prions in milk?

February 7, 2007

Study highlights milk BSE risk

By Chris Mercer

02/06/2007 - Fears that cows with BSE could pass on the disease to

humans via proteins in their milk has gained more credence from a new

study, which has encouraged stricter analysis of dairy products.

Scientists working for a Swiss biotech firm, Alicon, say they have

managed to detect prion proteins in the milk of cows, as well as that

of humans, sheep and goats, for the first time.

Some prions are known to cause brain diseases, such as Mad Cow

disease (BSE) and its human variant, CJD.

It is hoped the breakthrough in Switzerland will help scientists to

better understand whether the prion proteins responsible for BSE are

also present in the cow's milk.

Prions were recently found in both pasteurised and homogenised milk

on supermarket shelves, using new analytical equipment from Alicon,

but it remained unclear whether those detected were harmful or not.

"In the case of the prion proteins detected, it is highly likely that

they were of a normal variety posing no danger to health," said Dr

Ralph Zahn, Alicon's head of research.

But, he warned: "So far there has been no scientific basis for

assuming that only 'healthy' prion proteins are present in milk and

those causing disease were not."

The Alicon team believes the mere presence of normal prions opens the

possibility that disease-carrying prions would also be present in

milk from an infected cow.

A rapid test to identify prions in milk is now being developed by the

firm, which is a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of

Technology.

The possibility of BSE being passed to humans via milk has been a

genuine concern for several years.

Some evidence suggests there may be a risk, according to the UK Food

Standards Agency (FSA), although no direct data from controlled

experiments exists.

Milk is the only product available for public consumption that is

derived from BSE-susceptible animals over thirty months of age.

Caldecott

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