What is the difference between milk allergy and lactose intolerance?

Food allergies and food intolerances are very different conditions. Milk allergy, like all allergies is the immune system’s abnormal reaction to a protein, in this case a milk protein. Dairy allergies have to be diagnosed by a medical expert and require those affected to cut milk and dairy from their diet. Milk allergies are most common in young children but usually disappear by 3-5 years of age.

Lactose intolerances occur in adults who have low levels of the enzyme needed to digest the naturally occurring 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.