Plant-based ice cream for lactose intolerance people hits European markets

In a bid to expand the number of options for people with lactose intolerance who cannot digest most dairy products,a plant-based ice cream has hit the European markets.

Soy has long been an ingredient for alternative ice creams,but some claim it doesn”t measure up in taste and mouthfeel. In an effort to create tasty non-dairy options,researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging in Germany decided to experiment with a reed like plant called lupin (from the genus Lupinus). According to one German broadcasting company,the researchers said protein sets lupin and soy plants apart.

Lupin seeds produce high quality proteins comparable to milk,while soy lags behind and is unable to recreate the creaminess of true ice cream.

As a result,researchers have lent the technology and recipe to one company to market the plant-based ice cream as Lupinesse, which is available in a handful of flavours,including chocolate,vanilla cherry and strawberry mousse to European consumers at a few grocers.