Thanks to the partnership, Once Upon a Farm has entered the dairy category with the release of organic A2 milk shakes. Available in three flavors - Strawberry Crème, Triple Berry, and Banana Crème – the shakes are made with A2 organic whole milk sourced from Alexandre Family Farm, contain fresh fruit and vegetables and no added sugar and are certified organic by the USDA.
The milk shakes are the first in two new ranges of dairy products the company is planning to launch this year. The second, a range of whole milk smoothies, will launch in February 2024 at retailers nationwide. The dairy smoothie range will join the company’s dairy free smoothie line and arrive in three flavors: Banana Berry Blast, Mango Pear-adise, and Orange Squeeze.
Cassandra Curtis, Once Upon a Farm co-founder and chief innovation officer, explained: “When we decided to go into dairy, it was imperative that we partnered with farms that are making a positive impact on our planet and in the dairy industry specifically. For us, it was a no-brainer to partner with Alexandre Family Farm for our A2/A2 Whole Milk Shakes. They are America's first regenerative organic certified dairy farm and 5th generation farmers. You can taste the quality in our shakes!”
Why A2 milk?
Studies have shown that A2 milk is easier to digest, making it more suitable for people with digestive problems or those susceptible to gastrointestinal pain. A2 milk takes its name from the a2-beta-casein – a type of protein found in milk, usually alongside a1-beta-casein, which some studies have linked with causing digestive discomfort and be more difficult to absorb, but further research is needed to investigate the effects of both types of beta-caseins on human health.
A 2023 study led by Victoria University PhD student Tatijana Markoska in Australia found that it’s the chemical structure and orientation of these fragments – called beta-casomorphins – that are crucial for digestion. https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/24/7650
Alexandre Family Farms says its milk contains only a2-beta-casein instead of a mix between the two protein types. A2 milk is typically derived from specific cow breeds - - Charolais, Limousin and Jersey – while A1 milk comes mostly from Holstein, Fresian and British Shorthair.
In terms of market value, the A2 milk market is expected to reach $10.72bn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 18.6% according to Precedence Research. Increased awareness of its perceived health benefits is a leading market driver, along with its use in the bakery and confectionery industry. The a2 Milk Company, a global market leader in the segment who also manufactures infant formula, has underperformed on the stock market in recent years, but recently recovered some of its value on the back of better-than-expected Chinese birth rates (which, however, remain in decline year on year).
Sources:
Systematic Review of the Gastrointestinal Effects of A1 Compared with A2 β-Casein
Authors: Simon Brooke-Taylor, Karen Dwyer, Keith Woodford, and Natalya Kost
Published: Adv Nutr. 2017 Sep; 8(5): 739–748. Published online 2017 Sep 7.
DOI: 10.3945/an.116.013953