Lactase — Hidden Processing Agent — Is It Vegan?

Vegan status: Vegan

Also known as: Beta-galactosidase, Lactase enzyme, Lactozym

Source

Produced by microbial fermentation — primarily from Kluyveromyces lactis (yeast) or Aspergillus oryzae (fungus). Also present naturally in the human small intestine and in some animal sources. Commercial food-grade lactase is microbial.

Used in

Lactose-free dairy milk production (breaks lactose into glucose and galactose), lactose-free yoghurt and cheese production, reduction of crystallisation in sweetened condensed milk, dietary supplement tablets for lactose intolerance.

Appears on label: No. Not required to appear on final product labels when used as a processing aid. Lactose-free products typically carry 'lactase enzyme added' or 'lactose-free' on packaging.

How to avoid

No need to avoid — lactase is vegan. The dairy product processed with lactase is not vegan, but the enzyme itself is.

Notes

Lactase is the enzyme that breaks lactose (milk sugar) into its component sugars. Lactose-free dairy products are not vegan — they are dairy products treated with an enzyme to be suitable for lactose-intolerant consumers. From a vegan standpoint, lactase is a vegan-produced enzyme used to process a non-vegan product.