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{{short description|Type of cows milk}}
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[[File:A2 brand milk.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|"a2" branded milk on sale]]
'''A2 milk''' is a variety of [[Milk#Food product for humans|cows' milk]] that predominantly contains the A2 form of [[Casein|β-casein]] proteins (as opposed to A1 milk, which contains mostly A1 [[Casein|β-casein]] proteins).<ref name=NZreg/> Cows' milk like this was brought to market by [[The a2 Milk Company]] and is sold mostly in Australia, New Zealand, China, and the United States. It was sold in the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://marcussteaduk.wordpress.com/2019/11/06/a2-milk-exits-uk-market/|title=A2 Milk exits UK market|date=6 November 2019}}</ref><ref name=EFSA>{{cite journal |author1=European Food Safety Authority |title=Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides |journal=EFSA Journal |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=231r |date=3 February 2009 |doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2009.231r |url=http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/rn-231|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Non-cow milk, including that of humans, sheep, goats, donkeys, yaks, camels, buffalo, and others, also contain mostly A2 β-casein, and so the term "A2 milk" is also used in that context.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jung |first1=Tae-Hwan |last2=Hwang |first2=Hyo-Jeong |last3=Yun |first3=Sung-Seob |last4=Lee |first4=Won-Jae |last5=Kim |first5=Jin-Wook |last6=Ahn |first6=Ji-Yun |last7=Jeon |first7=Woo-Min |last8=Han |first8=Kyoung-Sik |title=Hypoallergenic and Physicochemical Properties of the A2 β-Casein Fractionof Goat Milk |journal=Korean Journal for Food Science of Animal Resources |volume=37 |issue=6 |pages=940–947 |doi=10.5851/kosfa.2017.37.6.940 |pmc=5932946 |pmid=29725217 |date=31 December 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://cdrf.org/2017/02/09/a2-milk-facts/ |title=A2 Milk Facts - California Dairy Research Foundation |last=Pasin, PhD |first=Gonca |website=cdrf.org |date=9 February 2017 |access-date=12 June 2019 |archive-date=18 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518171120/https://cdrf.org/2017/02/09/a2-milk-facts/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The a2 Milk Company and some companies producing goat's milk products claim that milk containing A1 proteins is harmful,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goodgoatmilkcompany.com/blog/what-is-a1-vs-a2-milk-which-is-better-for-you/ |title=Why the A2 Protein Makes Goat Milk Such a Game Changer |website=The Good Goat Milk Company |date=15 August 2017 |access-date=12 June 2019 |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701155359/https://www.goodgoatmilkcompany.com/blog/what-is-a1-vs-a2-milk-which-is-better-for-you/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> but there has been no widely accepted scientific work identifying a direct link between A1 protein and any adverse effect on health.

[[casein|A1 and A2 beta-casein]] are [[Single-nucleotide polymorphism|genetic variants]] of the beta-casein milk protein that differ by one [[amino acid]]. A genetic test, developed by the a2 Milk Company, determines whether a cow produces A2 or A1 type protein in its milk.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Woodford |first1=Keith |title=Devil in the milk – Illness, health and politics A1 and A2 milk |date=2010 |publisher=Craig Potton Publishing |isbn=978-1-877333-70-5 |pages=21 |edition=Updated}}</ref>

==History==
In the 1980s, medical researchers began to explore whether some [[peptide]]s (including peptides from casein) that are created during digestion might have negative<ref name=Cochrane2008>{{cite journal |pmid=18425890 |pmc=4164915 |year=2008 |last1=Millward |first1=C |last2=Ferriter |first2=M |last3=Calver |first3=S |last4=Connell-Jones |first4=G |title=Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder |issue=2 |pages=CD003498 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD003498.pub3 |journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |editor1-last=Ferriter |editor1-first=Michael}}</ref> or positive health effects.<ref name=EFSA/>

Interest in the distinction between A1 and A2 beta-casein proteins began in the early 1990s via [[Epidemiology|epidemiological]] research and animal studies initially conducted by scientists in New Zealand, which found correlations between the prevalence of milk with A1 beta-casein proteins in some countries and the prevalence of various chronic diseases.<ref name="truswell">{{Citation |last=Truswell |first=A.S. |title=The A2 milk case: a critical review |journal=European Journal of Clinical Nutrition |volume=59 |issue=5 |pages=623–631 |year=2005 |doi=10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602104 |pmid=15867940 |doi-access=}}</ref> The research generated interest in the media, as well as among the scientific community and entrepreneurs.<ref name="truswell"/> If it were indeed true that BCM-7 is harming humans, this would be an important [[public health]] issue, as well as a commercial opportunity.<ref name="truswell"/>

Cow milk is about 87 percent water and 13 percent solids, a combination of fat, carbohydrates in the form of lactose, minerals, and protein. About 30 to 35 percent of the casein (equivalent to two teaspoons per quart of milk) is beta-casein, of which there are several varieties, determined by the genes of the cow. The most common of these variants are A1 and A2 proteins, named for the order in which they were identified by scientists. The sole difference is that one of the 209 amino acids that make up the beta-casein proteins, a [[proline]], occurs at position 67 in the [[Peptide sequence|chain of amino acids]] that make up the A2 beta-casein, while in A1 beta-casein, a [[histidine]] occurs at that position.<ref name="truswell"/> 

Studies in cells found that [[digestive enzymes]] that cut up proteins interact with beta-casein precisely at that location, so that A1 and A2 beta-casein proteins are processed differently.  A seven-amino acid [[peptide]], beta-[[casomorphin]]-7, can be cut away from the A1-beta-casein protein by those enzymes, but the enzymes cannot cut the A2 protein at that location, so BCM-7 is not formed from A2 proteins.<ref name="truswell"/> 

Studies in humans have not consistently found that BCM-7 is formed in the human digestive system.<ref name=Clemens>{{cite book |doi=10.1159/000325584 |chapter=Milk A1 and A2 Peptides and Diabetes |title=Milk and Milk Products in Human Nutrition |series=Nestlé Nutrition Institute Workshop Series |date=2011 |last1=Clemens |first1=Roger A. |volume=67 |pages=187–195 |pmid=21335999 |isbn=978-3-8055-9586-5 }}</ref> BCM-7 can also be created during the fermentation of milk or through the process by which cheese is made; those same processes can also destroy BCM-7.<ref name=EFSA/>

Scientists believe the difference originated as a mutation that occurred between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago—as cattle were being taken north into Europe—when the proline at position 67 was replaced by histidine, with the mutation subsequently spreading widely throughout herds in the Western world through breeding.<ref name="truswell"/><ref name="swinburn">{{cite journal |last=Swinburn |first=Boyd |title=Beta casein A1 and A2 in milk and human health |journal=Report to New Zealand Food Safety Authority |url=http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/beta_casein-report_reviews.pdf |date=13 July 2004 |access-date=17 August 2014 |archive-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123182204/https://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Beta_Casein-Report_Reviews.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The percentage of the A1 and A2 beta-casein protein varies between herds of cattle, and also between countries and provinces. While African and Asian cattle continue to produce only A2 beta-casein, the A1 version of the protein is common among cattle in the western world.<ref name="truswell"/> The A1 beta-casein type is the most common type found in cow's milk in Europe (excluding France), the US, Australia and New Zealand.<ref name=EFSA/>{{rp|20}}{{Failed verification|date=February 2019|reason = Page 20 contains no information that directly confirms this statement.  There is a data table of cattle breeds, which have information on the genetic prevalence of the alleles for producing various β-casein proteins, rather than an analysis of the presence of the protein in the milk, and does not break it down by country in any meaningful way.}} On average, more than 70 percent of Guernsey cows produce milk with predominantly A2 protein, while among Holsteins and Ayrshires between 46 and 70 percent produce milk containing both the A1 and A2 proteins.<ref>{{cite press release |title=The A-B-C of milk |publisher=Dairy Australia |date=21 April 2011 |url=http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Standard-Items/Media-Releases/2011-Media-Release-Archive/A-B-C-of-milk.aspx |access-date=3 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714223212/http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Standard-Items/Media-Releases/2011-Media-Release-Archive/A-B-C-of-milk.aspx |archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>

===A2 Corporation===
{{main|the a2 Milk Company}}
The [[A2 Corporation]] was founded in New Zealand in 2000 to commercialise a [[genetic test]] to determine whether a cow will produce milk without the A1 protein, and to market the milk it produces as A2 or A2 MILK.<ref name="truswell"/><ref name=FourCorners>Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 31 March 2003 [http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/transcripts/s820943.htm Transcript of "White Mischief"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808100242/http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/transcripts/s820943.htm |date=8 August 2014 }}, [http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/20030331_white_mischief/ an episode] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714125908/http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/20030331_white_mischief/ |date=14 July 2014 }} of ''Four Corners'', an investigative journalism series.</ref><ref name="A2 protein milk supply on horizon">Staff, New Zealand Herald. 14 May 2001 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=188650 A2 protein milk supply on horizon]</ref> In 2003, A2's website said: "Beta casein A1 may be a primary risk factor for heart disease in adult men, and also be involved in the progression of insulin-dependent diabetes in children" and the CEO had linked A1 to schizophrenia and autism.<ref name=NZHlaunch/> A2 Corporation also petitioned the [[Food Standards Australia New Zealand]] regulatory authority to require a health warning on ordinary milk.<ref name="truswell"/>

The company initially marketed its milk as containing no A1 protein, but in 2003 the New Zealand Commerce Commission tested the milk and found some A1 protein in it, and forbade the company from saying the milk had no A1 protein. The commission notice of the ruling said: "Although the A2 Corporation expressed confidence during the investigation that its quality controls were sufficient to exclude the vast majority of beta casein A1, it acknowledged that it could not be certain that there was no A1 in A2 milk."<ref name=NZreg>{{cite web |title=Advertising of A2 milk changes following Commerce Commission warning {{!}} Commerce Commission|url=http://www.comcom.govt.nz/the-commission/media-centre/media-releases/2003/advertisingofa2milk|publisher=New Zealand Commerce Commission|date=21 November 2003}}</ref>

In April 2014, A2 Corporation changed its name to The a2 Milk Company Limited, and at that time had about 8% market share of the milk products market in Australia.<ref name="A2 changes name">Press Release, A2 Corporation. 31 March 2014 [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1403/S00975/a2-changes-name.htm A2 changes name]</ref><ref name=NZHlion/>

"A2 MILK" are trademarks held by the A2 Milk Company.<ref>{{cite web |title=A2 MILK Trademark of A2 Corporation Limited – Registration Number 4693969 – Serial Number 85453431 |url=https://trademarks.justia.com/854/53/a2-85453431.html |publisher=Justia Trademarks |access-date=8 February 2017}}</ref>

==Commercial production and sale==
A2 Corporation licensed patents filed in the 1990s by the New Zealand Dairy Board, and filed its own patents on [[genetic tests]] to determine what form of beta-casein cows produce in milk, and concerning supposed adverse health consequences of milk containing both the A1 and A2 proteins.{{clarify |reason=Patents concerning supposed adverse health effects? Huh? |date=June 2019}}<ref name="truswell"/><ref name=FourCorners/><ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0789842A1/zh EP0789842A1 Google patents]</ref><ref>Philippa Stevenson for the New Zealand Herald. 21 December 2000 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=165973 A2 Corp pays $8m for milk patent rights]</ref>

===Australia and New Zealand===
The a2 Milk Company focused its initial efforts on urging farmers to undertake [[breeding program]]s to develop herds that would produce milk with predominantly A2 protein.<ref name="landline" /> The launch of the milk was delayed by opposition from [[Fonterra]], which had contracts with about 98% of New Zealand dairy farms. These contracts were protected under New Zealand law by the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act of 2001.<ref name=NZHlaunch/><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Penny |date=2 July 2003 |work=GR magazine New Zealand |url=https://www.just-food.com/features/a2-milk-launched-as-controversy-churns-on/ |title=A2 milk launched as controversy churns on }}</ref> 

Seeking leverage in the battle with Fonterra over access to farmers, and over patent rights,<ref name=FourCorners/> Howard Paterson, the CEO of A2 Corporation, led the company into litigation against Fonterra, asking the New Zealand High Court to order Fonterra to put health warnings on its conventional milk concerning risks of type 1 diabetes, heart disease, autism and schizophrenia due to the presence of A1 beta-casein, and to force Fonterra to publicly disclose all the information it had about the links between A1 beta-casein and health risks.<ref name=Litigation>Deborah Hill Cone for Share Chat 1 November 2002 [http://www.sharechat.co.nz/article/4d8b820a/a2-accuses-dairy-giant-of-suppressing-milk-defects.html A2 accuses dairy giant of suppressing milk defects] Quote: "The lawsuit risks inflicting catastrophic damage to New Zealand's international reputation and foreign earnings as Fonterra turns over $14 billion and makes 20% of the country's total offshore receipts. As if that would not be enough of a PR disaster as the country tries to maintain its position as a clean, green food producer...."</ref> 

The litigation threatened New Zealand's economy and international reputation as at the time Fonterra was responsible for 20% of New Zealand's exports.<ref name=Litigation/> The press over the litigation and public concern over the claims of A2 Corporation led the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and the Ministry of Health and the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand to issue reports and statements confirming the safety of conventional milk.<ref name=FourCorners/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/20030331_white_mischief/statement.pdf |title=Supporting documents for "White Mischief" story |website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=21 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114100219/http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/20030331_white_mischief/statement.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Minister>Office of the Minister of Food Safety, New Zealand Food Safety Authority. 27 November 2007 [http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Milk_Arrangements-Advises_Cabinet.pdf A1-A2 Milk: Arrangements for Upcoming Reviews] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821101932/http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Milk_Arrangements-Advises_Cabinet.pdf |date=21 August 2014 }}</ref>

A2 Corporation was able to obtain agreements with enough dairy farmers to launch its milk in New Zealand at the end of April 2003.<ref name=NZHlaunch/><ref>New Zealand Stock Exchange. [https://www.nzx.com/markets/NZSX/securities/ATM/analysis a2 Milk Company Overview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821194630/https://www.nzx.com/markets/NZSX/securities/ATM/analysis |date=21 August 2014 }}</ref> In the middle of 2003, both founders of the company died. In July, Paterson was found dead in his hotel room during a business trip at the age of 50.<ref>Staff, ''New Zealand Herald''. 5 July 2003 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3510994 Obituary: Howard Paterson]</ref> A month later [[Corran McLachlan|Dr. Corran McLachlan]] died of cancer at the age of 59.<ref name=AR2003/> In New Zealand it is illegal to make health claims about a food product without providing scientific evidence and registering the food as a medicine, and in November 2003 the New Zealand [[Commerce Commission]] advised that A2 Corporation Ltd and its licensed a2 MILK brand producers had agreed to amend the health claims in their promotional material following a warning from the commission.<ref name=A2fine/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Food_Safety-Nzfsa_Been.pdf |title=Stuart A. Slorach, "Food safety risk management in New Zealand", page 14. |access-date=17 September 2014 |archive-date=14 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114234427/http://foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Food_Safety-Nzfsa_Been.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> By end of 2003 the weakened A2 Corporation<ref name=Unlimited/> had withdrawn the litigation against Fonterra and negotiations had resumed.<ref name="AR2003">{{Cite web |date=2025-02-12 |title=A2 loses second founder - Business News |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/a2-loses-second-founder/3KSTN76LAWPX2WGCALAZBQT7YY/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

Meanwhile, the first time milk with predominantly A2 protein was marketed anywhere in the world was in March 2003 in Australia, by a dairy farm unaffiliated with A2 Corporation, run by the Denniston family.<ref name="landline"/> Shortly thereafter, an Australian company called A2 Dairy Marketers licensed patent rights and the A2 trademark from A2 Corporation and started offering Australian dairy farmers a premium price for their milk, if it was shown to be pure A1 protein–free milk.<ref name="landline"/> The Dennistons and A2 Dairy Marketers marketed milk with predominantly A2 protein boldly, touting its safety and the dangers of standard milk. However, Australian laws forbid companies from making misleading health claims about food, and in September 2004, A2 Dairy Marketers in Australia was fined $15,000 after it pleaded guilty to six breaches of those laws.<ref name=NZHlaunch>Staff, ''New Zealand Herald''. 28 April 2003 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=3451537 A2 milk launched in NZ, outside Fonterra's structure]</ref><ref name=A2fine>{{cite news |title=A2 milk licensee fined in Australia over therapeutic claim |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |location=Auckland |date=4 October 2004 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=3597336 |access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Milk marketer fined for A2 health claims |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |page=8 |date=30 September 2004}}</ref><ref name=liquidates/> 

The company, which had been in a tenuous financial situation since beginning trading in May 2004, went into [[Administration (law)|administration]] in October,<ref name=liquidates/> and was [[Liquidation|liquidated]] in November, owing farmers and processors tens of thousands of dollars.<ref name="landline"/><ref name=liquidates>Shelley Lloyd for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 November 2004 [http://www.abc.net.au/site-archive/rural/qld/stories/s1245678.htm A2 milk liquidates]</ref> A $1.27 million federal government grant awarded to the company in August as part of the Regional Partnerships Program was also cancelled.<ref>[http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Finance_and_Public_Administration/Completed%20inquiries/2004-07/reg_partner_prog/index Australian Senate finance and public administration references committee report on Regional Partnerships and Sustainable Regions programs, October 2005, pages xiv, 97–100]</ref> A2 Corporation set up a new subsidiary and licensee, A2 Australia, to market and produce its product. A2 Australia established new contracts with the dairy farmers who had A1 protein–free herds, promising better payment terms—a week in advance instead of once per month, after shipment.<ref name="landline" />

In December, A2 Corporation sold its interests in A2 Australia to [[Fraser & Neave]], a food marketing giant in Asian markets, for about $1.1 million. A2 Corporation had lost about $1.3 million for 2004, the same as it has lost the year before; the sale allowed A2 Corporation to rely on Fraser & Neave to build the Australian and Asian businesses.<ref name=QuickSale>Ellen Read for the New Zealand Herald. 30 December 2004 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=9004964 Quick sale likely for A2 Corp]</ref> A2 Corporation focused on recovering from the deaths of its founders organizationally and financially, relied on its New Zealand licensees to develop the New Zealand market, and turned its focus to developing overseas markets.<ref name=Unlimited/><ref name=QuickSale/>

As A2 Corporation grew its business, opposition to A2 Corporation's claims played out in the media. [[Dairy Australia]], the national association of the Australian dairy industry, and market competitors like [[Parmalat]] have consistently said that there is no evidence to suggest A1 proteins are dangerous and have warned that criticism of normal milk is damaging the entire dairy industry.<ref name="landline">{{cite episode |last=Courtney |first=Pip | author-link = Pip Courtney |title=The A2 milk story |series=Landline |series-link=Landline (TV series) |network=[[ABC TV (Australian TV channel)|ABC TV]] |date=6 August 2006 |transcript-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060811145431/http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s1702999.htm |transcript=Archived transcript }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Hunt |first=Peter |title=A2 attacks milk |newspaper=The Weekly Times |location=Melbourne |page=3 |date=24 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Smith |first=Simone |title=It's a matter of genetics |newspaper=The Weekly Times |location=Melbourne |page=107 |date=21 April 2010}}</ref><ref name="rival">{{cite news |last=Hawthorne |first=Mark |title=Rival watering down A2 Milk claims |newspaper=The Age |location=Melbourne |pages=8, 28–29 |date=24 May 2014 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/rival-seeks-to-water-down-a2-milk-claims-20140523-38uef.html |access-date=21 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Binsted |first=Tim |title=Parmalat boss hits out at A2 |newspaper=Australian Financial Review |page=8 |date=18 March 2014}}</ref>

In 2006, A2 Corporation was on sound enough footing to buy back A2 Australia from Fraser & Neave.<ref name=Unlimited>Louise Thomas for Unlimited. 26 November 2006. [http://archive.unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/growth/the-a2-difference The A2 difference] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821113023/http://archive.unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/growth/the-a2-difference |date=21 August 2014 }}</ref> In 2006, it lost about $1 million, after having lost $9 million the year before, but revenues had approximately doubled.<ref name=Unlimited/> In that year it warned shareholders not to expect profit for another three years.<ref name="landline"/>

Publication of a book, ''Devil in the Milk'' by Keith Woodford, about A1 beta-casein and its perceived dangers to health, boosted sales of milk with predominantly A2 protein in Australia and New Zealand,<ref>A2 Corporation Press Release, November 2007. [http://www.fnpl.com.au/content/pdf/352/November142007A2C%20releaseresalesgrowth.pdf A2 Milk Sales In NZ / Australia Increase Substantially] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217214357/http://www.fnpl.com.au/content/pdf/352/November142007A2C%20releaseresalesgrowth.pdf |date=17 February 2011 }}</ref> and prompted the New Zealand Food Safety Authority to propose again reviewing the science to address consumer concerns that A1 milk might be harmful.<ref name=Minister/> It asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to undertake such a review.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Food_Safety-Nzfsa_Been.pdf |title=Stuart A. Slorach, "Food safety risk management in New Zealand", page 6. |access-date=17 September 2014 |archive-date=14 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114234427/http://foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Food_Safety-Nzfsa_Been.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=Hills>Sarah Hills for Food Navigator. 9 February 2009 [http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/EFSA-reveals-milk-protein-safety-conclusions EFSA reveals milk protein safety conclusions]</ref> The EFSA report, released in 2009, found that "a cause and effect relationship is not established between the dietary intake of BCM-7 (beta-casomorphin-7), related peptides or their possible protein precursors and non-communicable diseases".<ref name=EFSA/><ref name=Hills/>

Commercial development proceeded, and by 2010 some 40 million litres of milk with predominantly A2 protein were being produced by 12,000 A2-certified cows across Australia, with milk processed at four plants in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland,<ref name="simonegenetics">{{Citation |last=Smith |first=Simone |title=It's a matter of genetics |newspaper=Weekly Times |location=Melbourne |page=107 |date=21 April 2010}}</ref> and yoghurt made with milk with predominantly A2 protein went on the market in Australia in April 2010.<ref name=Formula>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Christopher |title=A2 gets ready to launch baby formula |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |location=Auckland |date=10 September 2013 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11121927 |access-date=8 July 2014}}</ref>

In February 2011, A2 Corporation announced it had a made a profit over a half-year for the first time; in the six months ending 31 December 2010, it made a net $894,000, or 17 cents/share.<ref>A2 Corporation Press Release 18 February 2011 [http://aboutthea2milkcompany.com/a2-corp-declares-a-maiden-profit/ A2 Corp Declares a Maiden Profit] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120543/http://aboutthea2milkcompany.com/a2-corp-declares-a-maiden-profit/ |date=26 August 2014 }}</ref> In December 2012, A2 Corporation announced it would attempt to raise $20 million and list on the New Zealand Stock Exchange main board,<ref>Georgina Bond for the National Business Review. 5 December 2012 [http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2-corp-sets-sights-nzx-20-million-equity-raising-gb-133540 A2 Corp sets sights on NZX with $20 million equity raising] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824165708/http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2-corp-sets-sights-nzx-20-million-equity-raising-gb-133540 |date=24 August 2014 }}</ref> and that it would use the funds to grow its Chinese infant formula and UK milk businesses under the a2 and a2 MILK brands. It listed in March 2013.<ref>Staff, The Headliner. 7 March 2013. [http://www.headliner.co.nz/news/11412.html A2 Corporation to Step Up]</ref>

A2 Corporation changed its name to The a2 Milk Company Limited in April 2014, and at that time had about 8% market share of the milk products market in Australia.<ref name="A2 changes name"/><ref name=NZHlion/>

Other products produced using milk with predominantly A2 protein were developed, including thickened cream, infant formula, ice cream, yogurts, and other dairy products.<ref name=Formula/><ref>{{cite web |last=Langley |first=Sophie |title=A2 Corporation set to expand into North America |work=Ausfoodnews.com.au |date=17 March 2014 |url=http://ausfoodnews.com.au/2014/03/17/a2-corporation-set-to-expand-into-north-america.html |access-date=8 July 2014}}</ref>

In 2014, [[Lion (Australasian company)|Lion]], a beverage and food company that operates in Australia and New Zealand, and is owned by [[Kirin Company, Limited|Kirin]], relaunched their [[Pura Milk]] product with a new label stating: "Naturally contains A2 protein."<ref name="rival"/><ref name=NZHlion>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Christopher |title=Lion relaunch a bid to slow A2 growth |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |location=Auckland |date=7 June 2014 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11269353 |access-date=20 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Protein punch in Pura form |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |page=11 |date=26 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Hawthone |first=Mark |title=This means war ... in a milky way |newspaper=The Age |location=Melbourne |page=8 |date=6 June 2014 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/lion-joins-parmalat-in-milk-war-against-new-zealand-rival-a2-milk-20140605-39lyk.html |access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref>

The a2 Milk Company announced in November 2014 that it had begun the application process for a dual listing on the [[Australian Securities Exchange]] in a bid to open its register to Australian investors and boost the liquidity of its shares. The company said it expected a listing to be completed by March 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=Binsted |first=Tim |title=a2 milk to list in Australia |newspaper=The Age |location=Melbourne |page=28 |date=19 November 2014 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/business/a2-milk-to-list-in-australia-20141118-11oym8.html |access-date=19 November 2014}}</ref>

===United States===
In August 2003, as part of a new focus on overseas markets following the death of its founders, A2 Corporation exclusively licensed patent and trademark rights to US-based Ideasphere Incorporated (ISI) to market milk with predominantly A2 protein products in North America under its a2 and a2 MILK brands. ISI had paid A2 $500,000 in license fees by the end of 2004.<ref>A2 Corporation [https://www.nzx.com/files/documents/companies/ATM/21_Annual_Report_2004.pdf A2 Corporation 2004 Annual Report]</ref> ISI acquired [[Twinlab]] in September 2003, followed by another string of acquisitions in the [[dietary supplement]] market.<ref>Staff, Engredea. 3 July 2005 [http://newhope360.com/supply-news-amp-analysis/ideasphere-intends-acquire-non-ephedra-metabolife-assets Ideasphere Intends to Acquire Non-Ephedra Metabolife Assets] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120244/http://newhope360.com/supply-news-amp-analysis/ideasphere-intends-acquire-non-ephedra-metabolife-assets |date=26 August 2014 }}</ref> In June 2005, ISI and A2 Corporation agreed to form a joint venture, A2 Milk Company LLC. A2 Corporation invested $400,000, and ISI assigned the license agreement to the new company.<ref>A2 Corporation [https://web.archive.org/web/20130210205746/https://www.nzx.com/files/documents/companies/ATM/11_Interim_Report_2005.pdf A2 Corporation Half-Yearly Report for the half-year ending September 2005]</ref>

In April 2007, A2 Corporation licensed rights to the Original Foods Company, whose branding the milk with predominantly A2 protein product would carry, and in which the product would be sold in several [[Midwestern United States|midwestern states]] through the [[Hy-Vee]] supermarket chain under the a2 and a2 MILK brands.<ref>Malcolm Burgess for the New Zealand Herald. 25 April 2007 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10435998 A2 to tap into US milk market]</ref>

In 2009, A2 Corporation regained all rights to the US market through a settlement with the Original Foods Company, and announced that "The US dairy milk market remains intensely competitive and continues to be a major challenge."<ref>A2 Corporation [https://www.nzx.com/files/documents/companies/ATM/12_Annual_Report_2009.pdf A2 Corporation Annual Report 2009]</ref> In 2010, A2 Corporation bought out all but less than 1% of ISI's share in the joint venture.<ref>Liam Baldwin for National Business Review. 5 October 2010 [http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2-corporation-takes-full-control-us-marketing-arm-131022  A2 Corporation takes full control of US marketing arm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827050540/http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2-corporation-takes-full-control-us-marketing-arm-131022 |date=27 August 2014 }}</ref>

===United Kingdom===
A2 Corporation formed a joint venture with a major British milk supplier, [[Müller Wiseman Dairies]], in November 2011 to process, market, and sell its milk with predominantly A2 protein products in Britain and Ireland.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ooi |first=Teresa |title=A2 deal has milk pouring into UK |newspaper=The Australian |page=41 |date=16 November 2011}}</ref> In June 2014, the a2 Milk Company reported it had 20 dedicated farms supplying milk for processing in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our farmers |work=a2 Milk Company |url=http://www.a2milk.co.uk/Our-Farmers |access-date=9 July 2014 |last1=Linh |first1=Vu Ngoc }}</ref> In its first year, the milk recorded £1 million in sales through 1,000 stores.<ref>{{cite news |last=White |first=Anna |title='Allergy-free' milk firm reaches £1m sales |newspaper=The Telegraph |location=London |date=29 October 2013 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/10410044/Allergy-free-milk-firm-reaches-1m-sales.html |access-date=9 July 2014}}</ref> In January 2014, the a2 Milk Company exited its joint venture with Müller Wiseman Dairies by acquiring MWD's stake for a "nominal" amount.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/fmcg/fresh/mller-exits-a2-venture-but-continues-milk-supply/351778.article |title=Müller Exits a2 Venture }}</ref>

In October 2019, the a2 Milk Company announced<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://a2milk.co.uk/find/ |title=Store finder |website=a2 Milk|access-date=25 October 2019}}</ref> that it had decided to "discontinue a2 milk in the UK" and its products would only be available until the end of November 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://marcussteaduk.wordpress.com/2019/11/06/a2-milk-exits-uk-market/ |title=A2 Milk exits UK market |date=6 November 2019}}</ref>

===China===
The first consignments of the a2 Milk Company's infant formulas were sent to China in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Christopher |title=New A2 infant formula ready for China |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |location=Auckland |date=22 April 2013 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10878909 |access-date=8 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Heathcote |first=Andrew |title=How the rise of A2 milk is adding millions to the fortune of Rich Lister Tony Perich |newspaper=BRW |location=Sydney |date=13 August 2013 |url=http://www.brw.com.au/p/business/tony_perich_rise_fortune_milk_rich_68iUGOny1CQRIhfhFNqaML |access-date=8 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714213852/http://www.brw.com.au/p/business/tony_perich_rise_fortune_milk_rich_68iUGOny1CQRIhfhFNqaML |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shipments were interrupted for two months starting in April 2014 when the Chinese government introduced strict new import regulations for infant formula in response to the [[2008 Chinese milk scandal]], in which more than 300,000 infants were poisoned by contaminated milk formula.<ref>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Christopher |title=Pressure on exporters of baby formula |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |location=Auckland |date=29 April 2014 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11245825 |access-date=9 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Metherell |first=Suze |title=A2 Milk gets Chinese export clearance |newspaper=Herald Sun |location=Melbourne |date=22 July 2014 |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/breaking-news/a2-milk-gets-chinese-export-clearance/story-fni0xqe4-1226996996647 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref>

In 2018, the a2 Milk Company was fined 100,100 yuan for breaching Chinese child image advertising rules by using An Ji, son of [[Hu Ke (actress)|Hu Ke]] and Sha Yi, in their advertising when he was under 10.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://insidefmcg.com.au/2018/07/25/a2-milk-fined-20000-for-breaching-advertising-rules/ |title=A2 Milk fined A$20,000 for breaching Chinese advertising rules |date=25 July 2018}}</ref>

===Brazil===
The Brasilian Association of Allergy and Immunology found that about 350,000 individuals in Brazil are allergic to beta-caseins.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.embrapa.br/en/busca-de-noticias/-/noticia/29569359/cattle-breeding-allows-for-production-of-less-allergenic-milk |title=Cattle breeding allows for production of less allergenic milk |author1=Rubens Neiva |date=11 July 2017 |publisher=Embrapa |access-date=19 February 2019}}</ref> As of 2017, about 700 litres of milk a day were produced in Brazil through [[Gir (cattle)|Gir]] cows, a breed originally procured from India, but which are now also being exported to India.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/a1-versus-a2-milk-does-it-matter-1414225 |title=A1 Versus A2 Milk – Does it Matter? |author1=Shivangana Vasudeva |date=8 December 2017 |publisher=NDTV |access-date=19 February 2019}}</ref>

===Turkey===
In Turkey, A2 milk is sold as "Jersey" milk primarily by the company Elta Ada which operates an organic farm located on the island of Gökçeada in the province of Çanakkale.

==Health effects==
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed the scientific literature and published their results in 2009. As part of their evaluation, the EFSA looked at the laboratory studies that had been done on [[Casomorphin#Bovine β-casomorphin 7|bovine β-casomorphin 7]] (BCM-7) that found that BCM-7 can act as a weak [[opioid receptor agonist]].<ref name=EFSA/> The EFSA found no relationship between any disease and drinking milk with the A1 protein.<ref name=EFSA/> 

In most of the animal studies, BCM-7 was not administered orally, as humans would be exposed to it, but rather was given to animals by injection [[Intraperitoneal injection|into the peritoneal cavity]] or directly [[Intrathecal|into the spinal cord or brain]].<ref name=EFSA/> The EFSA study emphasized [[Correlation does not imply causation|the dangers of drawing conclusions from correlations]] identified in epidemiological studies and [[Cherry picking (fallacy)|the dangers of not reviewing all the evidence at hand]].<ref name=EFSA/> Reviews conducted in 2005 and 2009 found no demonstration that consuming milk with A1 casein causes diabetes.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602104 |pmid=15867940 |title=The A2 milk case: A critical review |journal=European Journal of Clinical Nutrition |volume=59 |issue=5 |pages=623–631 |year=2005 |last1=Truswell |first1=A. S.| doi-access=}}</ref><ref name=Clemens/>

A 2014 review of research into the relationship between consumption of dairy products (including A1 and A2 proteins) and the incidence of diabetes found that while there appears to be a positive correlation between consumption of dairy products by babies and the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D), and an inverse relationship between the consumption of dairy products and the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), these correlations are tentative; it would be very difficult to determine which component or components of milk might be responsible for these effects, and it is unlikely that the expensive and complex research to determine the answers to these questions will ever be conducted.<ref name=Lacroix>{{cite journal |last1=Lacroix |first1=Isabelle M. E. |last2=Li-Chan |first2=Eunice C. Y. |title=Investigation of the Putative Associations Between Dairy Consumption and Incidence of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes |journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition |date=January 2014 |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=411–432 |doi=10.1080/10408398.2011.587039 |pmid=24236995 |hdl=2429/61194 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Milk with predominantly A2 protein is not a milk substitute for infants with cow milk protein allergies.<ref name=Kemp_2008>{{cite journal |last1=Kemp |first1=Andrew S |last2=Hill |first2=David J |last3=Allen |first3=Katrina J |last4=Anderson |first4=Kym |last5=Davidson |first5=Geoffrey P |last6=Day |first6=Andrew S |last7=Heine |first7=Ralph G |last8=Peake |first8=Jane E |last9=Prescott |first9=Susan L |last10=Shugg |first10=Albert W |last11=Sinn |first11=John K |title=Guidelines for the use of infant formulas to treat cows milk protein allergy: an Australian consensus panel opinion |journal=Medical Journal of Australia |date=January 2008 |volume=188 |issue=2 |pages=109–112 |doi=10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01534.x |pmid=18205586 }}</ref>

The a2 Milk Company claims that people who experience discomfort drinking ordinary cows' milk may experience relief when they switch to milk with predominantly A2 protein.<ref>{{cite web |title=About our milk |url=https://www.thea2milkcompany.com/about-us/about-our-milk/ |website=The a2 Milk Company |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112191451/https://www.thea2milkcompany.com/about-us/about-our-milk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This claim is not supported by research.<ref name=EFSA/>

==References==
 {{reflist}}

==External links==
* UniProt entry for bovine beta-casein: {{UniProt|P02666}}. The variation in question is noted as "82 P → H in variants A1, B, C, F and G".
* {{cite journal |last1=Farrell |first1=H.M. |last2=Jimenez-Flores |first2=R. |last3=Bleck |first3=G.T. |last4=Brown |first4=E.M. |last5=Butler |first5=J.E. |last6=Creamer |first6=L.K. |last7=Hicks |first7=C.L. |last8=Hollar |first8=C.M. |last9=Ng-Kwai-Hang |first9=K.F. |last10=Swaisgood |first10=H.E. |title=Nomenclature of the Proteins of Cows' Milk—Sixth Revision |journal=Journal of Dairy Science |date=June 2004 |volume=87 |issue=6 |pages=1641–1674 |doi=10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)73319-6 |pmid=15453478 |doi-access=free }}

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