Cheese Smokies and Parmesano Salami aside, all Freybe products are made without any milk ingredients, making them perfectly suitable for those allergic to milk or milk products. To further educate yourself on the subject of lactose intolerance, please read the supplement below, or click here for more information.

What is Lactose Intolerance?
Lactose Intolerance is the inability to digest significant amounts of lactose, the predominant sugar of milk. This inability results from a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is normally produced by the cells that line the small intestine. Lactase breaks down milk sugar into simpler forms that can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. When there is not enough lactase to digest the amount of lactose consumed, the results may be very distressing.

What are the Common Symptoms?
Nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea, which begin about 30 minutes after eating or drinking foods containing lactose.

Who is affected?
Between 30 and 50 million North Americans are lactose intolerant. Certain ethnic and racial populations are more widely affected than others. Among persons of African descent, as many as 75 percent are affected. This is also true for Native North Americans. With persons of Asian descent, 90 percent are lactose intolerant. The condition is least common among persons of northern European descent.

How is Lactose Intolerance treated?
Fortunately, Lactose Intolerance is relatively easy to treat. No treatment exists to improve the body’s ability to produce Lactase, but symptoms can be controlled through diet.

Young children with lactase deficiency should not eat any foods containing lactose. Most older children and adults need not avoid lactose completely, but individuals differ in the amount of lactose they can handle.

What is Hidden Lactose?
Although milk and foods made with milk are the only natural sources, lactose is often added to prepared foods. People with very low tolerance for lactose should know about the many food products that may contain lactose, even in small amounts. These include:

• Bread and other baked goods
• Instant potatoes, soups and breakfast drinks
• Margarine
• Lunch meats (other than Kosher)
• Salad dressings
• Candies and other snacks

Concerned shoppers read the labels with care, looking for such words as whey, curds, milk by-products, dry milk solids, and nonfat dry milk powder.

Information Source: NIDDK Nation Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse