A2 milk marketing and human health

Although butter and cheese sales have been increasing over recent years, fluid milk sales have been declining in the United States since 1970. With declines in per capita milk consumption, and changes in the export market, the dairy industry has to be creative in developing products to increase milk sales. Recent products like Fairlife® ultra-filtered milk is an example of an innovative fluid milk product that demonstrates adaptability of the dairy industry to consumer preferences. In the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and recently, California, A2 milk has been introduced as a functional dairy food. A2 milk contains a homozygous A2 β-casein protein, whereas conventional milk contains a heterozygous combination of A1 and A2 β-casein proteins. While A2 milk has been available in U.K. since 2012 and previously in New Zealand and Australia, it has just recently made its way to the U.S. markets. Research on digestibility of A2 milk is ongoing; however, the A2 Milk Company is a processor that only sells 100% A2 milk in New Zealand and also exports to the U.K., China, the United States, and Australia. In the first human trial of A2 versus A1 milk digestion, conducted by Ho et al., A2 and A1 milk was significantly higher in digestibility than A1 milk. Almost all cows have the A2 gene, but the majority have an A1/A2 combination. The Guernsey breed naturally produces a higher percentage of A2 milk, which may create a new niche market and therefore increase demand for Guernseys nationwide. In conclusion, A2 β-casein milk is a new way to use genetics to create a niche market, potentially increasing sales of fluid milk nationwide.