The Department of Animal Husbandry of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management of the University of Debrecen is searching for so-called supermilk cattle breeds. According to the current state of science, some animals can produce milk that does not cause digestive problems in humans. This supermilk can revolutionize the food industry.
A2, so-called super milk, is a relatively new discovery. Not all milk is healthy, and not all of them leaves the human body without a trace left behind. According to the information currently available, milk produced by cattle can be divided into two groups.
- A1: During digestion, beta-casomorphin is released, which not everyone has the right enzyme to break it down, so it can lead to inflammation.
- A2: it does not contain this type of protein, so it does not cause digestive problems.
The latter is called supermilk because it can be consumed without any unpleasant aftermath. The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management of the University of Debrecen has initiated to map the “producers” of these kinds of milk.
The purpose of the launched studies is to determine the breeds of cattle that produce A2 milk. We hope that we can increase milk consumption as the number of potential consumers expands. The dairy industry has also been motivated by this innovation, and its impact is already can be felt at the regional level. Several partner cattle and dairy companies approached our institution to examine their herds
said Béla Béri, associate professor of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management to unideb.hu.
The first supermilk-producing breed already seems to be outlined in front of the researchers. Current laboratory tests focus on the jersey cattle, which, according to expert studies, produces less milk than Holstein Friesian but has a much better fat and protein composition and produces A2 milk by the first results.
Researches have shown that consumers of A1 milk release beta-casomorphin (BCM7) during digestion, but not everyone has the right enzyme to break it down, which can lead to inflammatory processes. A2 milk does not contain this type of protein, so it does not cause digestive problems. In our research, ear cartilage samples collected from the herd can be used to determine, among other genetic characteristics, whether a given cow belongs to type A1 or type A2. The appearance of the protein that may cause problems is a consequence of a genetic modification, so it presumably does not appear in older cattle breeds. The Holstein Friesian predominantly produces A1 milk, however, some cows are also capable of separating supermilk. By selecting and using breeding bulls that inherit type A2 in artificial insemination, the milk protein composition of the Holstein Friesian breed can also be advantageously changed. Since a father animal can have hundreds of thousands of offspring, we can get fast results by choosing the right bulls
the associate professor added.
Samples obtained during the research are currently being analyzed in Canada, but the technical conditions are also given locally, so the goal of the study is for researchers to get molecular genetic testing done in the laboratory of the Faculty soon. Market participants are also interested in the research because milk consumption in Hungary is pretty low, perhaps due to the negative side-effects.
Both A1 and A2 milk are rich in excellent bioactive substances, but the appearance of the latter can give a boost to the dairy sector
Béla Béri explained.