Calcium lactate, or E327, is a white crystalline salt made by the action of lactic acid on calcium carbonate.
I’ve written about lactic acid and whether you can be allergic to it in a previous blog post called, “Allergic to lactic acid?”
Calcium lactate is used in foods as a baking powder and given medicinally, most commonly to treat calcium deficiency or stomach upsets. But is it dairy related?
Food Allergy & Research Education (FARE) in the US say on their website that calcium lactate does not contain milk protein so should not be avoided by people with a dairy allergy.
Despite the fact that lactate sounds like it comes from milk, it’s nothing to do with dairy, so it’s quite safe for someone with a dairy allergy to eat food with calcium lactate in the ingredients list.
I found an article on the web that I haven’t spotted before which has a great list of other things that do, may and definitely don’t contain any dairy, so I thought I’d share it here.
It’s a minefield reading ingredients labels and trying to avoid all the many variations of dairy containing ingredients, but here is one you don’t have to worry about, or so the experts say.
However I and many others think that they do react to lactic acid, regardless of whether it was grown on a lactose/dairy base. Just read the lactic acid post above to read over 30 comments from people who avoid lactic acid.
So is it safe to eat something that is a ‘salt made by the action of lactic acid on calcium carbonate’? Just because no milk protein remains, does this mean it won’t cause a mild reaction for those of us who are highly sensitive to milk?
I’m not aware of anyone with any problems with calcium lactate but they might be out there. I’m not sure if I have any problems either myself but I try to avoid most processed foods anyway.
Has anyone out there with a dairy allergy found they get a reaction from things containing calcium lactate?
Lactic acid comes from sore milk so if calcium lactate is made from the action if lactic acid wouldn’t that means if you had a milk allergy you should not take calcium lactate?
Hi Denise, I know, it sounds wrong doesn’t it. I have checked a number of reputable sources who all say there is no milk protein in calcium lactate so it should be OK for people with a dairy allergy. It certainly wouldn’t cause any possible danger of anaphylaxis. Do you have a dairy allergy Denise? Have you found you have a problem with calcium lactate?
The calcium lactate in my office is derived from organic corn starch. It has no dairy involvement at all. Plants are sources of calcium more bioavailable that the calcium of dairy.
Thank you so much. I was worried that I had just consumed dairy when I saw this and realized that calcium lactate doesn’t have any dairy products
I drank a bottle of VitaminWater containing Calcium Lactate had an unexpected, extreme reaction to it. Don’t know if my reaction was to the Calcium Lactate or something else in the drink but my reaction was very extreme. I am very lactose intolerant.
Me too. Im pretty sure it is related somehow. I also had calcium lactate containing drink and got upset my stomach.
I just had a food sensitivity test and found that both lactalbumin AND calcium lactate are a problem for me :-(. Trying to figure out if I can still eat butter…..
What sort of test did you have Traci? I’m not sure if you’d be able to still eat butter… I’m not a dietitian or expert in these things. I wonder if you’d be able to eat goats or sheeps butter? Worth asking someone who knows these things. Sorry I can’t help. I wonder also if lactofree stuff might work for you? Worth finding out. Good luck.
Have you read the book eat right for your blood type by Dr Peter jd Adamo with Catherine Whitney . Take ah read.
Hi Stanley, No I haven’t read this book. Thanks for the recommendation. Need to check what my blood type is first!
Hi
I have recently found out that I have a high intolerance to E 327 calcium lactate salt of lactic acid but also have a nutritional deficiency in lactic acid?! How to I go about avoiding and topping up my nutrients? Thanks!
I really don’t know the answer to this. I would ask a medical expert, or your doctor. I’ve tried Dr google and I wouldn’t like to say really. I’m not an expert in medical matters, must a blogger.
finally found such an informative article! Thank)
I just realized that calcium lactate doesn’t have any dairy products