Are laktoos vegan?

"Laktoos" is the Estonian word for lactose, a disaccharide sugar naturally found in mammalian milk. It is commercially manufactured by extracting and crystallizing the sugar from liquid whey, which is a byproduct of the cheese-making industry. Food producers frequently utilize it as a bulking agent, sweetener, flavor carrier, or texture stabilizer in baked goods, processed snack foods, confectionery, prepared meals, and pharmaceutical medications.

This ingredient is not vegan because it is derived entirely from animal milk, typically sourced from dairy cows. Unlike certain other food additives, lactose has no plant-based, fungal, or mineral sources. Because its commercial production relies entirely on dairy processing, any product listing laktoos contains animal-derived components and is unsuitable for a vegan diet.