Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 29

65%
of the human
population has a
reduced ability to
digest lactose.
National Institutes of Health
that is a cornerstone of the
food. Removing or breaking
down lactose in milk is one
example. It also includes
the omission of " taboo " food
components, such as artificial
ingredients, preservatives
and added sugars. For some
consumers, it's about being free of
genetically modified organisms, artificial growth hormones or
antibiotics. For others, it's a matter of their health.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft
guidance in April that outlines the agency's approach to
evaluating the public health risks of food allergens that are
not one of the major nine allergens. The guidance describes
the approach the FDA generally intends to take when
evaluating the public health importance of a non-listed
food allergen.
" The nine major food allergens don't currently represent
all foods nationwide that people are allergic to or that cause
food hypersensitivities, " said Susan Mayne, PhD, director of
the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. " This draft
guidance is part of the FDA's efforts to evaluate emerging
evidence about other non-listed food allergens that can cause
serious reactions in a consistent and transparent manner,
which can inform potential future actions to better help
protect the health of consumers. "
" We're extending ... dairy-full
ice cream to an entire group
of individuals who have
previously had to compromise. "
Gwen Burlingame, co-founder, Beckon
GOING LACTOSE-FREE
Lactose-free is likely the most common free-from claim in
the dairy sector. Real or perceived, a growing number of
consumers claim to be lactose intolerant or to have lactose
sensitivities. As a result, they avoid all dairy products.
Processors are discovering that eliminating lactose - a
disaccharide unique to all mammalian milk - from dairy foods
may prevent consumers from switching to dairy alternatives
when the sole reason for the swap is to avoid lactose.
Approximately 65% of the human population has a reduced
ability to digest lactose, according to the National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Md. This is due to the lack of the enzyme
lactase, which is responsible for breaking lactose down into
the monosaccharides glucose and
galactose. When lactose does not
break down in the small intestine,
it passes into the large intestine,
where it may cause diarrhea,
bloating and gas.
Lactose-intolerance
symptoms typically occur when
the load of lactose is very large
and rapidly arrives in the large
intestine. If small amounts
of lactose slowly arrive, the
microflora in the gut digests
the lactose at an even rate and
no or minimal discomfort is
experienced by those individuals
who lack lactase.
Research shows that
consumers with lactose
intolerance can actually tolerate
small doses of fluid milk - the dairy product that's the most
concentrated source of lactose - throughout the day. Further,
there are many dairy products that contain so little lactose
that they should not be an issue.
In 2021, the Hershey Co. partnered with The a2 Milk
Company to introduce a co-branded chocolate milk.
The milk used by The a2 Milk Company comes from cows
that produce only the A2 protein rather than the combination
of A1 and A2 proteins contained in most dairy products.
Research suggests milk that naturally contains the A2 protein
may help avoid stomach discomfort in some people.
" This new chocolate milk is the latest example of how
we are expanding The Hershey Co. into expanded better-foryou
categories, " said Ernie Savo, senior director of global
licensing for The Hershey Co. " Partnering with The a2 Milk
Company not only aligns us with a brand that is synonymous
with quality and rapid growth but also selling a product that is
a staple in almost every family's refrigerator. "
When it comes to natural cheeses - the more aged the
cheese, the less lactose - contain less than 0.1 grams of
lactose per serving, with sugars reported as zero on the
Nutrition Facts. Cheese marketers don't typically make
lactose-free claims, but some have started.
In many instances, cheese makers - and other dairy
foods marketers - are using high-performance liquid
chromatography assays to confirm the absence of lactose. The
test is relatively easy and can be done in the manufacturing
facility's quality control lab using a bench-top testing system.
Most fermented dairy products - kefir, sour cream and
yogurt - also contain very low levels, if any, of lactose. That's
DAIRYPROCESSING.COM | MAY-JUN 2022 29
ReddiWip
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dairy Processing - May/June 2022
