Holle A2 Organic Growing-up Milk 3 – expiry 28/09/2023

Nowadays, regular cow’s milk contains two main types of beta-casein protein, A1 protein and A2 protein. A2 milk is the original form of milk, in other words originally, all cows were A2 cows. Over time, as a result of mutation, dairy cows started to produce A1 beta-casein. Research shows that only 30% of cows are pure A2 today.

Our Holle A2 organic milk

We use A2 milk from organic agriculture for our Holle A2 Organic Infant Formulas which comes from specially selected cows that naturally produce only the A2 protein type and no A1. The A2 cows are specifically selected with a strict DNA test.

Why does Holle offer A2 infant formulas?

Cows milk primarily consists of proteins, fats, lactose and water. By law infant formulas must be enriched with the additional vitamins, minerals and fats which babies and toddlers require for their healthy development. Holle has always had its own strategy in this regard – keep all milk formulations as pure as possible. Holle A2 infant formula thus corresponds perfectly to our philosophy and is the ideal addition to our product range. Holle A2 milks are based on cows‘ milk in its most natural form and sourced from A2 herds whose purity is proven.

Is Demeter milk the same as A2 milk?

No, not necessarily. Demeter means that the strictest standards in organic farming are applied. While Demeter specifies that cows should be kept in conditions which are appropriate to their nature, it does not stipulate particular breeds. Certain breeds of cow are known for the high percentage of A2 protein in their milk. Cows of any breed can, however, be purely A1, purely A2 or mixed A1/A2 genotypes. The milk produced by many original cattle breeds contains only A2 beta-casein, as does milk from sheep, buffalos, goats or humans. When selecting the suppliers and farmers for our A2 baby milk products we take great care that only A2 cows are used to produce our milk.

What is the difference between A1 and A2?

Researchers believe that prior to their domestication, cows‘ milk contained only A2 beta-casein. A2 is thus the original beta-casein; the A1 variant is a derivative, caused when the proline amino acid was replaced byhistidine. Today‘s A1 milk cows produce a total of five caseins, including the alpha-S1-casein which in addition to the beta-lactoglobulin milk protein can, in rare cases, be responsible for triggering protein allergies. Around one third of the proteins contained in cows‘ milk are classified as beta-caseins. The most commonly occurring of the 15 different beta-casein types are A1 and A2, both of which are broken down differently during the digestive process. A2 beta-casein cannot be broken down by enzymes as easily as A1 beta-casein. This characteristic of A1 beta-casein results in the release of relevant volumes of the bioactive BCM-7protein structure.

What effects does BCM-7 have?

No recognized scientific evaluation of this topic is currently available. Nevertheless scientists believe that BCM-7 has a variety of positive and negative characteristics, none of which could, however, be definitively confirmed by existing studies. Following systematic scientific evaluation it however appears most likely that some children‘s gastrointestinal tracts are better able to tolerate A2 milks than A1 milks. Further scientific studies are, however, required to support such practical empirical findings. In addition to this, it must be emphasized that: A2 milk products cannot be used as substitutes for children who have been diagnosed with a cows‘ milk protein allergy.

When are Holle A2 baby milk products recommended?

Holle A2 infant formula, which is produced exclusively using milk from A2 cows, can be given as an alternative to existing Holle cows‘ milk baby products if a mother is unable to breastfeed or additional feeding is required. Cows‘ and goat milk taste different and this can be one of the main reasons why parents do not wish to change over to Holle goat milk baby products. In response to this Holle is now offering the A2 milk range as an alternative to standard cows‘ milk-based products because babies and children with sensitive digestive systems in particular tolerate it well. Lactose intolerances rarely occur in the first two years of children‘s lives. The alleged better tolerance of A2 milk cannot be attributed to its lactose content, since this is comparable to that of A1 milk.