Rapid detection of A1 beta-casein in milk enabled by new DNA-based test

The increasing popularity and growing demand for this type of milk represents an opportunity that more and more dairy manufacturers worldwide are trying to seize, the company said, noting that, until now, a rapid and reliable way to test the purity of A2 milk was not available.

Cow’s milk consists of two types of protein: whey and casein. Beta-casein is the most abundant casein type. Originally, all cows produced A2 beta-casein. With evolution, a natural genetic mutation resulted in cows producing A1 type beta-casein. Migration and domestication of cattle contributed to a mixed population that produces A1, A2, or both types of beta-casein. Nowadays, most milk contains both A1 and A2 beta-casein.

The dairy industry is taking a step forward in offering consumers the choice to buy verified A2 milk. It is currently delivered in different forms, such as liquid, powder and infant formula.

SwissDeCode’s DNAFoil A1 milk kit detects specifically the A1 allele of the beta-casein gene and includes all material necessary to prepare DNA from a milk sample, to amplify the specific DNA sequence and to detect the amplification product. It provides clear, reliable and easily interpretable results in under 50 minutes.

The solution has already been tested by partners in the industry and is now available in the market.

“The solution we are launching shows that rapid, DNA-based tests can be used to detect adulteration and contamination, but also to perform quality control of products in premium segments,”​ Brij Sahi, CEO and co-founder, said.