[Lactose-free formula products available in Mexico. Their significance and applications]

Lactose in milk and dairy products can be significantly reduced by the utilization of microbial beta-galactosidases. These enzymes can be used to treat milk during its processing or they can be administered with milk at meal time as an enzyme replacement therapy in which case hydrolysis occurs in vivo in the gastrointestinal tract. Lactose in milk can alternatively be eliminated by ultrafiltration, a process that divides milk components based on their size. A third way of reducing or eliminating lactose content is formulating a product or even "milk" from ingredients which avoid the use of lactose. Technologies like these are used to develop infant formula, enteral formula products and low-lactose milks. In this paper products of this kind available in Mexico are described.