Lactose - free: How Finland’s largest dairy company achieved disrupting the market
Significant growth is recorded worldwide in the demand for increased quantities of dairy products with reduced lactose content, according to market research data presented at the IDF World Summit in Istanbul.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Research presented by the University of Alberta (Canada) shows a large geographical variation in the lactose intolerance of the adult population, with the United Kingdom and the Scandinavian countries having the highest rates worldwide. It is indicative that, according to the research by the University of Alberta, in these countries 70% of the adult population has some problem or even intolerance to lactose metabolism.
Further opportunities for the global dairy industry, apart from the lactose intolerance issues, it is pointed at the level of the global dietary trends that are driving even lactose persistence consumers to choose lactose - free products.
The findings of the Canadian university study highlight the opportunities for the global dairy industry to capitalize on this trend. Whereas, as an added benefit, offering products with reduced lactose can also achieve the individual national targets set to reduce the sugar content of processed foods. The example of Valio from Finland is impressive. Valio became the first company in the world to launch reduced lactose dairy. The products were launched in 1978 and produced the first lactose-free milk product in 2001, according to Saio Lahtevanoja, Valio’s Senior Research Scientist.