Skim milk straight from green-top cows
Kiwi scientists have bred a herd of “green-top” cows that produce skim milk from the teat.
Scientists at Fonterra-owned research company ViaLactia have made the breakthrough after discovering a cow with a natural gene mutation that caused its milk to be significantly lower in saturated fat.
The milk is also high in omega-3 oils - which help to improve brain power - and butter made from its milk is spreadable straight from the fridge, like margarine.
The cow, appropriately named Marge, has produced a herd of extra-lite descendants, each with the skim milk gene.
ViaLactia chief scientist Russell Snell said Marge was like any other Friesian cow at first glance , but she was the key to a $150 million research project.
The first job was to get her pregnant.
“When we found that her daughters had the gene, that was the eureka moment, but the true holy grail will be to produce a sire with the gene.
”Marge was discovered in 2001.