How to be absolutely certain the milk is 100% A2

It seems that there’s a lot of confusion and even misinformation out there about A2 milk. I’m hoping to bring some light to the topic. How can you be absolutely certain the milk is 100% A2?

It’s NOT the breed of the cow. It’s NOT the fat content. It’s NOT whether it’s raw or homogenized. It’s NOT the nutritional content. It’s NOT what the cow is fed. It’s NOT how a cow lives.

The “A2” in A2 milk refers to the type of beta-casein protein in the milk.

It’s that simple, and it’s absolutely objective. It’s not like Grade A and Grade B maple syrup, which is certainly subjective. 

The only way to tell if a cow produces 100% A2 milk is via a genetic test.

It’s a simple test done with a hair sample from a cow’s tail. You send it to a lab, and they send back the results. The test result tells you if the cow produces 100% A1, A1/A2, or 100% A2 milk. See some examples of what the test results look like below. 

It’s black and white. There is no wiggle room.

The farmer tests every cow to determine what type of milk it produces. Only cows that produce 100% A2 milk are in the milking herd.

You might be asking, why do cows produce different types of protein? And, why would I want to drink A2 milk? Those are great questions!

You see, all other mammals - humans, goats, sheep, buffalo, whales, bears, pigs, platypuses, etc - produce 100% A2 milk. But...

A few thousand years ago in Europe, cows underwent a genetic mutation. This mutation made them produce a new type of beta-casein protein - A1. 

Genetic mutations generally happen under stress. Perhaps it was a switch to an unnatural feed (like leftover brewer’s grain) or a change in environment (cows living indoors or in cities) that prompted the mutation. We know a mutation happened but we may never know why.

Those European cows made their way to the United States. Now, basically all American milk is A1/A2 milk. On the other side of the world in Asia, cows were unaffected.

I’ve heard many stories about people from India or China coming to the United States and developing chronic digestive issues. When they switch to A2 milk, the problems go away. 

Similarly, I’ve heard stories of children’s behavior improving when they switch to A2 milk. Farmer Aaron himself had this experience. When his fourth child Hannah was a baby, she had terrible colic and had issues breastfeeding. Aaron’s wife Rebecca made her formula. When she switched to A2 milk in the formula, Hannah was much happier. This is what inspired him to produce 100% A2 milk for others!

It seems that some people are intolerant to A1 beta-casein protein. It seems that 100% A2 milk may be more digestible. 

To be clear, this does not have to do with lactose intolerance. Lactose is milk sugar. It has to do with A1 protein intolerance. It seems that some bodies cannot digest it properly.

More research certainly needs to be done on the A1/A2 milk debate. I want to know more! For example, I’ve read that the A1 beta-casein protein may only be a problem when the milk is pasteurized…? 

If you’d like to learn more about A2 milk, I suggest reading the book The Devil in the Milk.

Miller’s Bio Farm is proud to produce 100% A2 cow milk. We are also proud to be certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for raw milk production.