Denying the danger in our milk not wise

Evidence that A1 beta-casein might be a human health issue has been available for more than 15 years. But the mainstream dairy industry has always fought against the notion that it might be important.

In 2007, I wrote a book, Devil in the Milk, which brought together the evidence at that time. The mainstream industry and even some elements within the Government were unimpressed. They made it clear this was an issue New Zealand did not need to air publicly. The industry, with considerable help from the Food Safety Authority, was largely successful in dousing the public concerns.

In Australia events played out rather differently. In 2007, A2 Corporation, which in recent months has been rebadged as The a2 Milk Company, was successful in gaining a secure foothold in Australian supermarkets. Its a2 milk, which is free of A1 beta-casein, is now found in all major Australian supermarkets. Apart from Coles and Woolworth’s home brands, it is Australia’s leading milk brand. It sells for more than twice the price of the supermarket home brands.

It is produced in New Zealand by Synlait on contract to The a2 Milk Company, and marketed in Australia, New Zealand and China. The a2 Milk Company is a New Zealand-listed company and one of the country’s largest agri-food companies by market capitalisation.

There is a flood of new research now being published in international scientific and medical journals demonstrating the relevance of A1 beta-casein to human health. The underlying cause is that A1 beta-casein digests to release a peptide (a protein fragment) that has opioid characteristics. This translates as ‘‘a morphine-like fragment from beta-casein containing seven amino acids’’.

The effects are multi-faceted and each month we learn more. The key research, which has brought the beta-casein issue back to the public’s attention, has come from Curtin University’s school of public health. It demonstrated in a human clinical trial that A1 and A2 beta-casein produce statistically significant differences in digestive symptoms. From Lincoln University, I have worked directly with the Curtin team on this trial.

Ironically, I think there are more important papers that have been forthcoming in the last few months, but they were with animals. It has been the human clinical trials that the Australian media have latched onto. This has the potential to now refocus attention on other new research.

I have always argued that for New Zealand the A1 versus A2 milk issue could be either a risk or an opportunity. Unfortunately, to a large extent we have squandered the opportunity – by ignoring rather than managing the risk. Now it is about to become a real risk.

The big message is that New Zealand should quickly get on with the task of breeding its dairy herds to be free of A1 beta-casein. That will take time.

Disclosure of Interest: Keith Woodford receives royalties on his book on A1 and A2 beta casein and has previously acted as an independent adviser to The a2 Milk Company and other agri-food companies. He holds no shares in any milk company. He is Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University.