On the surface of things, bread doesn’t come across as one of the main culprits of issues for people with lactose intolerance. And we get it: With flour and water as its base ingredients, bread having lactose in it might have people scratching their heads.
But unfortunately, many types of store-bought bread are abundant in lactose, according to Lactose Free 101. And one of the biggest offenders is that everyday loaf you buy to make your sandwiches with. The processing that these bread products undergo can result in dairy products like milk powder, whey, and casein being added to them. It’s not just white bread where this happens, either: Whole-grain loaves of bread may have whey added to them to improve texture, flavor, and mouthfeel, and to emulate and replace lost gluten, according to Prepared Foods.
Other types of bread that might include lactose in their recipes include flatbreads, bagels, and pizza crusts. Certain pastries or sweet baked goods, like croissants or biscuits, may also have lactose in them. And as for breadcrumbs? You guessed it, folks — many breadcrumb varieties can have lactose-containing ingredients in them, with Panko breadcrumbs being a notable exception.
