Lactose in Food

is a sugar (carbohydrate or carbohydrate) produced by the mammary gland of mammals.

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Being made up of two monosaccharides (glucose + galactose), lactose is chemically identified as an oligosaccharide-disaccharide.

"(II Fundamental Group of Foods - SINU and INRAN classification).

As shown in the table, a liter of cow's milk contains approximately 50 g of lactose (5 g / 100 ml). This quantity decreases in yogurt and fresh cheeses, up to zero in more mature hard cheeses.

On an industrial level, lactose is added during the preparation of many foods, both as such (fresh, preserved or otherwise processed), and as a food additive. For this reason, we find it not only in dairy products, but also in other food products, such as: cured meats, potato gnocchi (more often gnocchi "with" potatoes), sauces, puddings, bread, some canned foods, baked goods, pastries, soups, milk chocolate and cream candies.

Pure lactose, industrially obtained from milk, is also used as an excipient in at least 20% of drugs on the market.
People suffering from severe lactose intolerance should therefore pay particular attention to the list of ingredients on the label.

For further information: Lactose intolerance
Lactose content in food Food Percentage (%) Serum 39 – 78 Milk powder 36 - 52 Coffee cream 35 - 55 Condensed milk 10 - 16 Reduced fat milk 4 - 5 Fatty milk (whole cow, goat, sheep, etc.) 4 - 5 Milk and cocoa 4 Milk and cream (50/50) 4 Light cream 4 Sour cream 4 Whole milk yogurt 4 Ice-cream 3 - 8 Buttermilk 3 - 5 Whipped Cream 3 Skimmed milk yogurt 2 - 7 Ricotta 1 - 5 Cottage cheese 1 - 3 Mozzarella cheese 1 - 3 Sherbert 1 - 2 Butter 0,5 - 1 Feta 0,5 Brie 0,1 - 1 Camembert 0,1 - 1 Parmesan Cheese 0,1 - 1 Emmentaler (Swiss) 0 - 3 Appenzeller 0,1 - 1 Gruyere 0,1 - 1 Tilsiter 0,1 - 1 Pecorino cheese 0.1 (lactose-free) the lactase enzyme is artificially added, which acts exactly like the analogous human protein by breaking down lactose into the two monosaccharides that compose it.

Since the sweetening power of these two harmless sugars is greater than that of the initial lactose, the delactosed milk has a sweeter taste, despite containing the same amount of total carbohydrates.

For more information you can consult the dedicated article by clicking here.

For further information: Lactose-free milk typically contained in milk, derivatives and foods that contain it.

Note: milk allergy, on the other hand, concerns the proteins in the food and triggers a different reaction, sometimes anaphylactic type.

In people suffering from this disorder, due to a partial or absolute deficiency of the digestive enzyme lactase, during the digestive processes the ingested lactose is not broken down into the two monosaccharides that constitute it.

The undigested disaccharide - therefore NOT absorbable - continues its journey along the digestive tract to the colon. In the large intestine it is metabolized by the intestinal bacterial flora causing disorders such as: sense of fullness, stomach pain, bloating and diarrhea.