The role of the NZFSA in investigating health issues concerning A1 and A2 milk

Abstract

The NZFSA claims (24 Sept 07) that they do not believe ‘A1 milk is any more or less of a riskthan A2 milk’. Presumably they are basing this claim on the report undertaken for them byProfessor Boyd Swinburn in 2004, which is the only external review they have undertaken. Boththe NZFSA position and the Swinburn Report can be accessed from their website(www.nzfsa.govt.nz).The NZFSA also claims that the recent book, “Devil in the Milk”, written by the author of thisreport, has presented no new evidence that would cause them to change their position.The purpose of this report is therefore to review whether or not the NZFSA position is consistentwith the professional advice that they have received, and to analyse the processes that have led toany discrepancies between their position and this professional advice.The report also addresses whether their current stated position regarding no further evidencebeing available is consistent with the facts, and how they have come to this conclusion.Leading from this, the report analyses the behaviours that have led to the discrepancies that arefound, and explores whether there are fundamental problems at NZFSA both in relation to thespecific issue of A1/A2 milk and the generic issue of structure and culture within the NZFSA.