Virginia H. Holsinger

There are many historical figures that have helped our world make advancements towards the future. When you think of it, we wouldn’t have a lot of the things we have today if it weren’t for those creative people, who decided to think outside the box. One of these people includes Virginia H. Holsinger. Born on March 17, 1937, she made healthier dairy products accessible worldwide, and created the foundation for the Lactaid brand (Virginia Holsinger, 2025).

Virginia H Holsinger grew up in Washington D.C. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the college of William and Mary (Virginia Holsinger, 2025). This led her to getting a job at the Analytical Laboratory Services (ARS) analytical chemist, which is where her journey forward began. As she worked at the ARS, Holsinger created healthier dairy products, and made them accessible worldwide, for many lactose intolerant people who could not consume dairy (Virginia Holsinger, 2025). She was the one who came up with the idea to make milk digestible for the lactose intolerant, and accomplished it. She developed a soy milk drink that was shelf stable, and used in international food donation programs (Ainsworth, 2009).

Many might wonder, how did she create this? Well, Holsinger first evaluated enzymes and compared their properties under several pH conditions. As she did this, she realized that when fresh dairy was treated with a lactase enzyme that has been isolated from a yeast and made into a colorless powder, it broke down the lactose and made it digestible for others (Dairy Science to the Defense, 1995). Lactase is the enzyme in our body that breaks down milk and allows us to digest it, and lactose is basically the milk that we drink. Her reasoning for making such a discovery was for several reasons. She was asked by Alan Kligerman to create a substitute for milk for those who couldn’t have any (IFT industrial Awards-lactaid, 2016). There were also military men who couldn’t digest milk. The scientists at the U.S Army’s Natick Laboratories asked Holsinger to help them figure out a way to make milk digestible, or find a substitute for it (Ainsworth, 2009). Additionally, it benefited military men, as they had something shelf-stable that would last in emergencies (Ainsworth, 2009). With all her discoveries, she was able to receive many awards for them. She won the ARS distinguished scientist award in 1992, the Women in Science and Engineering award, and the Lifetime Achievement Awards (Virginia Holsinger, 2025). Other significant creations of hers are reduced fat mozzarella cheese, which was used in lunches. She discovered that cheese whey-soy-flour formulation with soybean oil or corn syrup could be spray dried with no change in rehydration properties, creating a less expensive, nonfat dry milk replacement, and a grain blend mixed with water to create porridge for emergency use (Virginia Holsinger, 2025). Her creations still impact us today, as they have allowed for healthier school lunches for us teens. She has also formulated foods, such as reduced fat mozzarella cheese, and whey beverages, allowing for a new shelf-stable item used in emergencies, and has made healthier dairy products accessible (Virginia Holsinger, 2025).

She wasn’t just a female chemist, but someone who used what she learned to benefit others. Her extraordinary discoveries have allowed for the creation of a very beneficial source. Whether you’re out on the battlefield or in your house with a glass of cookies, her discovery has led to you being able to enjoy the dairy products you may have thought you were never going to be able to enjoy. Just like this woman, let’s use what we know to create. What you know is important, and it’s important you do great things with what you know.

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Works Cited:

Virginia Holsinger (2025, March 18). Virginia Holsinger. National Inventors Hall of Fame® Inductee. https://www.invent.org/inductees/virginiaholsinger#:~:text=Virginia%20Holsinger%20made%20healthier%20dairy,by%20those%20with%20lactose%20intolerance. 

Dairy Science to the Defense Vol. 43, no. 10. AgResearch Mag. (1995, October). https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/1995/oct/dairy/ 

Ainsworth, S. J. (2012, December 20). Virginia H. Holsinger. Chemical & Engineering News. https://cen.acs.org/articles/87/i41/Virginia-H-Holsinger.html 

Virginia Holsinger. Lemelson. (n.d.). https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/virginia-holsinger 

Science Meets Food. (2016, December 19). IFT Industrial Awards - Lactaid |. https://sciencemeetsfood.org/ift-industrial-awards-lactaid