Options for the lactose-intolerant

Vegetal dairy substitutes are an emerging sector in Asia, writes THOMAS SCHMIDT*

ASIAN consumers in both traditional and non-traditional milk-consuming countries are including more milk and dairy products in their diets. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Asia’s milk consumption has nearly doubled in recent decades, to an estimated 247 million tonnes in 20081. The FAO projects that the world’s strongest gains in dairy production and consumption over the coming six years will take place in Asia, with half of the world‘s output gains, or some 63 million tonnes2, to be produced in Asia by 2017.

It may come as a surprise then, to learn that the continent’s penchant for dairy contradicts studies that suggest that the majority of Asians lack the genetic ability to process dairy products. Lactose-intolerant people are those whose bodies produce insufficient quantities of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest the milk sugar, lactose. The severity of the condition varies according to how much (or how little) lactase an individual is capable of producing. Common symptoms may include abdominal bloating and cramps, flatulence and diarrhoea. Estimates vary – but the general consensus is that somewhere between 80% and 90% of Asians are lactose-intolerant3.

Considering that lactose-intolerance is so prominent in Asia’s indigenous populations, the growth potential for vegetal dairy alternatives, such as soy, rice, almond and oat products, is significant, and it is an emerging sector within the regional food manufacturing industry.

According to research group Organic Monitor, the Southeast Asian market for non-dairy drinks in particular, is reporting healthy growth, mostly occurring in the soy milk segment4. Market growth is being driven by the marketing efforts of manufacturers and by the fact that Asian consumers are traditionally very familiar with soy products, such as bean curd. The rich taste of soy however, especially in milk replacement, proves too much for many consumers. Therefore food and beverage manufacturers see range extensions that include non-soy dairy alternatives like rice-based products as a way by to overcome these taste issues. With a neutral taste profile, rice-based ingredients have the potential to make the most of the increasing consumer interest in palatable non-dairy products. Moreover, these are allergen-free.

Lactose- and cholesterol-free, but not texture-free

The rice-based Nutriz range from BENEO, for example, allows the production of different kinds of non-dairy products. It is made up of natural components, namely rice syrup, rice oil, rice flour, rice starch and rice protein (the best alternative to mother’s milk proteins) – derivatives that are naturally free of both gluten and lactose. It also provides unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants. At the same time, as a vegetable product, it is cholesterol-free. Rice is easily digestible, which is a definite advantage in a dairy-free market largely fuelled by consumers’ digestive and allergy concerns.

What sets Nutriz apart is that it has specific technical advantages to improve the textures of dairy-free products. In contrast to the strong taste of soy, the product has a very neutral taste. With a similar mild sweetness to milk powder, this rice-based powder is an ideal replacement in whipped, non-dairy desserts, bakery creams - such as custards, ice-creams and chocolate. Even complex strShop Women's Boots