STIR IT UP!

For those who have a problem with dairy, the latest alternative to traditional milk could be surprising, as Victoria Lambert reveals

Like me, do you struggle to remember anyone having trouble with food intolerances when you were at school? We would just eat what was provided – even the spam fritters – or at the very least push it around our plates and hide it under some mashed potato.

I remember someone saying they could die if they ate a peanut, but as for everything else? It seemed to go down OK. Not that there was much choice when we got home, either. It’s incredible to think of how few options we had back then, even in the big new supermarkets. The shops were only just beginning to stock skimmed milk next to the gold top – and the shelves were a lot simpler to navigate.

SPOILT FOR CHOICE

Today, the number of alternative ‘milks’ – soya, rice, almond, coconut, hemp (seriously, hemp?) – is mind-boggling. It’s great that shops take people’s needs so seriously, but when and how did dairy intolerance become such a big thing?

I’ve tried quite a few of these faux ‘milks’, and the taste can be a challenge, to put it mildly. While they do offer a solution for those who worry they have a problem with dairy, they don’t really solve the problem of replacing milk in day-to-day life. Earl Grey with hazelnut milk, anyone? You can’t help think, wouldn’t life be simpler for people if they could just drink milk that tastes real again?

So I was interested to discover that herds of those familiar Holstein Friesian cows had been found to produce a type of milk protein called A1 as a result of intense farming methods in Europe. Research has now shown that this protein could prevent lactase – the enzyme we all need to break down the lactose (or sugar) in milk – being produced by our bodies.

Experts believe that this A1 protein causes many people to suffer unpleasant gastric symptoms such as bloating, trapped wind and diarrhoea. And it’s natural these people would think they couldn’t drink cow’s milk.

PROTEIN SWAP

It was a researcher in New Zealand who discovered some cows produced an alternative milk protein, called A2. In trials, since acknowledged by the European Food Safety Authority, scientists found that A2 did not affect the body in the same way that A1 does; and drinking milk that only contained A2 resulted in fewer cases of lactose intolerance. That meant herds that only produced A2 could be bred and farmers could supply milk that looks, tastes and can be used identically to traditional milk, but which wouldn’t leave anyone in pain because of indigestion.

Leading gut expert Dr Anthony Hobson told me: “I was really impressed by the science behind a2 Milk. It’s a fascinating area and has positive implications for other food intolerances.” I like that these A2 herds now live on lovely Red Tractor farms around the UK, regularly inspected by independent experts to make sure the milk is of a good standard. Plus, these farms are checked for animal welfare, so the cows are as happy as our tummies.

Of course, thousands of people who used to avoid milk are already enjoying it again because they’ve switched to a2 Milk. A recent Netmums survey found that 85 per cent of those who tried this alternative milk for a fortnight would recommend it to a friend, so it would appear that word of mouth is on its side.

It’s good to think that a2 Milk gives us all the chance to rediscover a life with proper milk and all the benefits it brings. Some food shopping may be more complicated these days, but for many of us, a2 Milk will make life a lot simpler. Now, who would like a nice iced latte?