The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (Fssai) has directed companies to stop using labels such as A1 and A2 on dairy products like milk, ghee, butter and curd, since doing so is “misleading.”
“It has come to the notice of Fssai that several Food Business Operators (FBO) are selling/marketing milk and milk products such as ghee, butter, curd, etc., in the name of A1 and A2 under Fssai licence number,” the statement by Fssai read.
India’s food regulating body mentioned that selling milk fat products with claims of A2 is not just misleading but “not in conformance with the provisions laid down under FSS Act, 2006 and regulations made thereunder.”
The Fssai clarified that the distinction between A1 and A2 milk is based solely on the structure of a protein called beta-casein, which can confuse consumers, adding that companies should remove such claims from their products.
“E-commerce FBOs are instructed to remove all the claims related to A1 and A2 proteins from their websites immediately. Further, the concerned FBOs shall ensure strict compliance of the same with effect from the date of issuance of this direction,” the regulating body said.
The Fssai has given 6 months for companies to exhaust their existing products which have A1 and A1 labels. After that, products shouldn’t carry such claims with Fssai licence number.
RS Sodhi, the president of the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), said that this is a landmark notification by the Fssai to “protect consumers from unscientific claims by food and dairy companies.”
WHAT DO A1 AND A2 MEAN?
Many milk products in the market have been selling with A1 and A2 labels. It has raised debates about what is means to consume an A1 or an A2 milk product, be it ghee, milk or curd.
A1 and A2 are specific proteins found in cow’s milk, though in different proportions depending on the breed of cattle.
According to Healthline, some studies suggest that A2 may be healthier, but research is ongoing. The health effects, however, depend on the breed of the cow.
Casein is the most abundant protein in milk, accounting for around 80% of its protein content.
Milk contains various types of casein, with beta-casein being the second most common. This protein exists in at least 13 different forms.
The two primary forms are:
A1 beta-casein: This is found predominantly in milk from cow breeds that originated in northern Europe, such as Holstein, Friesian, Ayrshire, and British Shorthorn.
A2 beta-casein: This is mostly present in milk from breeds native to the Channel Islands and southern France, including Guernsey, Jersey, Charolais, and Limousin cows.
While regular milk contains both A1 and A2 beta-casein, A2 milk is unique in that it contains only the A2 variant.
In 2000, the milk company called a2 Corporation was formed that patented on a genetic method for identifying cattle that would produce A2 milk.
In 2009, the European Food Safety Authority published a comprehensive 107-page scientific review that concluded that there was no need to distinguish between A1 and A2 milk.
In New Zealand, where the a2 Corporation was founded, the government’s food safety summary for A1 and A2 milk stated: “Further research, especially involving human trials, is needed before it can be said with confidence that the A1/A2 composition of milk is important in human health.”
ARE THERE ANY HEALTH BENEFITS?
According to some studies, A2 may be healthier than A1, but affects people differently.
A study on Chinese adults with self-reported milk intolerance suggested that while regular milk gave them stomach discomfort, no such symptoms were seen when they drank A2 milk.
Beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) is a peptide released in the stomach during the digestion of A1 beta-casein. This is the reason some people believe that regular milk is less healthy than A2 milk.
Some research groups propose that BCM-7 might be associated with type 1 diabetes, heart disease, infant mortality, autism, and digestive issues. However, research is short and still ongoing.
In 2005, independent researcher Stewart Truswell, published an investigation of A1 and A2 in the journal Nature. He found that there was “no convincing or probable evidence” that the A1 beta-casein protein in cows’ milk is a factor causing type 1 diabetes or heart disease.
But Parag Milk Foods Chairman Devendra Shah called A1 and A2 a “marketing gimmick”.
“A1 and A2 is a category developed by marketing gimmick. It is essential that we eliminate misleading claims that can misinform consumers,” he told.
Shah further noted that the A1 and A2 milk product categories never truly existed and that this trend is diminishing globally, reinforcing Fssai’s clarification on the matter.
