Many people choose to avoid dairy products because of allergies, lactose intolerance, a vegan diet or concerns over antibiotics and hormones fed to lactating cows. Milk is tested for the presence of four to six antibiotics, including penicillin and ampicillin, before being processed. Milk that tests over the limit is discarded. Calcium lactate, a type of calcium supplement, usually does not come from dairy products, so these supplements do not contain antibiotics given to cows.
Ingredients
Calcium lactate is an organic calcium salt of lactic acid that typically contains no dairy products, according to The Vegetarian Resource Group. To produce calcium lactate, manufacturers ferment lactic acid with ingredients such as beet sugar or hydrolyzed cornstarch. Because calcium lactate is highly soluble, it's used to fortify juices, formula and other foods with calcium. You can also buy calcium lactate in capsule or tablet form as a calcium supplement.
Calcium Lactate and Antibiotics
Calcium lactate does not contain antibiotics from dairy products, but it can interact with some antibiotics, decreasing their absorption. Do not take calcium lactate with tetracycline, doxycycline or minocycline. This medication can also interfere with the absorption of the heart medication digoxin and antacids and other calcium supplements.
Calcium Supplements That Contain Dairy
Most supplements or additives that contain calcium do not contain dairy products; calcium caseinate and calcium stearate are the exceptions. Most ingredients that contain the words lactate or lactic acid get their calcium from non-dairy sources. Foods or supplements that contain the word lactose, on the other hand, do contain dairy.
Considerations
Calcium lactate supplements contain a low amount of elemental calcium, around 13 percent, according to the Go Dairy Free website. By comparison, calcium carbonate and calcium citrate, the two most common forms of over-the-counter calcium supplements, contains 40 and 21 percent calcium, respectively. When choosing a calcium supplement, the amount of elemental calcium, not the total calcium amount, is the number to look at.
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