“...the paper also serves as a comprehensive updated review of the proteins of bovine milk.”

Initially, this Committee of the American Dairy Science Society (ADSA) was charged with providing a comprehensive nomenclature for proteins of bovine milk, especially the caseins. The literature at that time contained a variety of names for the same proteins. The nomenclature evolved from functional definitions to protein and DNA sequence analysis.

In addition, the bovine milk protein definitions and sequences have served as the basis for the protein nomenclature of all mammalian species. In later revisions, such as the present report, the paper also serves as a comprehensive updated review of the proteins of bovine milk. The quality of the reviews by this committee has been reflected by high citation indexes for this review and its predecessors.

As noted above, the paper also serves as a comprehensively updated review of the proteins of bovine milk by a well-recognized committee of the ADSA.

The current paper updates the information on the chemistry and biochemistry of the milk proteins with regard to their importance in human nutrition and to their use in products by the dairy industry.

The Protein Nomenclature Committee of the ADSA has been in existence since 1956, and this report represents the sixth revision. I have been personally involved in the area of milk protein research since 1967 when I began a postdoctoral appointment at the USDA’s Milk Properties Laboratory in Wyndmoor, PA.

My own personal research at USDA has centered on the major calcium binding proteins of milk—the caseins. My involvement with the Nomenclature Committee began with the fourth report in 1976. Over the years it has been a pleasure to work with many excellent scientists from academia and industry in the preparation of these reviews.