Lactose Intolerance And Cottage Cheese

Lactaid makes a low fat cottage cheese that contains a natural enzyme called lactase.

Lactose intolerance and cottage cheese. When cheese is being made with the exception of some soft cheeses that contain whey like ricotta the whey liquid is discarded and the lactose goes with it. When it is made in the traditional way cottage cheese contains only a small amount of lactose. Other low lactose cheese options include cottage cheese or feta cheese made from goat or sheep s milk.

That s why cheese doesn. Lactose intolerance occurs when your small intestine doesn t produce enough of an enzyme lactase to digest milk sugar lactose. Hard aged cheeses like swiss parmesan and cheddars are lower in lactose.

Only part of the lactose that remains in the curd has a chance. Cheese with low levels less than 5 grams lactose fresh unripened cheese such as mozzarella cream cheese and ricotta are not aged. There is a small amount of lactose in cottage cheese because it is made from fermented milk.

In the traditional process buttermilk which is a fermented milk product is used as the basis for the cheese. This is because lactose is primarily in the whey not the curds. In order to make buttermilk a bacterial starter is added to milk and then the milk is left at room temperature for between 15 and 24 hours.

For some people who have determined they are only lactose intolerant cheese can be eaten. Because cottage cheese is a fresh unripened cheese it contains more lactose than aged cheeses like parmesan cheddar. This enzyme helps break down lactose so that it is easily digestible even for those with lactose intolerance.

Be aware this product tends to be more expensive than traditional cottage cheese so it may not be an option for those on a budget. Cheeses that tend to be higher in lactose include cheese spreads soft cheeses like brie or camembert cottage cheese and mozzarella. The lactose content of cheese decreases as cheese ages.