A system and method capable of hydrolyzing lactose, where the system includes a support formed from a functionalized hydrophobic polymer that is covalently linked to a hydrophilic molecule covalently that is, in turn, covalently linked to an enzyme such as lactose. The method includes the steps of functionalizing a hydrophobic polymer support, covalently linking a hydrophilic molecule to said functionalized polymer support, and covalently linking an enzyme such as lactase to said hydrophilic molecule. The system and method generally relate to the field of food science and engineering and, more particularly to dairy-based food products and their production including solutions to problems associated with lactose intolerance such as product processing methods and products produced by these methods.