Philadelphia Launches Its First Lactose-Free Cream Cheese
If you’ve ever had to break up with cream cheese because lactose wasn't returning the love, Philadelphia has some very good news. They’re launching Philadelphia Lactose Free, its first lactose-free cream cheese in the United States.
And this isn't a dairy-free imitation of the original. It's made with fresh milk and real cream, but Philadelphia has found a way to remove the lactose while keeping the creamy taste and texture people expect from the familiar silver brick.
It turns out, your favorite bagels don’t have to change at all.
Philadelphia Lactose Free Is Coming in August
The new lactose-free cream cheese will arrive in stores in August. You'll find it in Philadelphia's classic 8-ounce brick at the same price as the original.
And that brick format is important for another reason. Philadelphia says the new version can be swapped out, one-for-one, with regular Philadelphia cream cheese in recipes. So it isn't limited to toasted bagels.
Cheesecakes, dips, frostings, sandwiches, and whatever else you've been missing are all back on the table.
How Do You Make Cream Cheese Lactose-Free?
The ingredient doing the heavy lifting is lactase. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose, the naturally occurring sugar in milk.
Philadelphia added the enzyme to its new cream cheese, helping people who are sensitive to lactose enjoy a product that's still made from dairy. The rest of the ingredient list is short and sweet:
Pasteurized milk and cream
Salt
Carob bean gum
Lactase enzyme
Cheese culture
There are no added preservatives, flavors, or dyes. But here’s the important distinction: lactose-free isn’t dairy-free. This new product will still contain milk, so someone with a milk allergy shouldn't mistake it for Philadelphia's plant-based spread.
It Took More Than Two Years to Get Here
Philadelphia didn't add some lactase into a mixing bowl last Tuesday. The company says its new lactose-free dairy option was more than two years in development.
The goal was to create something that would meet the dietary needs of someone who needs to avoid lactose, but doesn’t want to lose the taste and texture of traditional cream cheese.
There's a sizable audience waiting for it, too. Philadelphia said up to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. They also said they’re the first major U.S. brand to introduce a lactose-free cream cheese.
For a product that's been around in one form or another for more than 150 years, that's a wonderful addition to the family.
Philadelphia Has Been Branching Out
Philadelphia’s lactose-free brick is joining a lineup that's much larger than plain cream cheese these days. Among other products, Philadelphia also sells:
Flavored spreads
Whipped varieties
Cheesecake filling
Frosting
Plant-based cream cheese alternatives
Philadelphia Lactose Free fills a different niche. If you need to avoid dairy altogether, stick with Philadelphia’s plant-based option. But if it’s lactose you need to avoid, you don’t have to rewrite Grandma’s cheesecake recipe anymore.
Lactose-Free Just Got a Little Creamier
If you don’t have trouble digesting lactose, a new cream cheese isn't going to change breakfast very much. But if you’ve been avoiding the real thing, this silver little brick could open up quite a few doors in the refrigerator.
Philadelphia Lactose Free will begin rolling out this month, and it's said to spread, bake, mix, and schmear just like the original. Some food innovations will ask you to change the way you eat. This one only asks you to pick up a few of your favorite bagels again.
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