A2 Ghee
A2 Ghee Glossary: 30 Terms Explained in Plain Language
This glossary explains the 30 terms you will meet when buying or reading about A2 ghee — from genetics (A1, A2, A2A2, beta-casein, BCM-7) and methods (bilona, makhan, cultured, danedar) to the purity tests on a lab report (milk fat, moisture, Baudouin test, BR reading, RM value) and the bodies behind them (FSSAI, NABL, AGMARK).
Quick take
- Genetics: A1, A2, A2A2, beta-casein, BCM-7, PCR.
- Method: bilona, dahi, makhan, cultured, danedar.
- Lab tests: milk fat, moisture, Baudouin, BR reading, RM value.
- Bodies: FSSAI, NABL, AGMARK, India Organic.
Genetics and A2 terms
- A1 beta-casein
- A variant of milk protein common in European cattle breeds; its digestion can release BCM-7.
- A2 beta-casein
- The original form of beta-casein, found in Indian desi cows and buffalo (what is A2 ghee).
- A2 ghee
- Ghee made from the milk of A2 animals; buy A2 ghee only with source proof.
- A2A2 / A1A2 / A1A1
- An animal’s genotype: two A2 copies, one of each, or two A1 copies (A2A2 meaning).
- Beta-casein
- One of the main proteins in milk, roughly a third of its protein.
- BCM-7
- Beta-casomorphin-7, a peptide released mainly from A1 beta-casein (research).
- PCR / TaqMan PCR
- DNA tests that identify an animal’s A1/A2 genotype.
Animals and breeds
- Desi
- “Indigenous”; also used loosely to mean homestyle (A2 vs desi).
- Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Badri
- Indian cow breeds that give A2 milk (breeds compared).
- Murrah
- India’s best-known dairy buffalo breed, from Haryana; naturally A2 (Murrah buffalo ghee).
- Grass-fed
- Animals fed pasture or green fodder; no legal standard in India (grass-fed ghee).
Method words
- Bilona
- Wooden churner, and the curd-churning method of making ghee (bilona explained).
- Dahi
- Curd; whole milk is set to dahi before churning in bilona ghee.
- Makhan
- Fresh white butter churned from curd or cream (makhan vs ghee).
- Chaas
- Buttermilk left after churning makhan.
- Cultured ghee
- Ghee from fermented cream or curd (cultured ghee).
- Malai ghee
- Ghee made from collected cream rather than curd.
- Danedar
- Grainy texture formed as ghee cools slowly.
- Clarified butter
- Butter with water and solids removed; ghee is cooked a little longer (clarified butter vs ghee).
- Ghrita
- Ayurvedic term for ghee, often medicated with herbs (ghee in Ayurveda).
Lab report terms
- Milk fat
- Share of the ghee that is butterfat; FSSAI minimum 99.5%.
- Moisture
- Water left in the ghee; FSSAI maximum 0.5%.
- Baudouin test
- Detects vanaspati / sesame oil adulteration; should be negative (dalda vs ghee).
- BR reading
- Butyro-refractometer reading; a purity parameter in the FSSAI ghee standard.
- RM value
- Reichert-Meissl value, measuring short-chain fatty acids typical of milk fat; low values can signal adulteration.
- Trans fat
- Harmful fats from hydrogenation; pure ghee has very little.
- Smoke point
- Temperature at which fat starts to smoke; ~250°C for ghee (chart).
Bodies and marks
- FSSAI
- India’s food regulator; its licence number is mandatory on packaged ghee.
- NABL
- Accredits testing laboratories — not products (certifications).
- AGMARK
- Voluntary government quality grade for agricultural produce, including ghee.
- India Organic / Jaivik Bharat
- Marks for certified-organic food (organic ghee).
See these terms in a real report: A2 Farmer lab report.
Frequently asked questions
What does A2A2 mean on ghee?
It means the milk came from animals with two copies of the A2 beta-casein gene, confirmed by a PCR genotype test.
What is BR reading in ghee?
The butyro-refractometer reading, one of the purity parameters in FSSAI's ghee standard.
What is RM value in ghee?
The Reichert-Meissl value, which measures short-chain fatty acids typical of milk fat. Unusually low values can indicate adulteration.
What does danedar ghee mean?
Grainy ghee, whose texture forms as pure ghee cools slowly.
Every term, on one lab report
A2 Farmer Buffalo Bilona Ghee — A2A2 confirmed by PCR, 99.76% milk fat, hand-churned and glass-packed. From ₹799.
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