By Amy Lin
Have you ever seen a tailless cow? Now you can. In the most recent iteration of transgenic cows aimed at producing more nutritious and hypoallergenic milk, we have also produced a tailless cow. A research group in New Zealand created the cow with no detectable levels of beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), a protein known for causing milk allergies(1). The cow also produces twice as much casein in its milk, compared with conventional milk. These higher casein levels are associated with increased calcium levels and higher cheese yields. What isn’t mentioned in this study is that casein is also a common allergen for those with milk allergies. Milk is also being modified to be more like human breast milk. Milk allergies are one of the most common childhood food allergies in developed countries, affecting 2-3% of infants within their first year of life (2). Continue reading
