained in a report it commissioned, and asserted that A1 milk has no food safety issue. Dairy Australia has denied there is evidence to suggest A1 proteins are dangerous and has warned that criticism of normal milk is damaging the entire dairy industry.

Strong sales growth by A2 milk has also prompted a reaction by rival brands, which have accused the a2 Milk Company of running a scare campaign against normal milk. The CEO of rival Parmalat suggested there was "no scientific evidence that A2 Milk was better for consumers" and that "no independent scientific studies support their story". Some rival companies have rebranded products to highlight the presence of A2 proteins in their milk. In May 2014 the Lion conglomerate's Pura milk brand was relabelled in South Australia to state that it "naturally contains A2 protein". The company said it was responding to consumer demand and that its milk's protein would be guaranteed to be between 50 and 70 percent A2. The labelling would be rolled out nationwide if successful.

Dairy Australia

Dairy Australia representatives including nutrionist Malcolm Riley and risk analysis manager Robin Condron have stated that the organisation does not accept there is good evidence of any benefit of A2 over A1. Condron told the Weekly Times: "There is no good scientific evidence that A2 milk is any different to A1 milk." In 2014 Riley—now working for the government-owned CSIRIO science agency—repeated his assertion that claims about the benefits of A2 milk lacked scientific evidence.

Parmalat

In May 2014, Fairfax newspapers reported that Parmalat had engaged campaign strategists Crosby|Textor in 2013 to try to discredit the science that underpins A2 milk. An email from Crosby|Textor allegedly stated that Parmalat "want to communicate to the pubic that A2 isn't what it's cracked up to be ... that it isn't worth the money." In 2014, a series of articles critical of A2 emerged in Australian newspapers: a Sunday Telegraph article in which Parmalat accused A2 of "misleading advertising and scare tactics", an Australian Financial Review article in which a Parmalat executive claimed A2's claims of health benefits had no scientific support and that it was damaging the dairy industry, and an article in The Australian, headlined "Dairy rivals label A2 milk a scam" that described A2 claims as "snake oil salesmanship" and "a gigantic con".

A2 Dairy Marketers

A small Queensland start-up company, A2 Dairy Marketers Pty Ltd, licensed to market A2 milk in Australia, was fined $15,000 in the Brisbane Magistrates Court in September 2004 after it pleaded guilty to six charges involving making misleading health claims. The court found the company had breached Queensland's Food Act 1981 by suggesting in advertisements that ordinary milk was unhealthy and that A2 milk prevented childhood diabetes and heart disease. The company said it regretted making the claims, which were reported to authorities by Dairy Australia. The company went into receivership several days later.

See also

References

  1. ^ 1 February 2009, EFSA review of scientific literature on A1 and A2 milk, Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides
  2. Kemp AS, Hill DJ, Allen KJ, Anderson K, Davidson GP, Day AS; et al. (2008). "Guidelines for the use of infant formulas to treat cows milk protein allergy: an Australian consensus panel opinion". Med J Aust. 188 (2): 109–12. PMID 18205586. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. EFSA - Scientific Report of EFSA: Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides. p. 20.
  4. ^ Woodford, Keith (2010). Devil in the Milk. Nelson: Craig Potton Publishing. pp. 16, 35–42. ISBN 9781877333705.
  5. Swinburn, Boyd (13 July 2004). "Beta casein A1 and A2 in milk and human health". Report to New Zealand Food Safety Authority.
  6. Truswell, A.S. (2005), "The A2 milk case: a critical review", European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 59: 623–631, doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602104, retrieved 29 June 2014
  7. "The A-B-C of milk" (Press release). Dairy Australia. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  8. Smith, Simone (23 June 2010), "Milking the a2 gene hype", Weekly Times, Melbourne, p. 100
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  10. ^ Woodford, Keith (2010). Devil in the Milk. Nelson: Craig Potton Publishing. pp. 182–200. ISBN 9781877333705.
  11. Smith, Simone (21 April 2010), "It's a matter of genetics", Weekly Times, Melbourne, p. 107
  12. a2 Milk Company website
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  14. Langley, Sophie (17 March 2014). "A2 Corporation set to expand into North America". Ausfoodnews.com.au. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
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  16. Ooi, Teresa (16 November 2011). "A2 deal has milk pouring into UK". The Australian. p. 41.
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  18. White, Anna (29 October 2013). "'Allergy-free' milk firm reaches ₤1m sales". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
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  22. Adams, Christopher (29 April 2014). "Pressure on exporters of baby formula". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
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  31. "Protein punch in Pura form", The Advertiser, Adelaide, p. 11, 26 May 2014
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  33. Hunt, Peter (24 March 2010), "A2 attacks milk", The Weekly Times, Melbourne, p. 3
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  35. Neales, Sue (5 April 2014), "Dairy rivals label A2 milk a scam", The Australian, p. 9, retrieved 29 June 2014
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