Yoplait to Launch Lactose-Free Yogurt in Late January

Hey, everybody. We've been noticed!

Kendall J. Powell - isn't that the perfect corporate executive name? - is the CEO of food product behemoth General Mills, the $15 billion giant that owns practically every other brand you see in a supermarket. One of their more than 100 brands is Yoplait, which General Mills bought out last May. And Ken - yes, he's called Ken, just like a normal person - has big plans for the yogurt. Plans that include us.

CEOs have to prime investors of their plans and expected earnings on a regular basis because this affects the predictions of their stock prices. So they do quarterly conferences in which they lure in the suckers with glittery promises of good times ahead. The investment site SeekingAlpha.com put up a transcript of their General Mills Second Quarter F '12 Earnings Results Conference Call.

And here's the part that concerns us:

We've got some good innovation coming on Yoplait in the second half. We'll introduce Greek yogurt and granola parfaits and new flavors of our Greek yogurt in multipack formats. We're also launching a new line of lactose-free Yoplait yogurt. Studies show that around 15% of U.S. consumers are lactose intolerant, and the percentage is higher among the growing multicultural populations. Dairy products that provide a lactose-free benefit are growing at a double-digit rate, so our retail customers recognize the increasing importance of this trend. We think this is a good innovation for the Yoplait brand, and we'll support this new line with couponing, digital advertising and in-store sampling.

More digging found out that the lactose-free yogurt will be in stores at the end of January. You should see four flavors. Cherry is obviously one of them, since that's the picture they sent out, but I haven't found the other three. This is so new that nothing about it is available at the Yoplait website yet. Keep checking there, though. You'll sure to find coupons for these new products as they get rolled out.

Other lactose-free real milk yogurts exist now, of course. Lactaid has a line of them in four flavors, strawberry, vanilla, peach, and blueberry. Green Valley Organics has even more flavors: peach, plain, honey, blueberry, vanilla, and strawberry.

Brands go out of the lactose-free business quickly, though. The Continental lactose-free yogurt I wrote about in 2007 is no longer available. Neither is the company. If you really want lactose-free yogurt, be sure to buy it and keep it in business.

Boost Energy Drink: Lactose-Free But Not Casein-Free

I found this article - which is as close to a press release as I've ever seen; let's not pretend this is real journalism - that touts the wonderful benefits of Boost nutritional energy drink.

What caught my attention was the claim that Boost is lactose-free.

People who are at risk for osteoporosis or bone loss include older adults, non-ambulatory people who have difficulty exercising, post-menopausal women, and people who are on chronic steroid therapy for medical conditions. Older adults who are lactose-intolerant or allergic to milk are also at risk for calcium deficiency. Now, BOOST® comes with CalciLock® to help maintain bone health. Each BOOST® drink contains just as much calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk, but it’s lactose-free.

OK, sounds good. I check everything, especially press releases. That's my mission. So I went to the Boost website to search for ingredients.

Water, corn syrup solids, sugar, vegetable oil, (canola, high oleic sunflower, corn oils) milk protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, and less than 0.5% of potassium citrate, magnesium chloride, soy lecithin, calcium phosphate, salt, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, beta-carotene, biotin, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamine, hydrochloride, folic acid, potassium iodide, magnesium phosphate, natural and artificial flavor, choline chloride, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3, vitamin K1, carrageenan, potassium chloride, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, cupric sulfate, chromic chloride, sodium molybdate, sodium selenite, ferrous sulfate. Contains milk protein and soy.

Contains milk protein. So people with milk protein allergies, beware.

Lactose-Free Recipes

Gourmet magazine recently folded operations with a thud so loud that it made national headlines. What happens to purveyors of the world's fanciest dishes? I guess they start roaming aimlessly across America like the Joads, looking for handouts of truffled nitrogen foam in exchange for chopping wood and sharing a few of their more plebeian recipes with the plainfolk.

How to to explain the appearance of the magazine's Ex-Executive Editor "Doc" Willoughby on the CBS Early Show with, of all things, lactose-free recipes?

The Forbes' 400 loss is our gain. The Early Show website shares five recipes with us, Tuscon Yellow Pepper Soup, Grilled Cornish Hens With Coconut Curry Sauce, Black Rice Pudding, Chocolate Sorbet, and Hazelnut Biscotti, a complete meal from soup to nuts, if a bit heavy on dessert..

This is less generous than one would think, since sorbet and biscotti are virtually always lactose-free so you don't need "Doc" to make 'em so. Still. You try making truffled nitrogen foam over a wood stove.

Chapman's Ice Cream Plant Burns

Chapman's Ice Cream is the largest independent ice cream company in Canada. The Chapmans, then a young married couple, grew it from a small creamery they bought in Markdale, Ontario, in the middle of, well, nowhere, in 1973, They've stayed in Markdale all these years, giving the town a major presence.

And the reason I'm talking about an ice cream company is that it makes several lines of specialty ice creams. Specialty audiences include us. It's no sugar added line is also lactose-free. Lactase is added to the ice cream to reduce the lactose. And the list of flavors is delicious and outrageous to Americans who barely can find anything more than vanilla. Chapman's makes lactose-free ice cream in Black Cherry, Butterscotch Ripple, Dutch Chocolate, Maple Walnut, and Neapolitan, as well as Vanilla. In addition, they have no sugar added, lactose-free Fudge Bar and Vanilla Sandwich novelties. Plus water ice and sorbets.

Which makes the news that Chapman's main plant has burned down so sad. A nice summary can be found in an article from the Manitoba Co-operator which reported that:

A historic southern Ontario creamery that housed Canada's largest independent ice cream manufacturer has been destroyed by fire, Toronto-area media reported Friday.

Chapman's Ice Cream produced ice cream and dairy-free alternatives for markets across Canada in the 150-year-old building at Markdale, about 90 km west of Barrie. ...

Chapman's has already pledged to rebuild at Markdale, CTV said.

A note on the company's website home page Friday said Chapman's "will be conducting business as per usual. Your continued support is important to us as we move forward."

On its site, the company has previously said "we'll never outgrow the community of Markdale, Ont. in which we live and work."

The company has large amounts of product stored in a warehouse so it won't disappear from shelves in the near term.

The rebuilding will be critical to the small town of Markdale, which was hit by a tornado only two weeks ago, causing $2 million in damages. The Chapmans' pledge to stay in Markdale and continue operations should be applauded.

Nestle Boost Kids Essentials. Lactose-Free, But...

Nestle, the worldwide food giant, launched Boost Kids Essentials Nutritionally Complete Drink earlier this year with a mightily barrage of claims, such as in this press release.

Today, parents have a new way of providing their children with optimal nutrition and protective benefits with the launch of BOOST(R) Kid Essentials Nutritionally Complete Drink. BOOST Kid Essentials Drink--an innovative product developed by Nestle HealthCare Nutrition--is the only nutritionally complete drink that gives kids ages 1 through 13 the power of immune-strengthening probiotics plus complete, balanced nutrition. Probiotics, delivered through the BOOST Kid Essentials straw, have been clinically shown to help strengthen the immune system to help keep kids healthy(1,2). In addition, BOOST Kid Essentials Drink fortifies a child's diet with 25 essential vitamins and minerals, seven grams of muscle-building protein, key antioxidants and 244 energy-packed calories. ...

Probiotics are live, active cultures that--when consumed in adequate amounts--provide several health benefits, including aiding digestion and supporting a healthy immune system. Together, the power of immune-strengthening probiotics plus complete, balanced nutrition gives parents a delicious option to help keep their children strong and healthy. ...

BOOST Kid Essentials Drink is also digestion-friendly, being lactose free and gluten free, and does not contain high-fructose corn syrup.

Whenever I see a drink that labels itself as lactose-free, I wonder what it does contain.

The Boost main webpage will tell you, although you have to click on the Healthcare Professionals tab to see the answer. What do you get there? The nutritional labeling information that will be on the side of every box. Really? They're saying that the minimal information demanded by law is something parents needn't know or wouldn't be interested in?

As you would expect, the ingredients are technically lactose-free. No multinational conglomerate's lawyers would let them post a false claim that blatant. But parents may not be as reassured by the actual ingredients as by the press release's glowing message.

Here are the ingredients for the chocolate flavor:

WATER, SODIUM CASEINATE (MILK), HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CALCIUM CASEINATE AND LESS THAN 0.5% OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE TRIBASIC, CELLULOSE GEL, POTASSIUM CITRATE, SOY LECITHIN, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE TRIBASIC, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SODIUM CHLORIDE, CARRAGEENAN, ASCORBIC ACID, CELLULOSE GUM, TAURINE, M-INOSITOL, ALPHA TOCOPERYL ACETATE, FERROUS SULFATE, ZINC SULFATE, NIACINAMIDE, L-CARNITINE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN B6 HYDROCHLORIDE, THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE, COPPER GLUCONATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, RIBOFLAVIN, BHA/BHT (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, BETA CAROTENE, FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, SODIUM SELENITE, VITAMIN K1, VITAMIN D3, VITAMIN B12.

Chemicals! Run for your lives!

Nestle can't sell you milk at a much higher price when you already have milk in your fridge. They have to give you extra value, something that you will like and so will your kids.

Like sugar. A boost has 33 grams of carbohydrates in a container (1 and 1/32 cup). A cup of chocolate milk has 26 grams. That's 27% more sugar. And containers. The kids can take the pre-made containers with them as they run around from all that sugar and that's, okay, that's convenient if lousy environmentally. And you get all those essential vitamins and minerals, as if every other kids' food in modern America isn't already fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. What kids don't get enough of is calcium, but Boost's calcium content is slightly more than chocolate milk and slightly less than regular milks.

I could go on, but you're still waiting for the lactose part. Especially with all those terms that sound like milk. Sodium caseinate, a salt that is derived from milk protein. Calcium caseinate, ditto. And whey protein concentrate. Until recently, every food made with whey protein concentrate contained lactose. A new process, one that I wrote about earlier this year, changed that, making whey protein concentrate the go-to ingredient for making foods more milk-like without lactose.

Boost Kids Essentials is high-priced fortified flavored sugared artificial milk, with probiotics. You have to judge whether it's something for your kids. Don't go anywhere near it if you're milk allergic, though. And it's not for galactosemics, either. You're a parent. Nutritional information is something you should read and doublecheck. Don't let it be hidden away from you.

Finlandia: Real Cow's Milk Lactose-Free Cheese

After yesterday's diatribe, I though I'd show you the other half of the story.

You can get real cheese, made from real cow's milk, that is truly lactose-free. How do they do it? Science.

Finlandia Cheese is a subsidiary of Finland's largest dairy company, Valio. They have a reputation to uphold if they proclaim that their cheese is truly lactose-free. Yet they do.

How can Finlandia be lactose free?

Finlandia Swiss cheese is manufactured from milk which is coagulated by heat and microbial rennet. After coagulation the cheese is fermented with a souring agent containing lactobacilli, Streptococcus thermophilus and propionic acid bacteria. Within 24 hours, these bacteria break down the lactose into galactose and glucose. These are fermented further to lactic acid. Lactic acid is then fermented to acetic acid, propionic acid and carbon dioxide so that Finlandia Swiss does not contain lactose or any other carbohydrates.

Finlandia Imported Muenster, Gouda and Havarti cheeses are manufactured from milk which is coagulated by heat and microbial rennet. After coagulation the cheeses are fermented with a souring agent containing lactococci and lactobacilli. Within 24 hours, these bacteria break down the lactose into galactose and glucose. These are fermented further to lactic acid. Therefore these Finlandia cheeses do not contain lactose or any other carbohydrates. (Traces of lactose may be found in Havarti cheese, but levels are well below the limit accepted for a lactose-free claim.)

The following is a list of our lactose free products:

Imported Swiss, Imported Light Swiss, Imported Black Label Emmental, Imported Black Label Gouda, Imported Black Label Gruyere, Imported Oltermanni Baby Muenster, Imported Muenster, Imported Light Swiss, Imported Thin-Sliced Swiss, Imported Havarti, Imported Gouda.

All this and a page of tasty recipes. And Finlandia Cheese can be found in stores all over the United States.

Malta Gets Lactose-Free Ice Cream. Why Not Us?

Americans, if they think of Nestlé at all, might have an image of chocolate bars and other comfort foods. In fact Nestlé S.A. is an insanely huge multi-national conglomerate based in Switzerland, whose products and activities span the globe. The U.S. market sees only a tiny fraction of the brands it makes internationally.

For some people that's a good thing. According to the British newspaper the Guardian Nestlé is one of the most boycotted brands in the world. A boycott has been fitfully instituted against the company since the 1970s because of the way it markets milk-based baby formulas to poor mothers in third-world countries. The vast majority of those mothers would be likely to have healthier children if their breastfed their babies.

Can you put the two sides of the company together? In reality, we do every day. Few of us notice which multinational conglomerate is the ultimate source of the products we fill our shopping carts with. Few of us can keep accounts of the pluses and minuses of their activities in 200 countries or follow the accusations made by activist groups supported or disabused by the business press. Doing so for every one of the tens of thousands of products in a supermarket would drive us all even nuttier than we are today. The modern world and capitalism depend on it being too large for any individual to comprehend.

I'm driven to these thoughts by, of all things, a press release that a newspaper on the island nation of Malta printed as a news article.

Ice creams for coeliacs and lactose intolerant consumers

Coeliacs and lactose intolerant consumers can this year enjoy a wide range of Nestlé ice creams which have been produced to address the needs of such conditions.

The Nestlé gluten-free ice creams, which include the Hello Kitty cup and stick, Indiana Jones cup, Nesquik sandwich and stick and Cremeria Fior di Latte and Lemon Sorbet are the result of specific manufacturing processes studied down to the finest detail, right from the selection of ingredients until the manufacturing stage. Nestlé continues to monitor its processes in all the packing stages, in order to ensure the utmost compliance with the standards that have enabled the company to attain the cross grain symbol. The symbol, which is printed on the product, indicates the product’s safety and guarantees no gluten presence in the product.

The lactose-free range of ice-creams, which include the Cremeria chocolate and vanilla tubs are produced with the same specific manufacturing processes but address the needs of consumers who usually, due to this condition, do not take any milk based ice cream. Although these ice creams have a very low lactose content of 0.4 per cent they still enjoy a genuine flavour and are made with only fresh Italian skimmed milk which is highly digestible.

The gluten-free and the lactose-free ice creams are available in all supermarkets and leading stores throughout Malta and Gozo.

The Republic of Malta, which includes the islands of Malta and Gozo, is home to fewer than half a million people, smaller than the county in which I live.

Yet the Maltese people will have access to a range of lactose-free and gluten-free ice creams greater than everything sold in the United States by all companies combined.

I can't comprehend this. I'm happy for the Maltese, obviously. I don't want to take away their good fortune at the expense of ours. Perhaps they're being used as nothing more than a living test market. These products are apparently available nowhere else in the world. Perhaps these treats, if well accepted, will one day sit on freezer shelves on every continent. (Antarctica excepted, to be sure.) In the meantime what explanation can be given for the fact that the millions of American consumers lack these basics?

Why?

Puppermint Lactose-Free Ice Cream

You're a mammal. Also mammals are naturally lactose intolerant after weaning. That means your pet dogs and cats should have milk products. Really. They aren't little furry people.

I remind people of this every once in a while. Just as I'm reminded every once in a while that some other people make lactose-free treats for their pets. I wrote about Ice Cream Sandwiches for Dogs a few years ago.



And today it's Pup Ice. Pup Ice is one of the products of Cold Nose Creamery. It comes in four flavors, Puppernilla, Puppernutter, Pup o' Latte, and of course Puppermint. All use lactose-free milk (made by adding the lactase enzyme) and soy milk.

At the moment Pup Ice is only sold in a few stores in Connecticut and one in Massachusetts. They're trying to get a wider distribution, though.

Lactaid Free Sample

I get it when a company decides to cross-promote its products. That makes sense.

Usually.

Benecol Spread is a functional food, one that adds plane sterol esters to reduce cholesterol. I mean, how many other butter substitutes are made by multinational pharmaceutical firms, in this case McNeil Nutritionals.

You know what else is made by McNeil Nutritionals? Lactaid. And Benecol is running a promotion in which you can get a free sample of Lactaid just by filling in the request form on that page.

But the weird thing for me is that Benecol is a lactose-free spread. Check this page.

• Zero Carbs
• No Trans Fat
• Lactose-Free
• Gluten-Free
• Kosher

OK, if you're avoiding lactose you may look for Benecol. Or if you trying for health you'll take Lactaid. Or something like that. It all makes perfect sense.

I'll stop making fun of them now. McNeil is one of the good guys. Lots of products aimed at us. Just remember that you don't need to take Lactaid when you have Benecol.

McNeil Nutritonals.

Lactose-Free Whey Protein Drinks

When I researched my book, Milk Is Not for Every Body, in the 1990s, I went to the whey manufacturers for guidance. I learned that whey protein concentrate was normally a high-lactose product, with as much as a 55% lactose content. Whey protein isolate, though, was a very low lactose product, with no more than 0.5% lactose. See my Lactose Percentages page for these and many other numbers.

Sometime in the 2000s, this began to change. I started seeing products containing whey protein concentrate labeling themselves as lactose free. This disturbed me because I didn't see how it was possible.

The FAQ page on the website of the Whey Protein Institute would seem to confirm this:

Q: If I'm lactose intolerant should I avoid whey protein?

A: Individuals with lactose intolerance should select a pure whey protein isolate, which has less than 0.1 gram of lactose per tablespoon (20 grams). This is less lactose than the amount found in a cup of yogurt and research has shown that most people with lactose intolerance have no trouble taking this very small amount of lactose. Individuals with lactose intolerance should avoid whey protein concentrates as they usually contain lactose and the amount can vary greatly from product to product.

Yet, entering lactose-free whey protein concentrate into Google yields numerous hits. And federal regulations require that any product that labels itself as lactose free must be completely lactose free.

So how is this possible? A new manufacturing process. Take a look at this Product Bulletin pdf from Hilmar Ingredients. The site is protected so I can't copy directly, but here's a captured image of the relevant section if you don't want to click over:


The cross-flow microfiltration process is mentioned in various websites. I doubt if Hilmar is the only company to use it but the other hits I've seen have been to end users rather than manufacturers.

Anyone who is allergic to dairy proteins should of course stay away from these products despite their being lactose-free. They do give another option to those of us who are only lactose intolerant.

Lactose-free "Leche Flan"

Flan is the wildly popular milk custard dessert that is too seldom seen in the U.S. outside of Mexican restaurants.

Wikipedia tells us:

Crème caramel, flan, or caramel custard is a rich custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top, as opposed to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top.

The dish has spread across Europe and the world. Both 'crème caramel' and 'flan' are French names (from Old German flado 'cake'), but have come to have different meanings in different regions. In Spanish-speaking countries and in North America, 'flan' refers to crème caramel; this was originally a Spanish usage (from Spain, Europe), but the dish is now best-known in the United States in a Latin American context and also in the Philippines.

Photograph by Cary Bass

Therefore this article by Norma O. Chikiamco from the Philippine Daily Inquirer telling us how to make a lactose-free flan shouldn't be at all surprising.

I don't like to copy recipes without explicit permission so you'll have to click over.

And don't get thrown by the call to add "zest of dayap or calamansi." Those are fruits somewhat similar to limes and oranges, respectively. Just substitute whatever fruit zest you have on hand.

The Bridge - Italian Non-Dairy Drinks

FoodBizDaily printed a press release from the Italian firm The Bridge that lead me into an entire world of non-dairy drinks for the European market.

Bio Avena Cuisine is an oats cream, 100 % vegetable, lactose free, animal fats free and hydrogenated fats free. It can be used as an alternative to the traditional milk cream. The particular formulation makes the product delicate, light (less then 10 % of fats) and rich of fibres.

Furthermore we choose not to use any ingredient like soya or colza lecithin, neither xantan gum, in order to be sure to have a healthy product, GMO free. Bio Avena cuisine is excellent for preparation of salted dishes as pasta, for seasoning vegetables and for preparation of tasty desserts.


•0 % lactose
•0 % cholesterol

Oats "milks" are not new, either in Europe or the U.S., but they haven't made as many inroads into the market as soy "milks." But The Bridge has that covered as well. They make both soy and rice drinks and have since 1994.

Unfortunately, their site doesn't say exactly where their products are available. In Europe, presumably, yet the site is entirely in English. I hope somebody can find them.

Last Lactose-Free Yogurt Disappears

The last time I checked I could find only one true dairy-based lactose-free yogurt. That was Continental Yogurt, made by Continental Culture Specialists of Glendale, CA.

Then I got an email informing me that they haven't been able to find any Continental Yogurt for a year. When I checked I found that the company's website was abandoned and its phone number disconnected. That's good confirmation.

A search didn't bring up any other brands of real milk dairy-free yogurt. Lots of soy-based brands, to be be sure. You can find a number of brands listed on my Nondairy Milk Alternatives - Other Nondairy Products page in my Lactose Intolerance Clearinghouse website. It hasn't been updated in a while because I make all my announcements here on my blog, though. If I get a chance I'll do some catching up, so if you know of brands that aren't listed there, post a comment or send me an email.

Organic Lactose-Free Baby Formula

The Nature's One company has introduced what it's claiming to be the only organic lactose-free baby formula on the U.S. market, Baby’s Only Organic® Lactose Free Formula.

Baby’s Only Organic® Lactose Free is the ONLY organic milk-based formula on the US market that does not contain lactose.* This formula is intended for babies who are lactose intolerant and is the perfect alternative to parents who wish to avoid soy protein† in their baby’s diet. Baby’s Only Organic® Lactose Free is a milk based formula, but the lactose or milk sugar has been removed using a special enzyme process. Additionally, Baby’s Only Organic® formula does not contain corn syrup as found in all other lactose free formulas. Instead, we use organic brown rice syrup as a healthy and well tolerated carbohydrate for babies. Baby’s Only Organic® Lactose Free is scientifically designed to address common digestion problems that result in fussiness, diarrhea, gas and bloating. ...

Baby’s Only Organic® is labeled a toddler formula because Nature’s One® believes breast milk is the best organic choice the first 12-months of life.

Baby's Only also makes a Soy Formula.

Baby’s Only Organic® SOY formula is appropriate for babies with a lactose intolerance, cow milk allergy or when parents prefer a vegetarian diet. A baby with dairy protein or lactose sensitivities may experience unusual fussiness, diarrhea, excessive spit-up, skin rash/eczema, gassiness or frequent ear infections. If your baby exhibits any of these symptoms, discuss using Baby’s Only Organic® SOY Toddler Formula with a health care professional.

Baby’s Only Organic® Lactose Free Formula is so new that it's not yet available in stores, but can be purchased online through the company's www.NaturesOneDirect.com.

Both formulas are kosher, under OU supervision. The soy formula is also parve.

New Yugoslavian Lactose-Free Milk

Seems to be a boom in European products for the lactose intolerant. Following yesterday's discovery of a Dutch manufacturer of lactase capsules comes the announcement of a new lactose-free milk.

What looks to be a press release is brief but to the point.

Imlek has presented a new product in its portfolio, Moja Kravica lactose-free milk, for all persons with intolerance to milk sugar, i.e. lactose.

This easily digestible product of Imlek will enable all milk consumers to enjoy its taste and beneficial effects, free of discomfort caused by lactose in ordinary milk.

Moja Kravica lactose-free milk is rich with calcium, proteins, vitamins, and lactic acid, and in addition to a good taste, it is ideal for any time of a day and for all those with developed intolerance to lactose and people who take care of a healthy and balanced lifestyle and consumption of milk, as an important source of calcium.

Imlek the company is located in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Those familiar with the language can take a look at the company's website and tell me what exactly the crocodile superhero is promoting.

Lactose-Free Milk Lasts Longer

Lactose-free milk is actual real cow's milk, exactly like regular milk in every way. Except one. Maybe two.

First, of course, lactose-free milk is lactose-free. Chemically and nutritionally, that's not a big difference. The lactase enzyme is used to break down - digest - the complex sugar lactose into the simple sugars galactose and glucose. That makes the resulting milk slightly sweeter. It's an oddity of sugar chemistry that both components of lactose are sweeter individually than when combined. Everything else about the milk stays the same.

Like almost all other commercially-available milks in the U.S. lactose-free milk is both homogenized and pasteurized. Homogenization breaks down the fat globules in milk and disperses them so that they don't separate and float up to the top. In the old days, the fat - in the form of cream - could be skimmed off the top of milk. That left the rest of the milk with uneven and constantly changing amounts of fat. People preferred milk with a set and regulated amount of fat, so homogenized milk is standard. Pasteurization is also standard. Indeed, mandated by law. Pasteurization kills the microorganisms that can make you sick from milk, and not lactose intolerant sick but deadly ill sick.

There are a number of types of pasteurization. The McClatchy newspaper syndicate had a column on milk that covers some of these types.

Q: What's the difference between milk that expires in 7 to 10 days and milk like Lactaid that lasts for more than a month?

A: First, remember that the date on the milk isn't an expiration date, it's a sell-by date. The store has to sell it or pull it by that date.

That doesn't mean you can't continue to use the milk. Milk is vulnerable to very slight temperature variations, always a problem in home refrigerators, which may not stay below 40 degrees or where the door may be opened and closed constantly.

But as long as your milk is kept cold in a container that blocks light, it usually will keep past the date.

The difference in the sell-by date on milk products is in how they were pasteurized.

In addition to regular pasteurization, where milk is heated to 161 degrees for 15 seconds to kill bacteria, there is low-heat pasteurization -- 145 to 150 degrees for 30 minutes -- and ultra-heat, in which the milk is heated to as high as 250 degrees for less than a second.

Ultra-high heat is used for many specialty milk products, such as lactose-free milk and even some certified-organic milks, to extend their shelf life.

Those products are usually transported longer distances or kept longer before they're sold.

The simple truth is that lactose-free milk sells in tiny quantities compared to regular milk. And the average consumer of lactose-free milk uses much less than the many families with children that go through gallons of the regular milk every milk. So fewer people buy lactose-free milk less often. That's powerful incentive to make milk that keeps for as long as possible. The ultra-pasteurization process can make tiny changes to the taste of the milk that some people notice, though most don't. There should be absolutely no difference in any nutritional value, though.

Some regular milk also comes ultra-pasteurized, including some other types of specialty milks and also so-called "shelf stable" milk that needs no refrigeration. Ultra-pasteurized milk is also much more common in Europe, which is why many tourists find the taste of milk different there.

You can do anything with ultra-pasteurized milk that you can with regular milk. And in comes in all forms, whole, 2%, 1%, fat free, chocolate, fortified, flavored. It just lasts longer. And that's a good thing.

Nuttelex: Australian Dairy-Free Margarine

I regularly get emails from various outposts around the world imploring me for information about local lactose-free products. Even with the whole Internet in front of me, I come across that information all too rarely.

I happened to stumble upon an Australian product new to me, however, so I'm displaying it here in hopes that it may be new to some of you in Australia as well.



The product's name is Nuttelex, a vegetable oil margarine and butter alternative. It's not exactly new. In fact, it's been around for 75 years. (I warned you I was a bit behind, didn't I?) Despite the name there are no nuts in Nuttelex. It's strictly vegetable oils with a bit of salt and water, plus the usual stuff needed to make a commercial product. They make it five flavors, or flavours: Original, Lite, Olive, Kosher, and Pulse. Pulse is the only variety that contains soy. All are gluten-free and vegan.

Chocolate Peanut-Butter Lactose-Free Shake

I love it when readers send in lactose-free recipes. I love sharing them just as much. If you have a recipe you've tried and loved, please send it to stevecarper@cs.com and mark it as something that I can post here on Planet Lactose.

The following comes from Marian.

Here’s my recipe for my favorite dessert: 1 cup of lactose free skim milk, a couple of scoops of lactose free vanilla ice cream, a scoop of chocolate sorbet, chocolate syrup to taste and a heavy teaspoon of peanut butter. Blend and enjoy.

The chocolate sorbet is really an interesting touch. Thanks, Marian!

Lactofree Lactose-Free Cheese

Cheese. (Shut that bloody bouzouki up!) Everybody loves it and the vegetarian and vegan replacements are generally considered to be poor substitutes.

A few companies have long provided lactose-free true cow's milk cheese in the U.S., including Finlandia, Sorrento, and Lifetime, and Canada has Biobio. The UK, as is its wont, has lagged beyond in catering to those of us who are lactose intolerant.

That's about to change according to this email I got directly from Lactofree about their latest announcement.

For the 15% of the population who are thought to be lactose intolerant in the UK it will have been years since they last tasted real dairy cheese, which means its been years since they ate their last tasty pizza, delicious lasagne or real cheese and tomato sandwich! But now Lactofree has put the real thing back on the menu, with its newly launched hard dairy lactose free cheese, available at your local Asda or Morrisons.

Lactofree cheese is made from natural cows' milk and therefore retains that same unmistakable dairy taste. As part of cheesemaking, bacterial cultures are added to the milk to create acidity, aroma and flavour. These cultures need a source of food and this food is lactose. The bacteria uses up the lactose naturally found in the milk to give Lactofree cheese its distinct flavour. The bacteria will stop working only once all the lactose has been used up, leaving cheese that is naturally lactose free.

Lactofree cheese tastes and behaves just like normal cheese. It's versatile for cooking and perfect for all those things you've missed – pizzas, sandwiches, toasties, lasagne, jacket potatoes…

On the website you can find all the information about the cheese, and also a couple of nice recipes by celebrity chef Lesley Waters.

The cheese apparently comes in a single flavor for now. You'll just have to wait a few more years to get your hands on Venezuelan beaver cheese.

A-Soy WIC Eligible

A press release announced the WIC eligibility of a lactose-free adult nutritional product.

A-Soy, a soy adult nutritional beverage specially formulated for people who are lactose intolerant, cow’s milk allergic, or who prefer a vegetarian diet, is now federal WIC eligible. Developed by PBM Products, LLC, A-Soy is a great-tasting source of balanced nutrition for people older than 10 years of age through life, is free of lactose, milk (animal protein), cholesterol, trans fats, and gluten.

There's also a children's pediatric version.

"A-Soy was developed based on the success and popularity of our Bright Beginnings™ Soy Pediatric Drink, which received an international award for being the top new pediatric nutritional beverage for children younger than 10 years old," said PBM CEO Paul B. Manning. "Developing a similar soy drink for adults and people older than 10 years was the next logical step."

For more information, go to their website.