[Archive 2011-04-04] Genetically modified dairy cows produce 'human milk'

Historical archive — originally published 2011-04-04. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

A team from the China Agricultural University is reporting success after transferring human genes into a herd of 300 dairy cows. The cows now produce milk containing proteins associated with human breast milk.

The new research, published in the journal Public Library of Science One, named three human proteins present in the cows' milk. Lysozyme protects babies from bacteria, lactoferrin boosts the cells in an infant's immune system and alpha-lactalbumin was also present. All are found in human breast milk.

The laws surrounding genetically modified food research are tighter in Europe than China, but similar products have been sold legally in the United States for years. European consumers often avoid genetically modified foods, and therefore some supermarkets avoid stocking them.

European campaigners are concerned about food safety and animal welfare; the Chinese team performed two studies on a total of 42 transgenic calves. Ten died soon after birth and six more did not survive beyond six months. It is not fully understood why survival and development is affected by cloning, which is used in the genetic modification process, but researchers concede it does happen.

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