Classic skimmed milk is a low-fat option if you can drink cow’s milk. If you’re looking to limit lactose, consider lactose-free skimmed milk, depending on your tolerance. If you have a confirmed milk protein allergy, ‘lactose-free’ does not mean ‘dairy-free’, so you’ll need to avoid the allergen you’ve been diagnosed with. In every case, check the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional details for the specific product you’re buying.
Your priority is to avoid the allergen you’ve been diagnosed with, not to choose the lowest-fat milk. A product labelled lactose-free may still contain milk, so read the ingredients and follow the avoidance advice that applies to you.
Lactose-free skimmed milk may be an option, depending on your tolerance, but it is not dairy-free. The French health insurance service distinguishes lactose intolerance, which affects how the body digests milk sugar, from a food allergy.
If you don’t need to avoid dairy, compare the fat content per 100 ml, then choose a pack size and storage instructions that suit how much you use.
When to consider it: if you can drink milk and are looking for a low-fat option.
Limitation: skimmed milk is still a dairy product. Skimming does not make it lactose-free or remove milk proteins.
When to consider it: if you need to limit lactose and want to stick with skimmed milk, depending on your tolerance.
Limitation: Lactel’s Matin Léger Bio skimmed milk contains skimmed milk and lactase, so it is not dairy-free.
When to consider it: if a confirmed allergy means you need to avoid milk or its proteins, following the avoidance advice that applies to you.
Limitation: this takes you outside the category of cow’s skimmed milk. You’ll still need to check the ingredients and any other potential allergens.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Milk allergen | Read the ingredients for the exact product and look for highlighted allergens. The DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted on the label. | If I need to avoid milk because of a confirmed allergy, ‘lactose-free’ isn’t enough to guide my choice. Avoiding the allergen would be the top priority for around 42% of consumers in this group. |
| Lactose | Compare the stated lactose content and fat per 100 ml, then check the ingredients. | I want to limit lactose without necessarily giving up milk, while choosing a skimmed version. This would be the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Fat content and pack size | Check the fat per 100 ml, the volume and the storage instructions after opening. | I can drink milk and mainly want to compare its fat content without buying a pack that’s difficult to use once opened. Around 25% of consumers would prioritise this. |
According to Lactel, Matin Léger Bio skimmed milk contains skimmed milk and lactase. Reducing the lactose therefore does not remove the milk allergen from this product.
If you have a confirmed milk allergy, check the ingredients and follow the advice for avoiding the allergen you’ve been diagnosed with, rather than relying on the ‘lactose-free’ claim alone.
Lactel’s published information states that its Bio skimmed milk contains 0.1 g of fat per 100 ml. Candia states that GrandLait semi-skimmed milk contains 1.6 g per 100 ml. These are not equivalent fat levels.
If fat content is one of the reasons you’re buying, compare the per-100 ml values for the products you’re considering.
Storage instructions vary by product. The Lactel products mentioned here say to keep refrigerated and use within three days of opening, compared with four days for Candia GrandLait semi-skimmed milk.
Choose a pack size that suits how much you use, and follow the instructions on the packaging you buy.
If you can’t use the product within the stated time, you may end up wasting it.
Auchan’s skimmed milk powder listing names milk as an ingredient and mentions possible traces of soya.
Check the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ information on every product, whether it’s powder, a carton or a bottle.
A brand name alone doesn’t tell you what’s in a product. Compare individual products and their labels.
Two products offer a way to compare classic skimmed milk with lactose-free skimmed milk.
GrandLait semi-skimmed milk is a useful comparison if you’re deciding between the two milk categories.
A bottled skimmed milk to compare if the packaging format is important to you.
A powdered option if you’d rather make up your milk than buy it ready to drink.
These two products suit different needs: consider a skimmed milk labelled lactose-free, or a soya drink if you need to avoid milk. If you have an allergy, always check the label on the product you buy.
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Consider this if you want to limit lactose while buying skimmed milk, depending on your tolerance.
Pack size: 6 × 1 L. This product contains milk and is not suitable if you need to avoid milk proteins.
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This soya drink may be an option if you need to avoid milk, provided soya is suitable for you and you’ve checked the label.
Pack size: 3 × 1 L. This isn’t skimmed milk, so check the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ information on the packaging.
No, not if it contains the allergen you need to avoid. Lactel states that Matin Léger Bio skimmed milk contains skimmed milk and lactase. If you have a confirmed allergy, follow the advice for avoiding the allergen you’ve been diagnosed with.
Lactose intolerance affects how the body digests milk sugar, while a confirmed food allergy means you need to avoid the allergen you’ve been diagnosed with, according to the French health insurance service. A lactose-free product may therefore still be unsuitable if you need to avoid milk proteins. If you’re unsure about your situation, seek medical advice.
Start with the ingredients and highlighted allergens: the DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted. To compare products, also check the fat per 100 ml, the lactose content if stated, the pack size and the storage instructions.
Follow the time limit stated on the packaging of the product you buy. The instructions published for the two Lactel products mentioned here say to keep refrigerated and use within three days of opening, compared with four days for Candia GrandLait semi-skimmed milk.