DAIRY FACTS

What is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?

An intolerance is ‘dose dependent’: the more you eat, the worse your symptoms will be, and small amounts may well be tolerated. An allergy needs only a small amount to trigger an immune response.

Lactose intolerance is when the body does not produce enough lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose in milk. People who are lactose intolerant can often eat cheese and yogurt, as some or all of the lactose is destroyed or removed in the process. Butter, which has most of the liquid component of milk removed, is also low in lactose. Many people produce less lactase after childhood, so symptoms can get worse with age.

Milk allergy is an immune system response to the protein in milk (either casein or whey protein or both). Often appears in childhood, and may lessen with age.

Where to find non-cow milk

Sheep’s milk – mild tasting and thick, with high nutrition levels. Woodlands Dairy (woodlands dairy.co.uk) is the largest supplier of sheep’s milk in the country. Its yogurt is available from large supermarkets. The Sheep Milk Company (thesheepmilkcompany.co.uk) sells frozen milk from its Lancashire farm by mail order.

Goat’s milk – savoury tasting and just faintly goaty. Cheshire- based Delamere Dairy (delameredairy. co.uk) produces milk, yogurt, cheese and butter. St Helen’s Farm (sthelensfarm.co.uk ) in North Yorkshire makes butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream.

Mare’s milk – lower in fat than cow’s milk, with a sweet nutty flavour. Available in early spring from Cromwell Farm in Somerset (maresmilk.co.uk).