New milk on the way?

The product, called A2 Milk, was recently put on the shelves of about 100 grocery stores in the American Midwest, although it has been sold in Australia and New Zealand for a few years.

The milk contains just one major protein - unlike most milk, which contains a mix of different types. Genetics are not altered to produce the milk; rather, the dairy cows' DNA is tested to identify those 25% to 30% that produce it.

More health benefits?
Backers of the milk point to scientific research they say suggests the product has more health benefits. And anecdotal evidence, they say, suggests that the milk is easier for some to digest.

But even marketers of the product in the U.S. are careful not to trumpet the milk as an unquestionably healthier alternative to the milk most people pour on their cereal every day.

Milk "controversial"
"To say there is no controversy over this would not be correct," said Timothy Thietje, CEO of The Original Foods Company, a Nebraska-based marketer of A2 Milk.

"But to say there's a substantial body of evidence both in terms of science and the response from people who use the product is correct."

The New Zealand-based A2 Corporation says on its website that studies of the "potential" benefits of the milk suggest a lower incidence of heart disease and type 1 diabetes.

Dan Rice of Prairieland Dairy that produces the milk, is a true believer in the product - he says it doesn't leave him feeling as bloated and prone to digestive problems. He plans to keep putting more of the milk on US grocery shelves, even if it's not always inside an "A2 Milk" bottle.

"We know it's a different type of milk and healthier and we want to produce the highest-quality product we can," he said.- (Nate Jenkins, SAPA)

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