FAQs & Highlights

• Q. Is goat milk suitable for people with lactose intolerance?

  Lactose is the name of a specific carbohydrate or sugar of milk. All milk from mammalian species (cows, goats, sheep, and humans) contains lactose, which is the major carbohydrate in the milk of most species.

  Often there is confusion about lactose intolerance and it can be incorrectly diagnosed. Sometimes cow milk protein intolerance (CMPI) could be misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance. 

  Some people who believe they are lactose intolerant find goat milk an agreeable product. Goat milk contains oligosaccharides similar in structure to human milk oligosaccharides.¹ Oligosaccharide concentrations in goat milk from New Zealand are approximately 10 times higher than cow milk.² These oligosaccharides may influence how lactose is metabolized.
   

  If you are lactose intolerant, do consult your healthcare professional before trying a milk formula containing lactose.

  Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is meant purely for educational purposes and may not be used as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should seek the advice of your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider before starting any treatment or if you have any questions related to your health, physical fitness or medical condition.

  1 Martinez-Ferez et al. 2006; Meyrand et al 2013; Kiskini and Difilippo, 2013; Thum et al 2015

  2 Thum et al 2015; Martinez-Ferez et al. 2006; Meyrand et al 2013; Kiskini and Difilippo, 2013

• Q. Why is goat milk gentle on the tummy?

  Goat milk naturally contains A2 β-casein, whereas standard cow milk formulas can contain a mixture of A1 β-casein and A2 β-casein. ^1,2
  
  A2 β-casein may be easier to digest and gentler on the tummy than A1 β-casein.³ During digestion A1 β-casein releases a peptide called β-casomorphin-7 which may cause digestive discomfort in sensitive tummies.
  

  References:

  1. EFSA Scientific Report. 2009; 231:1-107.
  2. Oliveira SM, et al. Anim Biotechnol. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/10495398.2021.1935982.
  3. Ho S, et al. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014; 68(9):994-1000.

• Q. Advantage of goat's milk - Easy to digest and absorb

  The study has shown that trypsin in the human stomach can only break down 76% to 90% of cow's casein and 96% of the casein in goat's milk. Even for the most difficult to digest β-Lactoglobulin (β-LG), the digestion rate for goat milk is three times higher than cow milk. The casein found in goat's milk is mainly β-casein (about 70%). The main characteristic of β-casein is having a high proportion of proline, in which the molecular appears more amorphous and loosely arranged. Because of that, the size of the casein micelles of goat milk tends to be larger, and the gap among them is relatively bigger, which allows the digestive enzymes to enter easily, and this improves the breakdown ability of digestive enzymes significantly. This unique structure of goat milk allows more efficient digestion compared with cow milk. 
  

  Not only is goat milk easy to digest, it also contains more medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), which converts to energy more quickly especially for babies. Among all the nutrients, fat is the most difficult to digest. As goat milk contains more MCFA, milk fat is easily digested and absorbed compared with LCFA (long-chain fatty acids). In the goat milk fat, there is a high percentage (about 10-20%) of MCFA (e.g. caprylic acid and capric acid), which can convert into energy more quickly.

   

  References:
  Jasińska, B. The comparison of pepsin and trypsin action on goat, cow, mare and human caseins. Rocz. Akad. Med. Bialymst. 1995, 40, 486-496

  Almaas H, Cases AL, Devold TG, Holm H, Langsrud T, Aabakken L, Aadnoey T, Vegarud GE. In vitro digestion of bovine and caprine milk by human gastric and duodenal enzymes. Int. Dairy J, 01 Sep 2006, 16(9):961-968

  Prosser C. (2003). Casein composition of human milk and goat and cow milk powders. Summary paper prepared in April 2003, AgResearch, New Zealand.

  C G Prosser 1, V I Svetashev, M V Vyssotski, D J Lowry. Composition and distribution of fatty acids in triglycerides from goat infant formulas with milk fat. J Dairy Sci., 2010 Jul;93(7):2857-62

• Q. Does Karihome Goat Milk formulas contain palm oil?

  There is no palm oil in Karihome products.

  The fat content of formula must be modified to include several essential fatty acids. Many formulas are based on skim milk where the milk fat is replaced by vegetable oils, including palm oil.¹

  DGC has adopted an alternative approach, using whole goat milk to retain milk fat. Vegetable oils are still added to top up the essential unsaturated fatty acids in goat milk, but it is not necessary to use palm oil if milk fat is included in the formula.

  Our research has also shown that there is also no need to use highly modified ingredients such as OPO.²

  1	Delplanque et al, 2015
  2	Prosser et al, 2010

• Q. My child is on a gluten free diet. Can my child consume Karihome formulas?

  Yes, your child can consume Karihome formulas at ease. Our formulas do not contain gluten cereal ingredients (e.g. wheat, rye, barley, oat) or ingredients derived from gluten cereal ingredients.