A family affair

Our family has always lived in close contact with nature.

Our grandparents, uncles and cousins were farmers, and the tradition continues to this day.

It goes without saying that farm produce (milk, butter, cream, fresh cheeses, etc.) was on the menu every day and enjoyed to our hearts’ content.

True to our habits, and also because we appreciate what is good and full of flavour, we have continued to consume dairy products and to extol their benefits to our friends.

In the 1960s, it was a given for our parents: you had to drink milk to ‘be strong, studious and vigorous’. In the 1980s, producers proclaimed that ‘dairy products are our friends for life’, and no one disputed this.

But a few decades later, milk’s reputation has suffered somewhat. Today, it has its detractors amongst scientists, doctors and naturopaths.

How should we respond?

It was around this time that we began to take a closer look at the cause and the reasons behind the recurring digestive problems experienced by our loved ones.

We very quickly came across scientific articles explaining that:

LACTOSE causes digestive problems in half of all adults

“It is natural for most adults to have difficulty digesting milk, or rather its sugar, lactose. In order to be absorbed, this carbohydrate must be broken down by an enzyme called lactase. However, whilst lactase levels are at their highest in newborns, they naturally decline after weaning until, in most adults, they reach only 5 to 10 per cent of their initial level.”

Lactase enzymes that can sometimes be unpredictable

“The best-known component of milk is a sugar called lactose. Once swallowed, it must undergo a transformation in order to be properly digested: lactase acts like a tiny pair of scissors, breaking lactose down into two smaller molecules (glucose and galactose). However, depending on our genetic makeup, our ability to produce functional lactase varies. Furthermore, as we get older, the lactase we produce becomes less and less effective.”

Our loved ones as testers

Armed with this valuable scientific information, we carried out some ‘tests’ with our families, taking all due care.

We used lactose-free milk, lactose-free cream and lactose-free butter bought from our local shops. We also favoured fermented dairy products (yoghurts and, above all, mature cheeses). This is because the lactose in these products has virtually disappeared, having been pre-digested during the fermentation process.

For our loved ones, we then introduced and monitored this new eating plan for six weeks, without any deprivation or compromise on flavour. The result of this new diet was like a magic wand for all our loved ones, and today they feel great without having to go without. They now know their limits and consume dairy products in full knowledge of the facts.

And that is how our company was founded

Our company has been operating in the agri-food sector, and more specifically in the dairy sector, for almost 30 years.

Our main focus has always been on understanding and interpreting new global trends in order to offer our customers innovative products.

More than ever before, consumers are paying close attention to new research into our diet and are keen to find products that meet their expectations in terms of both health and wellbeing.

Analysis of consumers’ needs and preferences

The data we have collected and analysed across all global markets has guided our decision-making process. We have identified changes, and indeed consumer expectations, in their consumption patterns.

The main trends are closely linked:

Consumers are looking for products that are as natural as possible.
They want products that are good for their health and wellbeing.
They want to be part of a sustainable development approach as much as possible.

In the Scandinavian countries (including Finland and Sweden), the two largest dairies operating in these markets (one of which ranks among the world’s top 10) have made 100 per cent lactose-free dairy products the market standard, promoting health and wellbeing for people aged 9 to 99.

This inspired our project to develop a delicious range of organic, lactose-free cheeses for everyone actively seeking to improve their health and wellbeing.

Our company launched its first organic, lactose-free cheese in 2019, and it was an immediate success. To meet the expectations of our retail partners and help them expand their range of dairy products, we have selected a range of organic cheeses that are 0% lactose and 100% flavour. This means that people who cannot tolerate lactose – or can no longer tolerate it – can once again not only eat cheese, but enjoy it to the full.

We are continuing our research and will keep developing the market for organic, 0% lactose cheeses by selecting new products every year.

In these times of profound uncertainty, please look after yourselves!

The Bionola team