Lactose
Lactose is a glycosylglucose disaccharide, found most notably in milk, that consists of D-galactose and D-glucose fragments bonded through a beta-14 glycosidic linkage. The glucose fragment can be in either the alpha- or beta-pyranose form, whereas the galactose fragment can only have the beta-pyranose form. It has a role as a human metabolite.
IUPAC: (2R,3R,4S,5R,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(2R,3S,4R,5R)-4,5,6-trihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol
PubChem
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Melting Point | 433 °F (NTP, 1992) |
| Density | 1.525 |
| Solubility | 50 to 100 mg/mL at 68 °F (NTP, 1992) |
| Appearance | Lactose is a white hard crystalline powder. (NTP, 1992) |
Data: PubChem · Last updated: 4/20/2026
GHS Classification
No GHS classification data available.
Classification data is sourced from ECHA.
Regulatory Compliance
Listed
note: Status based on EPA TSCA Active Inventory · inventory name: TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory
View sourceGlobal Trade Intelligence
No trade flow data available for this chemical.
HS Code(s): 1702
Data: UN Comtrade
Suppliers on Chem-Exchange
No suppliers currently listing Lactose
List Your ProductsSafety Data Sheets
No SDS documents available
Upload an SDS document