A rigorous claim defining a product made in a completely separated environment, i.e. no dairy is used in the manufacturing area and even the air is screened. The finished product contains no detectable dairy and is acceptable for people who are allergic to dairy. Dairy-free items do not include a "may contain" label.

Lactose-free refers to a product that does not contain lactose. Plant-based goods, on the other hand, are inherently lactose-free. Lactose is a sugar that may be found in milk and other dairy products. It is also found in several processed and ready-to-eat meals. Lactose can be found in all animal milks (e.g., cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, buffalo milk) and dairy products manufactured from them (e.g., cheese, cream, yoghurt).

DAIRY FREE PRODUCT APPROVAL PROCESS

The basis of dairy free certification is sampling and testing in ILAC-ISO 17025 accredited laboratories. These technical food laboratories will perform chemical and biological tests on the samples according to ACS and product requirements and will submit a complete report of the tests to ACS. Our technical team will approve or disapprove the product by reviewing the results and testing comparisons. If the result does not comply with requirements, a non-conformities report will be provided to the applicant. If the test results are confirmed a dairy free certificate is issued to the manufacturing company /producer and then the dairy free product logo is awarded to the holder.

BENEFIT OF ACS CANADA DAIRY-FREE CERTIFICATION

People who seek dairy free products may be vegan, have a dairy allergy or dairy intolerance.

Learning how to identify dairy-free foods is an important step in the process.

There are also many processed foods which contain milk as an ingredient, such as some cakes, biscuits etc., which will need to be avoided.

Products that have been certified by ACS Canada, will receive a dairy-free symbol on the product label.