From crisps to certain medicine coatings, lactose is present in many more foods than most of us realise. The lactose detector tool will help you to quickly determine if what you are about to eat is indeed lactose free. The tool not only tells you what is lactose free, it also indicates which related foods will contain lactose or should be investigated further.
You can search a general category (such as breads & grains) to find out what is lactose free, what is lactose containing or what should be checked. Or you can search something more specific (such as coleslaw) and the tool will highlight every mention of that term in red to ensure that you get as much relevant information as possible.
All the information in the tool has been approved by the BDA so you can search and eat happily lactose free with confidence.
Milk, dairy and alternatives
Lactose free
Lactose free milk, rice milk, soya milk, almond milk, potato milk, coconut milk. Cream and soya made from these mills.
Things you may need to check
Cheese or any other products made from the above milks.
Fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables without added milk or milk products; tomato paste and purée; tomato and spaghetti sauces without cheese or cream. All vegetable juices.
Things you may need to check
Coleslaw or vegetables in mayonnaise and salad cream.
Lactose containing
Creamed, scalloped, mashed with milk or breaded/battered vegetables, packaged dried potato mixes, tomato and spaghetti sauce with milk (white sauce) or cheese (cheese sauce)
Fruits
Lactose free
Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits. All fruit juices.
Things you may need to check
Fruit bars
Lactose containing
None. Chocolate and yoghurt covered dried fruit.
Breads & Grains
Lactose free
Water-based breads (Italian [focaccia, ciabatta], French, Jewish rye), wraps, bagels, rice and popcorn cakes, graham crackers, some rusks, poppadums, chapatti, Pareve-Jewish bakery products, cooked and dry cereals without added milk solids, pasta, rice (plain, boil in the bag, rice noodles), rye (rye crackers), oats (oatcakes), barley, cornmeal/corn flour, bulgar, and other plain grains such as quinoa, millet, arrowroot, cous cous
Lactose containing
the following made with milk or milk products, breads (brioche, naan breads), rolls, biscuits, muffins, pancakes, sweet rolls, croissants, waffles, crackers, instant and dry cereals with added milk products (particularly some muesli and chocolate flavoured), some packaged grain mixes, packaged macaroni and other pasta mixes. Dried savoury rice. Cheesy crackers, cheese thins, cheese oatcakes.
Meat and Meat Substitutes
Lactose free
Plain beef; lamb; veal; pork; wild game; poultry; liver, kidney, offal, fish; shellfish; eggs; kosher prepared meat products (also called pareve or parve); peanut butter; peas, beans, or lentils (dried, canned or frozen e.g. dhal or hummus); all nuts and seeds; tofu. Meat, poultry and fish canned without milk and milk products
Things you may need to check
Other processed meats – those sold on the bone (deli counter) may be less likely to contain milk products. Roasted nuts, Quorn based products
Lactose containing
Eggs (Scotch eggs, quiche, scrambled or omelette), fish, meat, or poultry (breaded/battered or creamed); luncheon meats; sausage; frankfurters; some brands of egg substitutes and powdered eggs. Pies and pates.
Fats & Oils
Lactose free
Bacon, margarine without milk derivatives (whey), salad dressing without cheese or milk, vegetable oils, olives, most non-dairy creamers, real mayonnaise, gravy made without milk or milk products
Lactose containing
Cream, half & half, sour cream (crème frais) , cream cheese, chip dips, some types of margarine, salad dressing with cheese or milk, whipped toppings
Beverages
Lactose free
Postum, lactose-free nutritional supplements (Sustacal, Ensure, Nutren), vegetable juice, fruit juices and drinks, tea, carbonated beverages, beer, wine, distilled spirits (gin, rum, etc.), cocoa powder, most coffee. Flavoured water
Lactose containing
Instant iced tea, instant coffee (latte and cappuccino mixes), Ovaltine and other malted drinks, chocolate drink mixes, cordials, some liqueurs, milk-based nutritional supplements (Build-up, Complan, Carnation Instant Breakfast)
Soups and sauces
Lactose free
Bouillon, broth, meat, or vegetable stock soups; bisques and chowders made with water, soy milk, or 100% lactose-free milk. Sweet and sour sauces
Things you may need to check
Tomato based sauces, cook-in sauces seafood sauces, guacamole
Lactose containing
Cream soup, canned and dehydrated soup mixes containing milk products
Miscellaneous Foods
Lactose free
Popcorn, plain pretzels, plain potato and corn tortilla chips, salsa, mustard, mayonnaise and salad cream, ketchup, pickles, uncreamed horseradish, relish, vinegar, sauces made without milk or milk products, sugar, honey, jams and jellies, maple and corn syrup, molasses, herbs, spices, salt, pepper, yeast, yeast extract, stock cubes/concentrates, gravy granules, food essence and food colouring, fruit based pouring syrup
Lactose containing
Toffee/Chocolate popcorn, Cream or cheese sauces, ranch-style or cheese-flavored snack pretzels or chips, cheese curls, sugar substitutes(sweeteners) with lactose added, medications and vitamin/mineral supplements with lactose added. Some crisps, Coffee whiteners