Lactose Free Cheese is a thing. Many European cheese that are properly aged are naturally lactose free. Surprised? I am not surprised. I grew up on imported cheese and never had a problem. The problems developed when I left home and could not afford imported cheese. Yikes.
Cabot Creamery has chosen to make Lactose Free Cheese
Cheese has been the hardest food item I have had to give up. It was my comfort and my one consistent source of calcium. I had no idea how hard it was going to be. The first few months of the galactosemia diagnosis were brutal. All food had begun to feel unsafe again. I was unsure what I could even eat on the most restrictive diet I have seen.
When I learned that the galactosemia council had selected several cheese that were aged and lactose free, I was in heaven. The ones I first found out about were: vintage cheddar, parmesan reggiano, Grana Padano, Emmental, Gruyere, Comte and Jarlsberg cheese. I had grown up on jarlsberg and emmental and I could not be happier. However, my research yielded far more information on why some cheese were safe and how to know what was safe.
Keep in mind this lactose free cheese will only work for those who are unable to process lactose or galactose. Those individuals who have an issue with casein will have no ability to consume these cheeses. I am very sorry about that. I really am.
How much Sugar is in Your Cheese?
My research showed that aged cheese has decreased lactose. The bacteria in the cheese actually consumes the lactose sugar as it ages. Cheeses aged 9 to twelve months tend to have little to no lactose. These wonderfully delicious aged cheeses can be consumed by individuals with lactose issues. Viola, I had cheese again.
Most american cheese manufacturers take what I can only call short cuts in the way they make “cheese”. The fact that a product like cheese food exists (you know – the food the cheese eats while it sits in your fridge) tells you alot about our diets here in america. Cheese food is such a non cheese entity they cannot directly call it cheese. They can only call it cheese food. I will not buy cheese food.
Enter Cabot Creamery. Cabot is a vermont based dairy company. They make lots of dairy products. They are lovely. I find them even lovelier because they intentionally make their cheese lactose free. They have decided it is a good idea to age their cheese and let those hungry bacterias just eat up all the lactose.
I love Cabot Creamery. I really do.
Can you recognize Lactose Free Cheese?
It’s great to know there are companies who are making lactose free cheese with intention. But how do you know if your cheese is lactose free? This will involve reading nutrition labels. Lactose is a simple sugar. Listed on each nutrition label, under carbohydrates we can see there is an area to designate if there is sugar in the product. If the nutrition box says 0 on the sugar line – there is no lactose. It is that easy.
Cabot puts it on the label. Cabot Creamery has a great marketing department. I am hoping that Cabot sells nationwide and you all can benefit from some frightfully good lactose free cheese. My daughter enjoys their many types of popcorns. They got me with the cheese.
So, to sum it up, there are absolutely companies beginning to move to the older processes involved in making cheese. Less shortcuts, more aging will change the market. It leaves us with cleaner, healthier cheeses that can be consumed by more people. That just seems like money in the bank really, for the dairy companies willing and able to do so.
The Home of Lactose Free Cheese – Cabot Creamery
A list containing the approx amount of lactose in cheeses – be careful folks! I would not personally risk it.
A List of the amount of Lactose found in Dairy Products