Australian dairy brand a2 Milk has expanded its line of natural cows' milk with the launch of Chocolate 2% Reduced Fat Milk.

Conventional milk contains a blend of A1 and A2 beta casein proteins, but the a2 Milk brand is claimed to have only the A2 protein. This makes the product suitable for some lactose intolerant people who are sensitive only to the A1 protein.

The a2 Milk Company's US chief executive officer (CEO) Blake Waltrip said: "For mealtime, snack time, or post-workout recovery, we recognise that people want great-tasting, beverages that are nutritionally wholesome. And we couldn't have chosen a more optimal debut for our new Chocolate 2% Milk than Natural Products Expo West.

"We want to bring people back to real dairy and we're doing it one milk carton at a time. Our customers can now enjoy the nutritional benefits of real and natural dairy milk with a chocolate flavor, without digestion problems or the common discomfort associated with conventional chocolate milks."

"We want to bring people back to real dairy and we're doing it one milk carton at a time."

Domesticated cows traditionally only produced the A2 type protein. However, due to a naturally occurring genetic mutation in European herds, the A1 type appeared and spread across the world due to human migration and modern farming practices. The majority of milk consumed today in the US contains the A1 protein, which is often associated with digestion problems or discomfort.

The a2 Milk Company has worked with local dairy farmers to identify cows that only produce the A2 protein.

a2 Milk products are claimed to be made from pure, natural cows' milk, and are completely free of any added hormones, rBST, or antibiotics.

a2 Milk's Chocolate 2% Reduced Fat Milk is available for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $3.99-$4.49 for half a gallon.