Serge Island Dairies, a subsidiary of the Seprod Group of Companies, is to officially launch a lactose-free milk in two weeks.

“In 2016, we invested approximately $70 million to address an issue that is a problem for many of our population, and I am now delighted to announce that in two weeks, Jamaican consumers will be able to purchase Serge lactose-free milk, thus getting all the benefits of real milk (protein, calcium, vitamins) without the impact of lactose,” Richard Pandohie, Managing Director and CEO of the Seprod Group announced at the annual general meeting of the company on Monday last in St Andrew.

Pandohie told shareholders that the new product line will be manufactured at Serge Island Dairies located in St Thomas.

“In the factory, we installed a new line valued at US$3.5m in 2015, and continue to make investments to drive production and innovation capabilities.

“Last year we told shareholders that the business would evolve from being a milk business to a dairy business. We promised you evaporated milk, condensed milk, whipping cream. Promises made, promises delivered. Serge evaporated milk and whipping cream have been in the market since January, and as of this past weekend, the “World of Serge” welcomed Serge condensed milk,” Pandohie reported.

General manager at Serge Island Dairies, Marvin Cummings, in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer explained the process of manufacturing lactose-free milk.

“Lactose-free milk is farm-fresh milk, not powdered milk.

“The milk is specially processed to basically break down the lactose in the milk to simple sugars – glucose, and people who are intolerant to lactose can now tolerate the glucose.

“It is still fresh milk, 100 per cent fresh milk, but it is just that we target and treat the content which is naturally occurring in the milk.

“When our production of lactose-free milk begins, consumers who previously were lactose-intolerant will be able to drink milk without having any effects from it,” Cummings explained to the Business Observer.

Lactose intolerance is a gastrointestinal disturbance that occurs after consuming more lactose than the body can handle. Milk and dairy products contain a natural milk sugar – lactose, made from two sugar components, glucose and galactose.

The body needs to separate lactose into its two sugar components so that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. If these two sugars are not separated, consumers with a lactose deficiency will suffer from symptoms like bloating, gas, loose bowels and stomach pain.