A2 Milk: Why you should know more about it?

You might have heard about A2 milk and the claims that it is better than the regular milk (A1 milk) commonly available in the market. Consumer perceives such milk as better option than regular milk. Even A2 ghee too is perceived as healthier. But, what’s the reality? Here’s a fact-check read on A2 milk.

Richa Pande

Take the example of A2 ghee; it is costlier. However, is it healthier too? Interestingly, any type of ghee made either from A2 or A1 milk are just fats. Any ghee does not contain protein, and it is mainly a protein BCM-7 present in regular milk that is under scrutiny for having some adverse health impacts. So, it is essential to be mindful when you are buying A2 milk products.

Behind the A2 milk controversy

The A2 milk controversy has its roots in the milk revolution which was launched in the 1970s in India. The milk revolution, also known as ‘operation flood’ and ‘white revolution’, was an Indian food security program. It was a move to boost the milk production to meet the nutritional requirements of the nation. The program was a huge success and is still considered to be one of the most accomplished food security programs in India. The program emphasized on the import of cattle breeds for higher yield. This eventually led to the side-lining of the Indian breeds.

Traditionally, the cows in the African and Asian continents produced A2 milk. But the switch from A2 to A1 cows to boost the production let to the milk consumption switch in India. However, on the other hand, many developed and developing nations including China, Australia, USA & UK have imported the Indian and African breeds and are switching to A2 milk consumption.

Recently, it has been found that the consumption of A1 milk (now commonly consumed in India) could be linked with neurological disorders heart diseases, diabetes. Also, some individuals cannot digest this type of milk and its regular intake can lead to bloating and irritable bowel syndrome. This is harmful and can lead to many intestinal disorders. On the other hand, A2 milk does not have beta-casein 1 and thus it’s consumption does not result in the disorders which can be caused by the consumption of A1 milk.

A2 Milk

How is the composition of A1 milk different from A2 milk?

Let us begin by understanding that milk has beta casein protein in it. There are two types of variations of this protein i.e. A1 beta-casein and A2 beta-casein. The milk nomenclature is as per beta casein variant present in the milk. The difference is because of the change in the position of an amino acid. The A1 variant has histidine while A2 casein has proline.

Potential harmful impacts of consuming A1 milk 

  • Consumption of BCM-7 has been interlinked with causing type 1 diabetes, heart diseases infant death, autism, and digestive problems
  • Some research papers also interlink its consumption with adverse impacts on immune system  

Note that BCM-7’s absorption in its intact form into our bloodstream is not understood well. Many research studies couldn’t detect BCM-7 in the blood of healthy adults who drink cow’s milk, but some studies indicate that BCM-7 can be present in the bloodstream of infants who consumed cow milk. This predisposes the infants to the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in infants

The other side of the story

Although there are many studies which link consumption of A1 milk with some diseases, some experts argue that many Europeans and Americans have been consuming it for generations and it is safe for consumption. A systematic review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) declares that no cause-and-effect relationship can be established between consumption of BCM- 7 (present in A1 milk) and the occurrence of acclaimed diseases. It is important to note that the conclusions of a systematic review are more reliable than a single study. The same article also quotes a NBAGR [ National Bureau of Genetic Resources] paper that, there are very few cattle with the A1 genes in India which are used for breeding and milking. As per this paper, the A1 milk and A2 milk are mixed when they are procured from small farmers. Even if the claims related to the A1 milk are true, the impact of A1 milk after being mixed with A2 milk is subdued and can cause little harm to human health.

Prices of the A2 milk products in India

   Cost Per Litre
A1 Milk ₹ 56- 90 per litre
A2 Milk ₹75- 110 per litre
A1 Ghee ₹ 450- 650 per litre
A2 Ghee ₹ 1500- 2300 per litre

How to assess if you are intolerant to A1 milk?  

As mentioned before, A1 milk can not only cause comorbidities like diabetes, heart diseases etc but can also impact your gut health. You can follow these steps to understand whether you are intolerant to it:

  • Carefully observe the changes you experience after consuming milk and milk products that you consume usually. Do you feel bloated? Does it ache? Does milk impact your motion? If yes you could be either intolerant to the lactose or beta-caesin1. If you are lactose intolerant, you can consume curd instead of milk as fermentation reduces the lactose levels in the milk.
  • You can buy lactose free milk from the market to check if the problem is because of the A1beta-casein or lactose in the milk. If the intolerance persists even after consuming the lactose free milk, it could be because of the A1 beta-casein. As many Indians rely on dairy products for protein intake, milk cannot be eliminated from the diet. These consumer tips might help someone who is intolerant to beta-casein1 in milk-
  • Switch to pasteurized A2 milk if it is available in your locality
  • Procure milk from local vendors who raise ‘desi cattle.’ However, please note that food safety can be compromised in procuring milk from local vendors.
  • You can buy soymilk as an alternative to the milk products.

FSSAI regulation on A1 and A2 Milk 

  • Standards of milk as specified in Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 do not mention or recognise any differentiation of milk based on A1 and A2 types.
  • Scientific panels on milk and milk products have discussed the regarding adverse/beneficial effects of A1 and A2 types of milk. They couldn’t arrive at a conclusion due to lack of clinical data and risk assessment.

All Editorials

From Bean to Bliss: How to Find Your Ideal Coffee Match

Coffee, the world's most popular beverage, is enjoyed for its rich flavour and invigorating energy boost. But beyond the satisfying cup lies a journey from bean to brew. As a discerning coffee drinker, understanding how to select the right beans at the market,...

Beat the Heat: Consumer Safety During Summer Heatwaves

Heatwaves are a common feature during the summer months in India, with temperatures in the range of 45-47°C (113-117°F). Northwestern India is subject to the most intense heat, and heatwaves are possible in any part of the country. The extreme temperatures and...

Unmasking Air Pollution’s Impact on Pulmonary Health

Over the past few decades, air pollution and climate change have become major global concerns. Air pollution has many detrimental effects that pose a threat to global public health in terms of significant disease burden as well as mortality. It is disturbing that...

Cracking Cheese Codes: Healthy Choices, Labels, and Storage Tips

Cheese is a creamy, tangy, versatile delight that can elevate any dish and melt our hearts and taste buds in seconds. However, it is often thought to have negative effects on our health. With a little mindfulness, you can make healthier choices when it comes to this...

Navigating AI Influence: Consumer Caution Ahead

In the modern digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful force influencing consumer decisions. AI algorithms leverage vast data to grasp consumer behaviour and preferences, fuelling personalized recommendations and targeted advertising. In the realm...

Navigating the Web: A Consumer’s defence Against Dark Patterns

Consumers are finding themselves in a wide online landscape in an era of digital convenience. Although there are many advantages of the internet, it is important to stay vigilant against such practices commonly referred to as dark patterns. These subtle design choices...

Portion Smart: Eating Foods, the Right Way

Imagine a bag of chips. The label might list a serving size as 28 grams, but let's be honest, who stops at just that? That's where portion size comes in. It's the amount of food you choose to eat, which can be more or less than a serving size. Think of a serving size...

A continuous surge in antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the 21st-century global public health problem. AMR occurs when microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites stop responding to antimicrobial medicines. Because of the high rate of antibiotic overuse that leads to...

NutriBars Decoded: Making Informed Choices

As I navigated the bustling supermarket aisles, my attention was drawn to the vibrant array of NutriBars lining the shelves. Each bar boasted enticing claims, from "high protein" to "low sugar”, but the sheer variety and conflicting messages left me feeling...

Food Contact Materials and Your Health: Tips for a Safer Approach

Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a strong advisory urging both consumers and food vendors to refrain from using newspapers in any capacity related to packing, serving, or storing food items. The FSSAI emphasized the potential...

World Diabetes Day 14 th Nov, 2023 – Access to Diabetes Care

Authors: - Dr. Pankaj Bhardwaj (Dr Pankaj Bhardwaj,  Academic Head, School of Public Health (SPH), Professor of Community Medicine & Family Medicine All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur and Dr. Madhukar Mittal (Additional Professor and Head,...

The Emerging Crisis of Antibiotic Resistance

One of the greatest medical discoveries of the 20th century, antibiotics have saved countless lives by efficiently treating bacterial infections around the globe. However, the overuse and abuse of antibiotics have given rise to a formidable adversary, antibiotic...

The Significance of IRR in Investment

Shri Sharad Ranjan and Shri Hariti Tyagi The BackstoryThe relationship manager of a well-established bank reached out to my daughter, who is in the beginning of her twenties, and proposed an investment plan. The investment plan, according to him, is the best...

Sabudana Unveiled: The Tapioca Tale and Beyond

Sabudana holds a special place in the hearts and traditions of millions. These small, translucent globules have become synonymous with fasting seasons in India, particularly during religious festivals like Navratri, Shivaratri, Ekadashi, and Saawan season. During...

Recurrent pregnancy loss

With an increasing number of affected couples, recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) has become a widespread reproductive health problem. Clinically, it is defined as the loss of three or more pregnancies before the foetus reaches viability. It affects approximately 3...

From Grain to Gain: Mastering the Art of Aata Selection

Are you aware of what goes into that essential ingredient that forms the foundation of countless Indian meals? Yes, we're talking about aata, the versatile flour that brings us the beloved rotis, chapatis, and parathas. But have you ever stopped to consider the...

DNA Fingerprinting: A key to know your ancestry

A new field of study was opened in 1984 when Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys generated the first genetic fingerprint in his lab at the University of Leicester. Talking about his discovery, Sir Alec said, "My life changed on Monday morning at 9.05 am, 10 September 1984....

Decoding the Secrets of Buying the Best Saffron

Did you know that saffron is one of the most expensive spices of the world? It is used in a variety of dishes in India. Its application extends to traditional medicine and cosmetics as well. Also, saffron is an important part of many religious ceremonies in India,...

Rise and decline of the Consumer Movement in India

The consumer movement is an organised social movement that promotes consumer protection and is often led by consumer organisations. It argues for consumer rights, particularly when those rights are actively violated by the activities of corporations, governments, and...

वॉयस की 40वीं सालगिरह

उपभोक्ता शिक्षा और जागरूकता में 40 वर्षों से काम कर रही है कंस्यूमर वॉयस कंस्यूमर वॉयस लगातार 40 वर्षों से उपभोक्ता शिक्षा और जागरूकता के क्षेत्र में संघर्षरत एक स्वयंसेवी संस्था है। वॉयस लगातार भारत में उपभोक्ताओं के लिए उनके उपभोक्ता अधिकारों के संघर्ष कर रही है।...

40 years of VOICE – The Beginning

There is no particular date on which we launched VOICE in April 1983 at the Delhi School of Economics campus at Delhi University. There was no launch ceremony or event. It was born out of the drafting of a complaint by VOICE signed by me and about 30 of my students....

Buttermilk: A Refreshing Summer Drink

Buttermilk is an excellent summer beverage that is not only refreshing and delicious, but also good for your health. Buttermilk has numerous benefits, including being low in calories and fat, high in protein and calcium, and containing probiotics which can help...

Women’s Health and Nutritional Needs

Every year we observe March 8 as International Women’s Day. According to the Unite Nations, the purpose of this day is to uphold women's achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women's rights and gender equality. The state of women's health...

Makhana: A Superfood for Sure!

Makhana, also known as Foxnut, is a widely consumed snack during fasting in India. It is becoming a popular snack among health-conscious consumers due to its healthier nutrient. Makhana is mixed with different seasoning and flavouring substances, and a range of ready...

Maltodextrin: What is it?

If you go through food labels, you must have come across maltodextrin in the ingredient list. It is a commonly used ingredient in processed packaged foods. Maltodextrin has several applications in the food industry, has some health benefits but it has also been...

Gut Microbiota and Nutrition

Human gut is home to many species of microbes, collectively referred as ‘gut microbiota’. They can be both symbiotic and pathogenic in nature, coexisting together without causing any trouble. Sometimes this balance could be disturbed due to infectious illnesses,...

Choosing Quality Eggs

Eggs are one of nature's most nutrient-dense foods. They are rich in essential micronutrients and provide high-quality protein. There are innumerable benefits of eating eggs regularly. Selection of eggs is simple, but presence of different varieties of eggs in the...

Eat Right Challenge

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has initiated the Eat Right India movement. The movement is based on three key themes, ‘if it’s not safe, it’s not food’ (safe food), ‘food should not only serve the palate but is also meant for body and mind’...

Chocolates: Are they Good or Bad for Health?

Chocolates are either critiqued to have negative impact on health or are portrayed by the marketers to have health benefits especially dark chocolates. The truth is that the composition of every chocolate is different from the other one, and this along with the amount...

Diet Soda: Are they good for your health?

Diet sodas are a popular beverage all over the world, among people of all ages who are anxious to reduce their sugar or calorie intake. Instead of sugar, artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame-k, or sucralose, are used to sweeten...

State Food Safety Index 2021-22

To encourage States/UTs to improve their performance and work towards establishing a proper food safety ecosystem in their jurisdiction, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released the State Food Safety Index (SFSI) annually for each...

Choosing the Right Cookware and Tableware for Your Home

We take utmost precautions while handling food to prevent contamination or any food hazard. However, have you given a thought about the utensils in which it is cooked, served, or stored? In this article, we will discuss cookware and tableware made from different...

Eat Right India: Steadily Reforming India’s Food Ecosystem

Safe foods and healthy diets are critical in the context of India's rising burden of food borne diseases, under-nutrition, micro-nutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, heart related diseases, etc. According to the...

EatSmart Cities Challenge

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in association with the Smart Cities Mission under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) recently announced the winners of the EatSmart Cities Challenge. The 11 winning cities include...

Stay Healthy This Summer!

Summers are here, and accordingly we must make some dietary changes in this season to adapt to the heat. Summer calls for a diet which helps us to cool down our body temperatures. As temperature rise, we tend to sweat more in summers therefore keeping ourselves...

Reducing Anaemia through Large Scale Food Fortification

Micronutrients are essential to sustain life and for optimal physiological functions. High prevalence of micronutrient deficiency is affecting the lives of more than 2 billion people in the world despite substantial efforts to decrease its prevalence for the past few...

Home Buyers Interests Put Above All

In civil appeal No. 3778 of 2020 in the Supreme Court, the bench of Judges M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, in case of Amit Katyal V/S Meera Ahuja & others, allowed the withdrawal of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) against a builder in an application...

Is Inter-meal Munching a Healthy Habit?

Munching between meals is often seen as an unhealthy habit. Mostly because the snacks we usually munch on are unhealthy and could be high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt, and low in essential micronutrients. But it is wrong to think that inter-meal munching is a bad...

Testing: Critical for Ensuring Food Safety

Food safety is one of the major determinants of a sound and cohesive healthcare system in a country. As food chains are becoming longer, complex and globalized, contamination of food leading to food borne diseases is a growing concern. Unsafe food not only poses a...

Is Vegan Meat Healthy For You?

Will eating more plant-based or vegan meat benefit both our health and the environment?  This question has been a debatable and an ongoing one. People believe that plant-based meat could be a sustainable answer to global environmental concerns. However, many...

Devising a healthy trans-fat free life

The growing incidence of non-communicable diseases is a wakeup call for us to ensure we create a safer food system and understand why trans fats is a critical challenge for our country, writes Shri Arun Singhal, CEO, FSSAI.  As the world is advancing and systems are...

Are health drink powders actually good for you?

Intro: India is one of the largest consumer markets for malt-based drinks in the world. Malt-based products are marketed as ‘health drinks’ and are specifically targeted at children, and their parents. They are often marketed as an essential product that provides...

Maximise health by minimising salt, sugar and fat

It is increasingly becoming apparent that high consumption of salt, sugar and fat is one of the prime reasons behind the risk of developing lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, etc writes Shri Arun Singhal, CEO, FSSAI. Not all fats...

Why hydroponic foods are good for you

Our food systems are constantly evolving every day. Innovations like vegan meats and NutriLock technology are already transforming our food systems.  These innovations not only improve the nutritional adequacy of food, and its taste but also address sensitive issues...

Is your food coming from a hygiene-rated eatery?

Is your food coming from a hygiene-rated eatery? The past 18 months have taught us many things besides cooking. And there we saw, a sharp increase in ordering food online just after the situation started getting better. While cooked food delivered at home has been...

Keep these 5 things in mind while buying jewelry onlinez

Keep these 5 things in mind while buying jewelry onlineWe think we all are aware of the nitty-gritties of buying stuffs online. Sure. We’ve been quite habituated with the techniques of checking different sites for price, quantity, offers etc to ensure the best buy....

Why there is a liking for organic products

Why there is a liking for organic productsWith the greater awareness about the health hazards and the intensity of damage chemical products could cause to the body, consumers got a little push towards the organic products. The transformation of adopting organic...

Sustainable Living with Smart Home Technology

Sustainable Living with Smart Home TechnologyWith global warming on the rise and increasing concerns about our carbon footprint, it is time that we start adopting sustainable means of living. Although we have made leaps in waste management, we are yet to address the...

Top five consumer trends in the post-pandemic world

Top five consumer trends in the post-pandemic worldBy Kapil Makhija, CEO, UnicommerceWhen we thought it’s over, it came back again. Yes, the second wave of Covid cases have shattered our expectations greatly. But all things are not gloomy at this front. As we have...

Enquire Now

    X
    Enquire Now