Dairy
BUSINESS
TRENDS IN FORMULATING, PROCESSING, PACKAGING & CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
Lactose free dairy products emerge from specialist niche positioning to stake a claim in mainstream dairy aisle By Catherine Wanjiku
O
riginally, milk was designed to be food for infants. In adulthood, the lactase enzyme that is necessary for breaking down lactose, the main type of sugar found in milk, turns off — meaning most adults are lactose intolerant (or "lactase nonpersistent,"). Baby food or not, milk is deliciously satisfying and contains a variety of important
FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM
nutrients such as calcium and riboflavin, which are important for good health. We basically cannot not help ourselves and still continue drinking milk even in adulthood. However, 70% of the world’s adult population is not lucky enough to produce enough lactose. For the unlucky ones, just an hour of eating dairy foods like milk, cheese, or ice cream, is enough to cause some degree of digestive discomfort ranging from diarrhoea, painful gas, bloating, cramps, MAY/JUNE 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA
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