< >

Lactose, US

This page contains wholesale prices for Lactose (US), updated weekly: The ”price range” term is the absolute lowest and highest price recorded. The “mostly” is the price points where the majority of prices seem clustered. It is intended to drop out the more extreme prices, which may be outliers. There is no specific rule for setting the “mostly.” It is subjective if that term translated well. It is a feeling about the essence of transactional pricing. (Fonte: USDA)

The prices for lactose recorded over the last ten weeks are listed in the table, while the graph below illustrates price trends over the past three years in € and in local currency.

The graphs below compare:
  • Lactose production and stocks with the market price trends;
  • WPC and Lactose prices in US with Sweet Whey and Skimmed Milk Powder price in Germany.

N.B.:

Lactose is sugar naturally present in milk.

During cheese production, approx. 80-90% of lactose moves into serum thus contributing to make up a part of it (approx. 5%).

Lactose is then recovered from serum in form of monohydrate alpha-lactose through processes of concentration (by evaporation), and crystallization.

Sugar extraction takes place by centrifugation; afterwards lactose is dried and ground.

There are three kinds of lactose: edible lactose, refined lactose, and pharmaceutical lactose, but, as a rule, American and European prices (see the table and graph below) refer to edible typology.

Thanks to its little sweetening power, lactose is applied in several edible preparation, especially chocolate and derivates, bakery and pharmaceutical products; it is also employed in the feed sector.

Furthermore, by means of special industrial processes as hydrolysis (enzymatic and catalytic splitting of lactose into glucose and galactose), enzymes treatment or other specific procedures (catalytic isomerization), starting from lactose many derived products can be obtained.

Among the best known and most important derivates are lactulose, lactitol and the GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides), used as prebiotics (substances intended to promote the growth of bifidobacteria and milk bacteria in the intestines) in many edible products.

The increased cheese production in the US generates as a consequence the availability of serum and, therefore, the possibility to extract a larger amount of lactose.

(This page has been realized with the contribute of Pier Luigi Vecchia, Food Technology expert)

 
US - Weekly prices of Lactose
Edible, Mostly Range - non Pharmaceutical
US $ per lb US $ per ton € per ton
min / max min / max ± on prev. price min / max ± on prev. price
Friday 17 Mar 2023
0,2500 / 0,4500 551 / 992 -6,04% 519 / 934 -6,37%
Friday 10 Mar 2023
0,2600 / 0,4850 573 / 1.069 -4,49% 541 / 1.010 -4,23%
Friday 3 Mar 2023
0,2800 / 0,5000 617 / 1.102 -3,70% 582 / 1.038 -4,11%
Friday 24 Feb 2023
0,2900 / 0,5200 639 / 1.146 0,00% 605 / 1.085 +0,52%
Friday 17 Feb 2023
0,2900 / 0,5200 639 / 1.146 -1,22% 602 / 1.079 -0,62%
Friday 10 Feb 2023
0,3000 / 0,5200 661 / 1.146 -6,82% 619 / 1.072 -4,67%
Friday 3 Feb 2023
0,3400 / 0,5400 750 / 1.191 -1,12% 685 / 1.089 -1,77%
Friday 27 Jan 2023
0,3500 / 0,5400 772 / 1.191 -4,81% 710 / 1.096 -5,15%
Friday 20 Jan 2023
0,3900 / 0,5450 860 / 1.202 -1,06% 794 / 1.110 -1,17%
Friday 13 Jan 2023
0,4000 / 0,5450 882 / 1.202 -1,05% 815 / 1.111 -3,92%
n.q.: not quoted price
Source: USDA
Informative note
  • MOSTLY RANGE: the price points where the majority of prices are clustered (it is intended to drop out the more extreme prices)
  • The conversion US $ / € for each quotation is calculated using the exchange rate of the previous day.
  • Prices Mostly, F.O.B. edible Carlot or Trucklot quantities in totes, 50 lb and 25 kg bags; since January 2010: prices mostly edible, non pharmaceutical including spot sales and up to 3 month contracts.
  • USDA pricing series is developed by gathering lactose prices in phone surveys with U.S. manufacturers and other industry contacts that are buying and selling truckload quantities of U.S. produced lactose. The lactose may be packaged in bags, totes or other packaging, but needs to be carlot/truckload quantities. The prices are for spot sales or short term (up to 3 month long) contracts. The transactions need to be first sales, FOB plant. The transactions may also include marketing agent sales. A mostly price series may be used to more closely define the majority of trades. The lactose needs to be edible and non-pharmaceutical, but is not separated further by mesh size or other quality grades. That is, the price series would include unground and ground lactose and a variety of mesh sizes, including 40 – 200 mesh, etc. [source: USDA]
USD
US - Weekly prices of Lactose
Edible, Price Range - non Pharmaceutical
US $ per lb US $ per ton € per ton
min / max min / max ± on prev. price min / max ± on prev. price
Friday 17 Mar 2023
0,1600 / 0,5600 353 / 1.235 -4,00% 332 / 1.162 -4,33%
Friday 10 Mar 2023
0,1600 / 0,5900 353 / 1.301 -1,32% 333 / 1.229 -1,05%
Friday 3 Mar 2023
0,1600 / 0,6000 353 / 1.323 -2,56% 332 / 1.246 -2,98%
Friday 24 Feb 2023
0,1800 / 0,6000 397 / 1.323 0,00% 375 / 1.251 +0,52%
Friday 17 Feb 2023
0,1800 / 0,6000 397 / 1.323 0,00% 373 / 1.245 +0,61%
Friday 10 Feb 2023
0,1800 / 0,6000 397 / 1.323 -10,34% 371 / 1.237 -8,27%
Friday 3 Feb 2023
0,2700 / 0,6000 595 / 1.323 0,00% 544 / 1.209 -0,66%
Friday 27 Jan 2023
0,2700 / 0,6000 595 / 1.323 -3,33% 548 / 1.217 -3,68%
Friday 20 Jan 2023
0,3000 / 0,6000 661 / 1.323 +1,12% 611 / 1.222 +1,01%
Friday 13 Jan 2023
0,3000 / 0,5900 661 / 1.301 -3,26% 612 / 1.203 -6,07%
n.q.: not quoted price
Fonte: USDA
Informative note
  • PRICE RANGE: the absolute lowest and highest price recorded
$/ton
2008 2013 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 % on prev. month % on 2022
January 635 1.615 473 816 655 906 893 1.027 -2,79% +14,97%
February 574 1.590 480 805 671 914 893 915 -10,87% +2,47%
March 582 1.517 482 805 683 945 904 818 -10,64% -9,55%
April 589 1.419 513 780 745 990 946
May 605 1.422 564 734 877 992 962
June 611 1.422 612 694 1.009 995 971
July 572 1.390 679 681 1.138 1.010 1.003
August 534 1.408 716 658 1.133 1.000 1.003
September 480 1.411 741 645 1.116 976 1.006
October 406 1.433 766 617 1.103 941 1.047
November 369 1.420 773 635 1.050 912 1.069
December 363 1.403 788 639 962 893 1.056
Jan - Mar 597 1.570 478 808 669 920 897 929
Change (1) +59,94% +162,96% -69,53% +68,97% -17,26% +37,67% -2,59% +3,61%
Jan - Dec 527 1.454 633 709 930 955 981
Change (1) +26,36% +176,13% -56,46% +11,97% +31,13% +2,77% +2,71%
USDA
The monthly, cumulative and annual prices are arithmetic averages calculated on the basis of the weekly prices.
1) change from the same period of previous year , except for years 2008, 2013, 2018, where the change is from the same period 5 years ago
  min price
max price
Due to extraordinary maintenance, some components of the site may not work as expected. We apologize, and invite you to report any inaccuracies.