European Dairy Tour - Stage 10: Brussels (Belgium) 🇧🇪
Welcome to this new series of articles where I take you across Europe to explore the dairy products, lactose-free options, and vegan alternatives available. As someone with lactose intolerance and co-founder of the lactose.help app, I decided to travel across the continent, app in hand, to give you a concrete overview of what to expect if you're travelling with an intolerance.
Tenth and final stop: back home, in Brussels!
A small Belgian revolution
In Belgium, when the Dilea brand started distributing its lactose-free products, it was a small revolution for the lactose intolerant.
During an episode of temporary intolerance caused by bacteria when I was a teenager, only soy products existed. Lactose-free products don't taste the same because of the difference in sweetening power between lactose and lactose hydrolysed by lactase into galactose and glucose. The taste seems sweeter. This is the most commonly used method to remove lactose from milk. A few drops of lactase, wait a certain time depending on the milk temperature, and the milk is lactose-free.
Quick reminder on the method
For those just joining us, lactose.help classifies products according to their maximum lactose risk, from A (very low risk, safe consumption) to E (high risk, avoid). You can check out the full methodology here.
An important clarification
I want to clarify that while these lactose-free products are ready to consume without risk, the human body doesn't need to be 100% lactose-free. Even the lactose intolerant can still consume between 6 and 12 g of lactose per day. 3 g for the most intolerant before the first symptoms appear. Therefore, we can work with 1 g per meal, the lactose dose where you're sure not to be ill.
Not to mention the economic aspect: these products are often much more expensive than their lactose-containing counterparts. In the book, you'll find recipes to make your own lactose-free products at home, quickly and easily.
Should you buy lactose-free cheese?
Since most cheeses are naturally lactose-free or low in lactose, there's no need to buy lactose-free cheese. It will be less tasty and more expensive than artisanal cheeses. Buying traditional cheeses also helps support small producers, guardians of our countries' gastronomic heritage.
Only cheeses high in lactose like ricotta, mascarpone and cream cheese have a direct benefit in their lactose-free versions.
Once you have lactose-free milk, cream and butter, you can make most recipes, even in French cuisine. With the advantage of cooking yourself, with fresh ingredients, avoiding additives, colourings and other technical agents. Your body will thank you.
Lactase supplements: an alternative
Others will prefer to take a lactase supplement before their meal. Be careful to dose it sufficiently for it to be effective. Personally, I prefer products that have been treated with lactase before I consume them, I have fewer side effects. But as I was saying, I'm very intolerant and my situation is not that of all intolerant people, fortunately for them.
Making your own dairy products
Another path is possible: producing certain dairy products at home. It's economical, easy and fast. The investment is low and you then have the possibility to choose the quality of milk you prefer: organic, the fat percentage (whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed), the heat treatment applied.
Pasteurisation rather than UHT treatment will denature the milk proteins less and is actually the only solution for making cheese, otherwise the milk doesn't curdle with rennet or acid.
Find all the recipes in the book.
Supermarket mission: Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, Albert Heijn, Lidl, Bio Planet, Farm, Rob
Lactose-free milk
| Product | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Dilea semi-skimmed milk | Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, Albert Heijn |
| Store brand semi-skimmed milk | Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, Albert Heijn |
| Organic lactose-free milk | Bio Planet |
| Whole lactose-free milk | Albert Heijn |
| Campina lactose-free milk | General retail |
| Milsani lactose-free milk | Lidl |
| Pasteurised organic milk and cream (for making cheese) | Farm |
Lactose-free butter
| Product | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Dilea butter | Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, Albert Heijn |
| Ballade butter | General retail |
| Store brand butter (produced by Dilea) | Carrefour |
Lactose-free cream
| Product | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Dilea cream (15% and 30% fat) | General retail |
| Ballade cream (18% and 35% fat) | General retail |
Lactose-free yoghurt and desserts
| Product | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Dilea yoghurt | Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, Albert Heijn |
| Skyr on the Go Peach | General retail |
| Lactose-free vanilla ice cream | Delhaize |
| Dilea rice pudding | Delhaize |
| Lactose-free dessert cream | Delhaize |
| Magnum Vegan Classic | Delhaize |
| Cornetto Vegan | Delhaize |
| Little Moons Mochi ice cream (passion & mango) | Delhaize |
| Ben & Jerry's Vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownie | Delhaize |
| Ben & Jerry's Cookies on Cookie Dough | Delhaize |
Lactose-free fresh cheeses
| Product | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Dilea mascarpone | Rob |
| Züger mascarpone | Farm |
| Dilea ricotta | Rob |
| Züger cream cheese | Farm |
| Lactose-free Philadelphia | Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, Albert Heijn |
Lactose-free drinks
| Product | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Lactose-free Cécémel | Albert Heijn |
Lactose-free cheeses: useful or not?
| Product | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Dilea creamy Emmental | Oude Amsterdam creamy is rated A |
| Dilea Mozzarella | mozzarella di bufala is better and rated B or C |
| Dilea Feta | classic feta is rated B or C, consumable in moderation |
| Dilea Gouda | gouda is naturally rated A |
Belgian cheeses: most are naturally compatible!
Lactose concentration A (safe, maximum 0.1 g / 100 g):
- Fleur de Fagne
- Boû d'Fagne
- Bouquet des Moines
- Remoudou
- Grand Chimay
- La Salvetat
- Fagotin Tradition
- Flandrien Kaas Oud/Vieux
- Flandrien Jonge Kaas
- Père Joseph
- Abbaye Postel mi-vieux/belegen
- Passendale Belgian Abbey Cheese
- Oud Brugge
- Meule du Plateau
- Ancienne Belgique
- Le Cendré Chimay
- Kwaremont
- Damme
- Père Lievens
- Wynendale
- Chef de Chèvre
- Herkenrode à la bière
- Carlsbourg Beurre des Chefs
Lactose concentration B (generally safe, maximum 0.5 g / 100 g):
- Carlsbourg Beurre de Baratte PDO
- Fagotin Tradition
- Maredsous Caractère Corsé
- Maredsous Tradition Crémeux
Conclusion
Most Belgian cheeses are rated A or B. So you'll be spoilt for choice to enjoy these wonders!
This is just an overview. It's up to you to find your next gem using the lactose.help app.
And there you have it, this European dairy tour comes to an end! 10 countries, hundreds of products scanned, and one clear conclusion: with the right information, lactose-intolerant people can enjoy traditional cheeses across Europe.
What's your favourite Belgian cheese? Share your discoveries in the comments!
None of the brands or shops mentioned are involved in any partnership. If that were the case, it would be clearly stated.
To go further
I wrote the practical guide Mieux vivre avec son intolérance au lactose: Le guide pratique pour comprendre, réintroduire et savourer les produits laitiers (Living Better with Lactose Intolerance: The Practical Guide to Understanding, Reintroducing, and Enjoying Dairy Products), available at book.lactose.help. For now, the book is only available in French, but you can vote for your language at lactose.help/book. We will translate the book based on the votes received.