❤️ Hypoallergenicity

Hypoallergenicity means a lower risk of causing an allergy. When people talk about milk, they usually mean an allergy to cow's milk proteins. The main allergens are caseins and the whey protein beta-lactoglobulin.

The milk of some animals has little or none of these proteins. For example, human milk and camel milk have no beta-lactoglobulin. Donkey milk is low in casein, and it is being studied as a possible substitute for people with allergies. There are also special hypoallergenic baby formulas. In them, the cow's milk protein is “cut” into tiny pieces, so the body is less able to recognise it. This is called hydrolysis.

It is important to understand: hypoallergenic does not mean safe for everyone. Scientists write that there is too little data to recommend other animals' milk as a general substitute for people with allergies. Goat's and sheep's milk proteins often cause a cross-reaction, the same reaction as cow's milk. Even soy causes a reaction in 10–15% of children with cow's milk allergy. So with an allergy, a substitute should only be chosen together with a doctor.