If you need to cook lactose-free...

[kbucky]

...did you know that Kraft's mozzarella is LACTOSE-FREE? The pre-shredded packages and the blocks (which are harder to find) both include on their label "Contains 0g of Lactose". I was blown away by this; I've used their 'harder' cheeses with this label, but just didn't even think to look for that info on the mozzarella before, since the softer cheeses usually have lots of lactose. I'm starting to think that some big Muckety-Muck at Kraft is lactose-intolerant or something!

We used to sub in Soyakaas mozzarella, so this is big news for us! I know Kraft is a far cry from fresh mozzarella, but it is cheaper, and tastier, and better for most cooking needs than its soy substitutes... My mind spins with all the recipes to try for my lactose-intolerant dh!

[lorilei]

I thought that most cheese was recommended for lactose intolerant individuals, since the lactose is so low already...

Most of the lactose is removed from the cheese with the whey during the manufacturing process. As a result, most ripened cheeses contain about 95 percent less lactose than whole milk and less even than Lactaid milk.

I'm mentioning this just in case you haven't thought about adding more ripened cheese to your diet.

Am I in error?

[Julie O]

From the Lactaid website:

Food and
Beverages Serving
Size Lactose
(g)
Milk: whole, low-fat, skim 1 cup 9-12
Buttermilk 1 cup 9-12
Goat milk 1 cup 9
Fat Free dry milk 1/3 cup 12
Half and half 2 tbsp. 1
Light cream 2 tbsp. 1
Whipped cream 2 tbsp. <1
Sour cream 2 tbsp. 1
Condensed milk, whole 2 tbsp. 4
Evaporated milk 2 tbsp. 3
Butter, margarine 1 tbsp. trace
Yogurt, low-fat 1 cup 5
Cottage cheese 1/2 cup 2-3
Ice cream 1/2 cup 6-9
Sherbet 1/2 cup 2
Cheese: American, Swiss, blue 1 oz. 1-2
Cheddar Parmesan 1 oz. 1-2
Cream cheese 1 oz. 1-2

People with difficulty digesting dairy foods (lactose) produce varying amounts of the enzyme lactase. The severity of symptoms varies by individual, depending upon how much lactose is consumed and whether it is consumed with other foods. Because some individuals may produce small amounts of lactase, they may be able to consume small servings of dairy products or other foods that contain lactose without experiencing discomfort. Foods such as hard or aged cheeses like cheddar and Swiss contain less lactose than milk, and therefore are easier to tolerate. Yogurt with active cultures is better tolerated as well, because the cultures, or bacteria, in the yogurt contain enzymes that digest lactose on their own.