Let’s get lactose-free trending!

For many consumers, maintaining a healthy diet goes beyond avoiding the “bad,” like too much sugar or fat. Increasingly, it’s about adding more of the “good,” seeking out foods and drinks that offer added health benefits like more protein, added vitamins or superfood ingredients. Offering more health benefits in addition to lactose-free therefore makes perfect sense! Have you considered adding vitamins to your lactose-free dairy products? In an increasing number of product launches we are noting that the high protein content and reduced sugar levels of lactose-free are being strongly promoted. By adding vitamins and minerals you can further build on these health attributes.

I would also say that range is key. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, milk is the largest lactose-free dairy category, but coming up fast are lactose-free yogurt and – particularly – lactose-free cheese. Manufacturers who thus have a wide lactose-free portfolio incorporating these three product areas are better able to take advantage of consumer demand in this category. But don’t be afraid to look beyond the big three of plain milk, yogurt and cheese. Personally I would recommend considering soft cheese desserts, or milk varieties with, for example, added calcium and proteins and enriched with vitamin A, maybe even combined with fruit juices.

 In short, never stop innovating!