Development of innovative products and technologies for the collection, production and processing of type A2 milk in a new livestock-implementation complex

The expected result will be the development of 3 innovative products from A2 milk by the Consortium member Dariusz Góralczyk (3 product innovations) and an innovative A2 cheese technology with the characteristics of a functional product, resulting from the use of A2 milk only, and additionally with an increased Ca content compared to cottage cheese and with a favourable content of bioactive components (technological innovation). 

• These solutions will ensure the creation of new products of a higher health quality to meet consumer needs (not inducing symptoms of lactose intolerance and allergy to β-k), with an increased Ca content and added value due to the presence of beneficial bioactive substances. An innovative result will also be a way of organising the operation of the dairy farm towards the sourcing of selected A2 milk and its processing.
• As part of the information and dissemination activities, it is planned to promote the production of A2 milk and its products and the health benefits of their consumption by means of lectures, the development of implementation materials, training courses and presentations of the innovations created, the organisation of a conference summarising the effects of the operation and a website. This will contribute to the development of the knowledge base in rural areas and will respond to the need to increase the knowledge of dairy producers and consumers in this field. It is planned to disseminate the results of the operation in the form of scientific publications on A2 milk.

The proposed products can be used by small local milk processors but also by the dairy industry. Dairy farmers focused on processing may be particularly interested.                  

The main objective of the operation is the development of 3 new, innovative products, i.e. pasteurised drinking milk, fermented milk and acid-matured or unripened rennet cheese obtained from A2 milk (hereinafter, A2 milk, A2 fermented milk and A2 cheese) with favourable health-promoting properties and the development of an innovative technology for obtaining acid-matured or unripened rennet cheese from A2 milk.

The use of the proposed innovative product and technological solution will have a positive impact on improving the quality of milk and dairy products. This will result in improved competitiveness, promotion on local markets and short supply cycles, producer groups and inter-branch organisation. 

Project activities

Initiate a consortium, collaborate in the implementation of modern products and technologies creating a platform that provides a model for other actors and organisations.The specific objectives of the operation will be: 

1. to develop an innovative A2 milk, 
2. development of innovative A2 fermented milk,
3. development of a technology for obtaining innovative A2 cheese with the characteristics of a functional/health product, based to some extent on the technology of traditional cottage cheese but with modifications consisting in: the use of additional cultures of lactic bacteria, including probiotics, the addition of rennet, a higher final pH of the curd before cutting, the use of a higher temperature for reheating the cheese curd. 
4. Development of an innovative A2 cheese, with functional/health product characteristics resulting from the use of only A2 milk and, in addition, an increased calcium content compared to curd and a favourable content of bioactive ingredients. Dissemination activities through demonstrations, presentations, training seminars and conferences are also planned, which will affect not only individual farmers, but also farmers' organisations, non-governmental institutions operating in rural areas, integrate rural communities and stimulate similar activities.

The interdisciplinarity of the entities forming the consortium creates the possibility of inspiring each other. It will contribute to the commercialisation of newly developed products and technologies.   

The main benefits of the project

 The expected result will be the development of 3 innovative products from A2 milk by the Consortium member Dariusz Góralczyk (3 product innovations) and an innovative A2 cheese technology with the characteristics of a functional product, resulting from the use of A2 milk only, and additionally with an increased Ca content compared to cottage cheese and with a favourable content of bioactive components (technological innovation).

• These solutions will ensure the creation of new products of a higher health quality to meet consumer needs (not inducing symptoms of lactose intolerance and allergy to β-k), with an increased Ca content and added value due to the presence of beneficial bioactive substances. An innovative result will also be a way of organising the operation of the dairy farm towards the sourcing of selected A2 milk and its processing.
• As part of the information and dissemination activities, it is planned to promote the production of A2 milk and its products and the health benefits of their consumption by means of lectures, the development of implementation materials, training courses and presentations of the innovations created, the organisation of a conference summarising the effects of the operation and a website. This will contribute to the development of the knowledge base in rural areas and will respond to the need to increase the knowledge of dairy producers and consumers in this field. It is planned to disseminate the results of the operation in the form of scientific publications on A2 milk.
• The proposed products can be used by small local milk processors but also by the dairy industry. Dairy farmers focused on processing may be particularly interested.

The impact of the operation will be particularly visible in the regions of eastern Poland (Podlaskie). Nevertheless, the impact of the operation will be nationwide and European-wide, especially in countries where dairy cattle are kept.  

Practice summary

The operation will contribute to supporting agriculture in particular milk production, which accounts for 15% of the value of agricultural production in the country. At the same time, dairy products are a very important item in the export share, as Poland has a large trade surplus in dairy products. A2 milk and products derived from it can contribute to the promotion of Polish dairy products and improve the profitability of milk production as well as its processing. A2 milk products provide the opportunity to export to neighbouring countries where there are no such products. At the same time, the operation is in line with the direction of organic farming, as it is based on the A2A2 genetic variant found in primiparous cows. A2 milk production is a valuable opportunity for dairy farmers, as well as a chance to support local economies and preserve biodiversity.      

Results achieved

In the research part, 300 cows were genotyped to characterize the raw material base. The A2A2 genotype occurred in 63.7% of cows. Three innovative products were developed: A2 drinking milk (pasteurized, non-homogenized, non-standardized, shelf life approx. 10-14 days; composition: 3.42% fat, 3.40% protein, 5.12% lactose; Ca, Mg and P content: 992, 111 and 956 mg/L), A2 yogurt (raw materials: A2A2 milk and yogurt bacterial cultures; composition: 3.91% fat and 3.40% protein, with Ca, Mg and P content: 1044, 107 and 859 mg/kg) and A2 acid-rennet ripening cheese (raw materials: A2A2 milk, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and subsp. cremoris, rennet and citric acid; composition: 25% fat, 24% protein, content Ca, Mg and P: 6718, 296 and 4903 mg/kg, with increased content of bioactive peptides and decreased content of biogenic amines) together with an innovative technology for its production.

The application of the results of the operation brought a number of significant benefits. The genotyping of 300 cows made it possible to create a raw material base and characterize it for possible use. It was shown that as many as 63.7% of the cows have the A2A2 genotype, which enables the selective use of A2 milk with better digestibility and more favorable health properties. Based on this milk, three innovative products have been developed: A2 drinking milk, A2 fermented milk (A2 yogurt) and A2 acid-matured cheese. These products are characterized by their natural composition, high nutritional value and lack of unnecessary technological additives, which responds to the growing expectations of consumers looking for foods that are functional and better tolerated by the body. Particularly important is the development of innovative technology for the production of A2 cheese, which is distinguished by its increased content of bioactive peptides and reduced content of biogenic amines, which improves the quality and safety of the product. The introduction of the developed solutions increases the competitiveness of dairy products, opens new market opportunities for producers and supports the development of dairy farms by increasing the value of the raw material and offering raw material and products with unique characteristics.