Lactose Free? You Can Eat This Brie Style Cheese
Wheel of Le Fromager d'Affinois cheese
Cheese has less lactose in it than you might think. Most of milk’s lactose is found in the whey, which is removed as part of the cheesemaking process. And as cheese ages, the fermentation process converts lactose into lactic acid, a substance that's easier for your body to digest. The general rule of thumb is, the more aged a cheese is, the less lactose is present. So think cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano. That’s been the rule for years: if the cheese is on the firmer side, chances are it won’t hurt your stomach. (Unless you eat too much of it, of course.)
But now, thanks to ultrafiltration methods, lactose-free cheeses that are creamy and soft are also available. Fromager d’Affinois is the most famous, easiest to find, and, according to the brand, the inventor of using ultrafiltration for cheesemaking.
Ultrafiltration for cheese
Fromager d'Affinois cheese
In 1981, Jean-Claude Guilloteau, the founder of Fromagerie Guilloteau (and the maker of Fromager D’Affinois) pioneered a way to filter milk through fine membranes before turning it into curd. This process, called ultrafiltration, passes milk through an extremely fine filter that retains the fat, proteins and minerals while allowing water and small molecules, such as lactose, to pass through. After filtration, they add the ferments and rennet before molding the cheese. The result is a concentrated, lactose-free milk base that results in an intensely creamy and rich cheese. And while regular brie cheesemakers use the Penicillium mold, Fromagerie Guilloteau uses Geotrichum candidum to form a very thin rind and to minimize the likelihood of defects, such as a strong ammonia smell that can occur with age.
While ultrafiltration was already being used in the yogurt industry, Guilloteau was the first to adapt this technology specifically for soft cheese production, says Charlotte Auriault, the Marketing Manager of the Americas for Guilloteau.
While Fromager d’Affinois isn’t marketed as lactose free, if you look at the label, you'll see that the residual lactose content in the cheese is extremely low — we’re talking below 0.01 grams of lactose per 100 grams of cheese. According to both European and U.S. regulations, this allows the cheese to be officially labeled "lactose-free."
Range of Soft Cheeses
Coated cheese wheels
That means that if you’re lactose intolerant, there are options out there for you. While you used to be restricted to only eating hard, long-aged cheeses, Fromager d’Affinois has opened up a whole new, creamy, soft-ripened option for you to enjoy. Plus, they make tons of options for you to try, all made without lactose. Their most famous (sand most widely available) product, Le Fromager, is a double cream bloomy rind made with cow’s milk. But they also sell Florette, a goat’s milk version, Brebicet, a sheep’s milk version, Excellence, a cow’s milk triple cream, a blue cheese, and even a washed rind. There are flavored versions of Le Fromager, as well: black truffle, red chili pepper, garlic and herbs, are also sold across the U.S.