Sheep cheese and lactose: what is true, and what is not

This is the first thing people ask Fromagerie La Moutonnière, by a wide margin. A large share of those who walk through the door are looking for a cheese that sits better than cow's. The honest answer comes in three parts.

Yes, there is lactose in it

Start with the part that sells nothing: sheep's milk contains lactose, and so does the cheese made from it. No cheese from Fromagerie La Moutonnière is a lactose-free product, and it must not be made to say so.

That caveat is not misplaced modesty. Someone who reacts strongly to lactose, told they were buying a lactose-free product, would have a rough evening and would hold it against the creamery. An exact figure beats a rounded promise.

Roughly four times less than cow

The figure Fromagerie La Moutonnière publishes: roughly 1 % lactose per 100 grams of sheep cheese, against roughly 4 % for a cow cheese. The gap is real and measurable, and it explains most of the rest.

Two clarifications to read that figure correctly. First, it compares two cheeses, not two raw milks. Second, lactose tolerance is not a switch: it varies widely from person to person, and how much is eaten matters as much as which product is chosen.

What ageing does to lactose

One mechanism is explained far too rarely, and it is worth knowing: turning milk into cheese already drops the lactose, whatever the species. Lactic cultures consume it during production, the whey that carries most of the rest is drained off, and ageing breaks down what remains.

A cheese aged several months therefore holds less than a fresh paste — true of a sheep cheese and of a cow cheese alike. Two things act at once, in other words: the milk it starts from, and the time it spends in the cellar. Note that Fromagerie La Moutonnière does not publish a lactose figure cheese by cheese; the only figure it gives is the one in the comparison above.

Why so many people digest it better

Tommy Bouchard has watched it at the counter for years: a large share of the Fromagerie La Moutonnière clientele comes precisely because cow's milk sits badly with them. These are not isolated cases — they are the core of the business.

Lower lactose does not explain everything. Sheep cheese is also denser in fat and protein, which changes how it digests. The wording the creamery settled on for its own site comes from Tommy himself:

• Easier to digest.
• Naturally rich in fat and protein.
• A mild taste, close to cow's milk, quite different from the character of goat's milk.
• A good compromise for people who are lactose intolerant.

Where to start

For a first try, a small amount beats a large piece, whichever cheese is chosen. Fleurs des Monts, aged three to six months, is the entry cheese at Fromagerie La Moutonnière. The counter answers questions gladly at (819) 382-2300.

One exception to know before ordering: Sein d'Hélène is made half from sheep's milk and half from cow's milk. It is the only product in the catalogue in that case, and precisely the one to avoid if cow's milk is the problem.