Lactose free products are quickly becoming a regular feature in supermarkets and shops throughout the UK. And we are, more and more so, supporting businesses in incorporating lactose free ice cream and gelato into their cabinets.
What is lactose?
Lactose is a type of sugar that is present in milk. It is substantially less sweet than other sugars and it doesn’t dissolve very well. This means that it can sometimes crystallise very quickly if there is too much lactose in your ice cream. This crystallisation often produces a sandy texture, which can ultimately reduce the shelf life of your product.
As you will likely be aware, some have an intolerance to lactose, caused by an individual not producing enough lactase. According to research from Bupa 1 in 10 of the UK population is thought to have an intolerance to lactose, and whilst this may only seem like a small proportion, catering for those with a lactose intolerance can, quite literally, open your parlour doors for a host of new customers.
Of course, one of the main reasons we would create a lactose free ice cream is to accommodate those with lactose intolerance, but these ice creams can also attract those that adopt a plant-based diet. This will depend entirely on how you produce your ice cream, however, as this can be accomplished in two very different ways, we’ll explore this further below…
Lactose free ice cream
Surprisingly, we can use any milk for people with lactose intolerance, as long as we have access to an enzyme called lactase. When stirred into milk until fully dissolved, lactase will take 24 hours to hydrolyse the lactose. Following this, you should test the milk to ensure all lactose has broken down and is therefore safe for those with lactose intolerance to consume (and enjoy!).
So, what should we expect when creating a product using lactase?
Flavour – Unfortunately, you will lose some of the flavour from your milk when hydrolysing the lactose (this is what makes milk, taste like milk). However this isn’t a problem if you will then be adding flavour to your ice cream mix during the process.
Cost – One of the biggest considerations when using lactase to hydrolyse lactose within milk is the cost implication, unfortunately these enzymes are not cheap to buy. Let’s not forget, it wouldn’t just be your milk that would require hydrolysing, it would also be the cream in your recipe.
Plant-based ice cream
Whilst hydrolysing lactose will accommodate the small proportion of the population that is lactose intolerant, there is a way to account for these people whilst also attracting a wider (and growing) market; those that have opted for a plant-based diet.
Plant-based ice cream is something we have spoken about previously. An option that, when done correctly, can produce truly delicious ice cream or gelato. Utilising plant-based milks such as oat, soy and coconut will tick all the boxes necessary, not only for those opting for this kind of diet, but also for those with lactose intolerance.
The only downside with using these milks is that we will no longer have access to casein proteins which, as we already know, are very good at surface activating, giving us the ideal structure for our product. Nevertheless, this is a very viable option when looking to attract both types of customer who would otherwise forgo ice cream entirely.
Advertising or marketing your ice cream
There is sadly a misconception that the removal of lactose will mean a product is no good, and whilst this certainly isn’t the case, we wouldn’t recommend advertising a particular ice cream within your cabinet as lactose free. Unless there is a special event on lactose-free, we would recommend simply placing a small sign somewhere in your business to state that you have lactose free options available to capture that small proportion of customers that will be seeking this type of ice cream or gelato.
So there you have it, how to capture a lactose-free audience! If you have any questions or would like some advice on great flavours to use within lactose free ice cream, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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