Lactose-free organic milk launched -
It is hoped that the milk will win over some consumers of soy beverage products

By Frances Anderson, Ontario Farmer staff
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Organic Meadow is set to launch an organic, lactose-free milk that will be the first in the country.

It will "allow the people who are lactose intolerant to enjoy the goodness of milk. It will be produced with Ontario milk in an Ontario dairy," said Steve Cavell, the general manager of OntarBio Organic Farmers Co-op Inc., which controls the Organic Meadow label.

Cavell said the company has been working on the new product for the past six months and retailers have been ready to list it as soon as the packaging was ready.

Cavell estimates that the market for lactose-free milk is 20 per cent of the fluid milk market, but says he has no idea how many of the people drinking soya beverages are doing so by preference, and how many are lactose intolerant.

"We know that on the conventional side, the processors making lactose-free milk are running into capacity limitations (because) it has to be batch processed," said Cavell.

Organic Meadow has exclusive rights to use of the enzyme required to make the milk, Cavell said, adding the enzyme supplier is "extremely well patented".

New products are only one factor driving the growing demand for organic milk.

"The primary drive is what we call a mixed cart consumer," said Cavell. "These are the consumers, who will put organic milk, a bag of cheese, Oreos and Miss Vickie's Potato Chips in their shopping cart." They tend to live in the more affluent, and also new immigrant neighborhoods.

"Milk is a consumer point of entry," said Cavell. So new consumers are often new mothers, concerned about what they're putting in their childs' mouths.

OACC gratefully acknowledges Ontario Farmer for permission to post this article on our website.