There are many milk alternatives on the market, however, unlike most, A2 milk is still pure cows’ milk.
Something not many people know is that cows’ milk is made up of two different types of protein, A1 and A2.
Originally all cows’ milk contained only the A2 protein and no A1. Human domestication triggered the A1 protein to evolve into dairy cowherds and today the A1 protein is found in approximately 70% of cows. Regular cows’ milk is a mixture of A1 and A2 protein.
However, many people struggle to digest the A1 protein and so move to using other milk alternatives such as soy.
Now though, with A2 milk, these people are able to continue enjoying cows’ milk as it only contains the A2 protein.
Marshall Waller, a dairy farmer and producer of A2 milk, said that for some people discovering this milk was like ‘discovering Christianity’ and he hoped that, with time, the new type of milk would be become increasingly popular.
A2 milk is already widely available in the majority of major supermarkets and Waller said the aim was for A2 milk to be as common on supermarket shelves as lactose free milk.
The youth and milk
Nearly half of young people say they are intolerant to milk, according to a report published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
In its latest Food and You survey, which it conducts every two years, the FSA found that 46 per cent of people aged between 16 and 24 reported having an adverse reaction to cows' milk.
This compared with just eight per cent of people over the age of 75 who said they had a problem with milk.
The results of the survey may cause concern for British dairy farmers, who have endured an extremely difficult couple of years, with prices collapsing to unsustainable levels and many milk producers being driven out of the industry.
It is one of the reasons why dairy farmers have been looking into examples of how to diversify milk and make it more appealing to people with dietary conditions.
