NZ gets lactose-free fresh cow’s milk

Lactose-intolerant New Zealanders are now able to consume fresh cow’s milk for the first time with the launch of a new product on the market.

Anchor’s Zero Lacto is available in both blue and trim variants. It is made from cow's milk and contains cow's milk protein, with only the natural lactose milk sugar having been removed.

According to Auckland gastroenterologist Dr Rachael Bergman, the Anchor product. contains the same amount of natural calcium as cow's milk, which is a big improvement to unfortified soy milk, which has served as a traditional alternative among the lactose intolerant.

"Unfortified soy milk on average contains only 33mg of calcium per 250ml glass, which is nine times less calcium than that of fresh cow's milk,” he said.

"A lot of people suffering from lactose intolerance don't realise how good they can feel until they've taken the step to completely remove lactose from their diets. However, it's vital that people get enough dietary calcium, and one of the easiest ways to achieve that is from a daily serving of milk.

To make the product suitable for people suffering from lactose intolerance, the lactase enzyme is added to the milk to break up the natural lactose, meaning the milk is much easier to digest. The lactose breaks down into two naturally occurring, simple sugars—glucose and galactose—giving the milk a slightly sweeter taste.