What does "lactose-free" mean?

What all as "LACTOSE-FREE"? is very confusing, both for people with lactose intolerance, as well as for their friends and relatives. Here is a short as possible info.

Lactose or milk sugar are called the carbohydrates of milk. It is worth taking a closer look at the packaging.

Vegan - kosher parve

If a food is labeled vegan or kosher, it will not contain any milk ingredients (that would be an animal product), so no lactose.


Traces of milk

If the packaging states that the product contains or may contain "traces" of milk, it is also safe for lactose intolerant. Intolerance depends on the quantity. Small amounts of lactose cause minor discomfort, large amounts lead to massive complaints. Traces of food are only dangerous for allergy sufferers. Lactose intolerance is not an allergy.

Lactose free, lactose content 0,0 g

For example, oat drink, soy rice drink, oat cream. For example, products are usually referred to as a replacement for dairy products. Coffee whitener, herbal alternatives for milk and cream. For lactose intolerant well suited.

Dairy products with the nutritional value? Carbohydrates 0 g per 100 g?

For example Gouda, Maasdamer, Emmentaler, Parmesan are dairy products that contain no or almost no lactose due to traditional production. Anyone who looks at the nutrient list of sliced ​​cheese, sees that they contain no carbohydrates, so no lactose. Since no one had to do with chemistry, the good old lactic acid bacteria for millennia already do so, and what left of lactose leaves with the whey the cheese. I tolerate these products, even if they are not lactose-free? it says. However, I always look at the nutritional table to see how high the carbohydrate content is.


One can not rely on the fact that a certain cheese (eg Gouda) is always without carbohydrates. Sometimes lactose is added to the cheese afterwards. This can happen, for example, with grated cheese, with pizza cheese or cheese that is sold especially for gratinating. The lactose caramelizes when gratinating and gives a wonderful crust.

Dairy products with the nutritional value? Carbohydrates 0 g PRO PORTION?

Eg butter. In normal butter, the lactose content is so low (0.1-0.7 g per 100 g) that I can hardly get over my tolerance limit by butter. Sometimes the nutritional information per serving is stated on the packaging, if not you have to calculate yourself. On a sandwich come little more than 10 g of butter, so 0.01 g - 0.07 g of lactose. That is still far below my tolerance limit. Who is lactose intolerant, so can be used with normal butter and normal sliced ​​cheese, does not need to buy the expensive small packs, the big with? Lactose free? be advertised, because they differ mainly in the price, but not in the lactose content of the corresponding normal dairy products.

Dairy products with the nutritional value? Carbohydrates 0-2 g per 100 g?

All traditionally produced dairy products, which are less than 1 g per 100 g, I tolerate without problems. I think that the lactic acid bacteria that are present at the same time help me digestion. At a level of 1 - 2 g per 100 g, I tolerate small amounts. For example, Mozarella.


Lactose free *, * Lactose content below 0.1 g / 100 g

ATTENTION: On the Asterisk* respect, think highly of. Thus, dairy products are labeled which normally contain lactose, but to which the lactase enzyme has been added in order to break down the lactose contained in the milk product. The double sugar lactose is therefore not removed, but is in the form of the two cleavage products, the two simple sugar galactose and glucose still contained in the milk product: These include lactose-free * milk, lactose-free * yogurt, lactose-free * cream cheese, lactose-free * quark, lactose-free * cream fraiche ... In my opinion, these foods have to be lactated with split lactose? or? lactose milk? be called. I tolerate it NO ALMOST lactose-free * Dairy products. Also no foods that contain such dairy products as an ingredient, such as. As biscuits, chocolate with lactase milk as an additive. But that varies from person to person. My son tolerates these products and they also like him.

The bigger the labeling? Lactose free? on a package, the greater my skepticism. Many ignorant people think that it is then a healthy dietary product. But that is a fallacy, because often are exactly the same calorie-containing ingredients in it, just a little chemistry to do so. If you can tolerate lactose, you do not need to be artificially split before consuming it. It prefers to do it with your own digestive work and stays full for longer.

I look at the nutritional list and the list of ingredients myself. Carbohydrates = 0 is safe. If lactase or lactose is among the ingredients or the list of ingredients is too long, the product is out of the question for me. Often one finds traditionally produced foods without lactose with less chemistry at a cheaper price.

I hope this information will help all concerned and those who want to make them happy.

What is lactose intolerance? | March 2024