Milk – the word brings back vivid childhood memories for me. From being a mandatory morning ritual, an integral ingredient in mom’s homemade sweets and the cure for sick days, Milk has always been a core ingredient in my household. I am pretty sure that this resonates with your experiences too. In recent times however, the goodness and purity of milk has been largely speculated.

The most recent in the series ‘IS MILK EVEN DOING ANY GOOD?’ is the debate of A1 milk vs. A2 milk.

A little back story?

The White Revolution of India, also known as the “Operation flood” kick started in 1970. This successful project transitioned India from being a milk deficient nation to the largest milk producing country in the world. Now, in the process of making this possible, a few changes happened in the Indian agro-dairy sector :

• A huge import of European breeds of cows, which was aimed at ensuring greater production of milk.
• Cross breeding of Indian & European cows.
• Quality of milk was assessed as per the fat content of the milk and not the protein / mineral content of it.

The overall picture which was masked by gains, disguised an implicit but severe problem. In order to attain larger quantities of milk, we also created a Devil in the milk. No, these are not my words. Dr Keith Woodford (Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University in New Zealand) wrote a book titled “The Devil in the Milk”. To summarize his writings, he claims that most of the western breeds of cows have undergone some sort of genetic mutation which differentiate them from the native Indian & African cow breeds. And that my folks, is the Devil in the Milk!

Okay, stay with me!

The science behind it:

The composition of milk varies with the species, breed, diet, lactational period and interval between milking in cows. Milk is composed of water, lactose, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. Since the hero of this article is protein, lets dig into it further. The most important ingredient in the milk, that creates the whole difference of A1 & A2 category of milk is the casein content of milk protein.

A2 beta –casein protein is recognised as being the original beta-casein protein in cows. That is, originally all domesticated cows produced milk containing only the A2 protein. However, owing to a natural genetic mutation, another milk protein (A1 beta-casein protein) appeared and spread throughout global herds via modern farming practises. So, A1 which is a result of a gene mutation is the DEVIL IN THE MILK!

How do you ask?

Research has shown that A1 and A2 proteins digest differently. Digestion of A1 type can yield the peptide β-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7), which is implicated in adverse gastrointestinal effects of milk consumption, some of which resemble those in lactose intolerance.

In conclusion, consumption of A1 β-casein leads to the production and exposure of tissue to BCM-7, which exerts a range of pro-inflammatory effects. A consequence of these changes is the disruption of digestive process, which may manifest as symptoms of lactose intolerance in terms of its presentation. However, the consumption of milk containing A2 β-casein at the exclusion of A1 β-casein may reduce or prevent the gastrointestinal disturbances associated with BCM-7.

As Indians, do we need to worry?

According to research, the frequency of A2 gene was 100 per cent in cows of the five high-yielding milk breeds — Red Sindhi, Gir, Rathi, Shahiwal and Tharparkar, meaning that these breeds do not have A1 gene. In the remaining breeds, the availability of A2 gene was 94 per cent. Considering the widespread use of exotic types in Indian cross-breeding programmes and the fact that these exotic breeds are a source for the A1 gene, there is a need for caution in future breeding activities to ensure that the A1 gene does not get fixed in Indian cattle breeds.

When the authorities in the Food Safety department were questioned regarding the safety of milk, this was their exact response, “There are regulations and guidelines regarding the production of milk but they apply to the companies and not the farmers. Globally, the food safety act includes everything from farm to fork but in India the agriculture sector has been left out because it is fragmented and very difficult to manage. Without controlling the product, you cannot control the produce. Moreover, we do not have the infrastructure or labs to conducts tests to verify the difference between A1 or A2 milk or even for that matter, testing for pathogens. However, it is the responsibility of the companies who are procuring such milk to inspect for adulterants once every six months.”

The sad reality of the white revolution was that it led to cross-breeding with European cows and import of foreign hybrid breeds for higher yield in order to meet the goal of mass production of milk. When I inquired with my local milk vendors regarding the milk they delivered, they claimed it to be from jersey cows as their yield is upto 7 litres while a desi cow yields approx. 2 litres per day.

Now I’m sure this raises valid queries . . .

Do I still continue having milk?

How do I know if my local vendor or brand is doing more harm than good?

The best way to ensure safe consumption is to gain information. Ask your local milkman his source and breed of cows he owns for milking purpose.

I also understand that this may not always result in valid, concrete answers. Hence, be mindful about the symptoms mentioned above in this article and try A2 milk instead. If the symptoms still persist after A2 milk consumption, there may be a chance that you are lactose intolerant and it’s time to look to switch over to alternatives!