From Moo to You: the Effect of Lactose Intolerance on Cornell’s Legacy
Written by Samantha Arturo
Edited by Darren Shum
A beloved staple of the Cornell community, the Dairy Bar is a place where students, faculty, alumni, and visitors have gathered since its reopening in 2013. Yet the history of the Cornell Dairy extends much deeper than the Dairy Bar and Cornell University itself. The Cornell Dairy has not only supported the university’s daily dairy needs but also served the local Ithaca community. Founded fifteen years before Cornell University, in 1865, the Cornell Dairy has been consistently producing wholesale dairy products since 1880 [1]. Some of these products include the adored twenty-six ice cream flavors, spanning from classics like Big Red Bear Tracks to seasonal favorites like Clocktower Pumpkin, as well as yogurt, milk, cheese, butter, and whipped cream. If you’re craving any of these items, nine times out of ten, the Cornell Dairy will have you covered—unless you’re heading to Appel on a Thursday night after a prelim. Besides providing the campus with “sweet treats” and meeting its broader dairy demands, the Cornell Dairy is also central to educational opportunities in dairy and animal science. It sources its milk from the Cornell Veterinary College Dairy Teaching Barn, using 100% of the milk and ensuring a sustainable, low-waste exchange [1].
Photos by Camille Parisot at Stocking Hall, Cornell University (cap364@cornell.edu)
But love for the Cornell Dairy Bar is being threatened by a persistent problem. Pervasive in the consumption of dairy products not only on the Cornell campus but wherever dairy products are present is lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is a condition that prevents the body from completely digesting lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products [2]. Normally, lactose is broken down by the enzyme lactase, produced by cells lining the small intestine. However, 65% of the human population does not have the capability to effectively break down lactose [2].
There are three main types of lactose intolerance: primary lactose intolerance, secondary lactose intolerance, and congenital or developmental lactose intolerance. The majority of individuals who exhibit symptoms of lactose intolerance (such as gastrointestinal issues including bloating, gas, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain) suffer from primary lactose intolerance caused by lactase nonpersistence [3]. This occurs when the body fails to produce a sufficient amount of lactase to break down lactose after the LCT gene decreases its activity following infancy [2]. Rarer forms of lactose intolerance result from injury or illness affecting the small intestine or from autosomal recessive inheritance of the gene from both parents [3].
Photos from Cornell Alumni Affairs. Curated by Camille Parisot (cap364@cornell.edu)
Interestingly, researchers suggest that there are other factors that contribute to lactose intolerance. For example, lactase nonpersistence is most prevalent among people of East Asian descent, with 70% to 100% of these populations affected by lactose intolerance [2]. The most recent student profile published by Cornell University, detailing student demographics, indicates that, behind white students, the Asian population is the largest demographic group [5]. Thus, if this trend continues, there could be an increasing number of students on campus with lactose intolerance, leading to a decrease in campus dairy consumption. Conversely, lactose intolerance is lowest in populations that have historically depended on unfermented milk products [2].
Lactose intolerance is not as bad as it seems. Unlike a dairy allergy, lactose intolerance has less severe consequences, with no risk of hives or anaphylactic shock resulting from consuming dairy products. More importantly, the majority of people with lactase nonpersistence retain some level of lactase activity, allowing them to incorporate varying amounts of dairy into their diets without experiencing symptoms [2]. Another advancement, lactose intolerance pills such as Lactaid, contain lactase to help replenish the body’s deficit and prevent digestive discomfort. So keep enjoying your Cornell Dairy, one meal swipe at a time.
Samantha Arturo '29 is in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at sma298@cornell.edu.
Sources:
[1] “Cornell Dairy.” CALS, cals.cornell.edu/cornell-dairy. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
[2] “Lactose Intolerance.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lactose-intolerance/symptoms-causes/syc-20374232. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
[3] “Lactose Intolerance: Medlineplus Genetics.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/lactose-intolerance/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
[4] Profile: Class of 2025 Class of 2025 Enrolling First‐year Students, irp.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Profile2021-first-year.pdf. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
