Question about lactose free cheese

**Odinsfury** · May 21st, 2007, 05:23 PM

I was going to buy some lactose free cheese at the supermarket today when I noticed a little asterix by the lactose free on the package. So, I look on the back to read the fine print by the asterix and it said: May contain trivial amounts of lactose. What is the point of making the cheese if it's not completely lactose free?

**Mr Flibble** · May 21st, 2007, 05:35 PM

I was under the impression that non vegan cheese is very low in lactose as most is removed with the whey (average of about 95% reduction). Maybe they've just tried harder?

**Guacamole Gal** · May 21st, 2007, 06:26 PM

When I'm in the states it always frustrates and confuses me that a lot of soy cheese and other non-dairy cheeses seem to very often contain lactose, thus making them non-vegan-friendly. This strikes me as bizaare, why go the bother of making something almost vegan, then ruining it with one ingredient that takes it straight back to being like the original product in the first place?

**Mr Flibble** · May 21st, 2007, 08:15 PM

The ingredient they tend to add to soy cheese is β-casein (they may then have to mention lactose for contimination reasons), which is a protein in milk that helps cheese melt. As far as I'm aware the method that companies like redwoods use to make meltable soy cheese is to increase the fat content instead, which makes it, well, more fatty.

Most people who are lactose intollerant can stomach lactose in small does - I've heard that most can consume the equivellent of 250ml milk per day without noticing the effects so trace amount contamination is not an issue in the same way that nuts are to nut allergy sufferers.