What is lactose free milk?

Lactose is a naturally occurring milk sugar and during digestion it is broken down into the two simple sugars glucose and galactose. Lactose free milk is simply cow’s milk which has its lactose content already broken down into these simple sugars, meaning there is no lactose remaining in the milk.

This is achieved through the addition of the enzyme lactase during production. Lactose free milk may be a suitable alternative for people suffering from lactose intolerance as they have reduced levels of this enzyme.

Extra Information:

Lactose intolerances occur in adults who have low levels of the enzyme needed to digest the natural sugar in milk known as lactose. This can cause digestion problems if too much lactose is consumed. It is often believed that lactose intolerance is a very common condition but in Ireland and other northern European countries only about 4-5 % of the population are affected.

Depending on the level of tolerance, most people can consume some lactose – typically a daily amount of 12-15 g. A 200 ml glass of milk contains approximately 9-10 g lactose, while the amounts in yogurt and cheese is considerably less – 5.9 g in 125 ml pot of plain whole yogurt and 0.03 g in 25 g of cheddar cheese.