🌱 Lactose-free milk
Regular milk in which the lactose has been broken down by an enzyme.
Lactose-free milk is ordinary cow's milk in which the lactose, the milk sugar, has been broken down. It is not a plant drink but a real dairy product. It is made for people in whom lactose causes bloating and stomach pain.
The most common method is to add the enzyme lactase to the milk. This is the same enzyme that people with lactose intolerance lack. It splits lactose into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. The body absorbs them easily. That is why lactose-free milk tastes a little sweeter than regular milk: simple sugars taste sweeter than lactose. Another method is to remove part of the lactose by filtering. In 2001 the Finnish company Valio released the first fully lactose-free milk, made with ultrafiltration.
Today this milk is sold everywhere. There are also lactose-free kefir, yogurt, cheese and ice cream. Western Europe and Latin America drink the most lactose-free milk. Remember: if you are allergic to cow's milk protein, lactose-free milk will not help. The protein in it is the same; only the sugar has been dealt with.
How it connects to milk
🌱 Lactose-free milk → made from → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Made from
- 🥛 Milk
- When it helps
- ❤️ Lactose intolerance
- What it replaces
- 🥛 Milk
- Product type
- 🏭 Industrial dairy products
- Part of
- 🥛 Drinking milk by processing
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between lactose-free milk and regular milk?
Its lactose has been split by an enzyme into glucose and galactose. Everything else, such as protein, fat and calcium, is almost the same as in regular milk.
Why does lactose-free milk taste sweet?
Glucose and galactose taste sweeter than lactose. No sugar is added.
Is lactose-free milk OK for a milk allergy?
No. It contains the same cow's milk proteins that cause the allergy.
Comparisons
History
Similar
🌱 Almond milk · 🌱 Oat milk · 🌱 Coconut milk · 🌱 Rice milk · 🌱 Soy milk