Our Cheeses are Naturally Lactose Free
Are you lactose intolerant? Well, you are not alone. Did you know that between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant?
What is lactose intolerance?
It's the inability to digest lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy products. It is caused by not having enough of the enzyme lactase.
Valio Ltd. is using the "lactose free" claim, when lactose cannot be found in the product. Valio is using the best possible method (ion chromatographic method) to analyze lactose. The resolution for the method is 0.01%, which means that we can find 100ppm (parts per million) of lactose from cheese.
Think you may be lactose intolerant?
Many people are and don't even know it. Be aware of the symptoms: nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea, which begin about 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking foods containing lactose. The severity of symptoms varies depending on the amount of lactose each individual can tolerate.
How can Finlandia be lactose free?
Finlandia Swiss cheese is manufactured from milk which is coagulated by heat and microbial rennet. After coagulation the cheese is fermented with a souring agent containing lactobacilli, Streptococcus thermophilus and propionic acid bacteria. Within 24 hours, these bacteria break down the lactose into galactose and glucose. These are fermented further to lactic acid. Lactic acid is then fermented to acetic acid, propionic acid and carbon dioxide so that Finlandia Swiss does not contain lactose or any other carbohydrates.
Finlandia Imported Muenster, Gouda and Havarti cheeses are manufactured from milk which is coagulated by heat and microbial rennet. After coagulation the cheeses are fermented with a souring agent containing lactococci and lactobacilli. Within 24 hours, these bacteria break down the lactose into galactose and glucose. These are fermented further to lactic acid. Therefore these Finlandia cheeses do not contain lactose or any other carbohydrates. (Traces of lactose may be found in Havarti cheese, but levels are well below the limit accepted for a lactose-free claim.)
The following is a list of our lactose free products:
Imported Swiss, Imported Light Swiss, Imported Oltermanni Baby Muenster, Imported Muenster, Imported Light Swiss, Imported Thin-Sliced Swiss, Imported Havarti, Imported Gouda.
