Lactose-free cheeses
Which cheeses can you eat if you are lactose intolerant?
The severity of an intolerance varies from person to person. Fortunately, even if you have an intolerance, you do not have to completely avoid dairy products – and, more specifically, cheese.
All cheeses, by definition, contain milk. So do they also contain lactose?
It is important to note that some cheeses do not contain it and can therefore be eaten by most people who are lactose intolerant.
Lactose intolerance: what does it mean?
Lactose is a sugar, the main sugar found in milk. This milk sugar is made up of two molecules: glucose and galactose. To enable the body to break down lactose, an enzyme called lactase breaks it down into two simple sugars: glucose and galactose.
A lactase deficiency therefore results in an inability to digest significant amounts of lactose, leading to symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and flatulence.
Generally speaking, the longer a cheese is aged, the less lactose it contains. The bacteria present in the cheese convert the lactose into lactic acid over time. Let’s return to the example of mature Parmigiano: after 18 months, we can be certain that our cheese is lactose-free, as the lactose content is naturally less than 0.1 g per 100 g.
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Lactose-free cheeses – would you like to find out more?
Goat’s and sheep’s milk cheeses contain very little lactose
Goat’s and sheep’s milk cheeses naturally contain small amounts of lactose and are therefore generally well tolerated by everyone. However, to guarantee that a cheese is ‘lactose-free’ for consumers, it must be analysed regularly by an official body and the lactose content must be less than 0.1 g per 100 g.
Fresh cheeses guaranteed to be lactose-free: delicious for anyone who wants to feel good
Lactose-free cheeses and fresh dairy products: no compromise on flavour.
These cheeses are made using lactose-free milk. To achieve this, the manufacturer adds lactase (proteins) to the milk. The enzymes then gently do their work, naturally breaking down the lactose into glucose and galactose.
The lactose-free milk is then used to make fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, fromage blanc, cream cheese, Gouda, Edam and so on.
This technique can also be applied to the production of milk, crème fraîche, butter and yoghurt.
It is thanks to this type of process that people with lactose intolerance can rediscover the delicious taste of dairy products without the discomfort.
Matured cheeses contain only trace amounts of lactose
Hard cheeses that have been matured for a long time contain the least lactose. The older the cheese, the more the lactose is converted into lactic acid by bacteria. Examples include mature Comté and mature Tomme.
However, to guarantee that a cheese is ‘lactose-free’ for consumers, it must be analysed regularly by an official body, and the lactose content must be less than 0.1 g per 100 g.
Nevertheless, you should still be careful when buying one of these cheeses. For example, a Parmigiano that has been matured for at least 18 months contains only traces of lactose. It is therefore important to check this when buying a cheese of this age, as Parmigiano that has been matured for only 10 months is often found in shops, meaning its lactose content remains too high for someone with an intolerance.
Plant-based alternatives to lactose-free cheeses
There are also substitutes for traditional cheeses, which are guaranteed to be lactose-free. They are no longer called ‘cheeses’ but more specifically ‘plant-based cheeses’ or ‘vegan cheese alternatives’, or even ‘fauxmages’, ‘vomages’ or ‘vegan cheeses’, as they look like cheese (fresh, hard or creamy) and have a similar taste. However, they do not come from animals. They are made from plant-based milk, soya, tofu or oilseeds. It is worth noting, for those with intolerances, that these plant-based substitutes do not contain lactose, but they do contain gluten.