The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directed Food Business Operators (FBOs) to not market their milk and milk products “in the name of A1 and A2”. On 26 August 2024 it withdrew this advisory.

What is the difference between A1 and A2 milk?

• The FSSAI states that the A1 and A2 classification of milk is “essentially linked to difference in structure of protein (beta casein).”
• More than 80 per cent of all proteins in cow’s milk belong to a class called caseins.
• Among these, beta-caseins are the second largest component. A1 and A2 are basically two genetic variants of beta-caseins, differing from each other in their amino acid sequence.
• A1 contains histidine, one of the nine essential amino acids which the body uses to produce histamine, the chemical that enables the body to regulate its reaction to inflammation and allergies.
• A2 contains proline, a non-essential amino acid which is an essential component of collagen and important for proper functioning of joints and tendons.
• Milk from different cow breeds have differing quantities of A1 and A2 beta-caseins.
• Most milk contains both these beta-caseins, but A2 milk contains only the second one.
• Generally, milk and milk products which are branded as A2 tend to be charged at a premium, and considered healthier.

Is A2 milk better than regular milk?

• While some studies have suggested that A2 milk is healthier, there is no consensus regarding the matter as yet.
• A 2012 paper titled suggests a link between the consumption of A1 beta-caseins and various health problems such as type-1 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and autism.
• It says that those who consumed primarily A2 milk seemed to be less susceptible to these conditions.

What was the basis for FSSAI’s advisory?

• FSSAI’s advisory was not to do with the paucity of scientific evidence regarding the A1, A2 classification.
• It was to do with current FSSAI standards not recognising the A1, A2 differentiation.
• Standards of milk as specified in Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 do not mention/recognize any differentiation of milk on the basis of A1 and A2 types.
• All food business operators, including e-commerce sites, were thus directed to remove all claims related to A1 and A2 proteins from their product labels.
• Its withdrawal came in the context of growing criticism of FSSAI’s decision, even in government circles.