Milk Allergy Print-out

By Linda Mahan and Jeni Cruts

Introduction

While there are different degrees of sensitivity and some allergic individuals are able to tolerate some exposure to dairy proteins, for most it is necessary to be totally dairy-free. Anything that is derived* from milk will be contaminated with dairy proteins. Goat's milk is not a good alternative for most people. The proteins are not that dissimilar.

*Derivatives of milk include: cream, butter, yogurt, cheese, whey, lactose, casein (sodium caseinate), lactoglobulin, lactalbumin, and various chemical names that include these. (Sodium stearoyl lactylate is not supposed to be derived from milk, so it should be safe.) Foods including these in the ingredients should be avoided.

Read those labels

It is important to remember that manufacturers change ingredients in their products all of the time. Remember to check labels as they may change. What is safe one time may not be the next time you buy it. Please use labels as a guide only. Unfortunately the vague term "natural flavoring" can include anything derived from any natural food source. Contact the manufacturer if you are unsure of an ingredient.

When looking for dairy-free foods, you can look for the words "Pareve", "Parve", or "Parevine". This is a Kosher term meaning that the food contains no milk or meat. All Kosher food items are labeled with the mark of the group that inspects the food and manufacturing facilities. Some Kosher symbols are a "U" with a circle around it; a "K" with a circle, triangle or nothing around it; and there is also one which I can best describe as a "K" with a flag on top and bottom with a line connecting them on the left side of the K. If a Kosher symbol is followed by a "D" it means that Dairy is in the food or it is contaminated by dairy from the manufacturing equipment. [NOTE: Shannon Wallace mentions that "if there is a 'DE' beside any Kosher symbol, it means that the product was processed on equipment that is also used to process dairy--which can be terrible for those with severe dairy sensitivities." She has also noticed dairy-free Kosher symbols on products that contain dairy in the ingredient list!]

Non-dairy does not mean dairy-free. The FDA allows foods containing casein to be labeled "non-dairy."

Foods to be wary of

Surprise! Milk is a common ingredient in these foods (unless you make your own). Waffles, biscuits, cakes, cookies, crackers, donuts, packaged breads, rolls, pie crust, pie filling, croissants, chocolate, processed food - bologna, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, sausage (exception: Kosher meat products), cake mix, coating mix for chicken, instant potatoes, "helper" dishes, breading on fried foods, stuffing mixes, margarine.

So what can we have?

Air cakes; bouillon; broth based soups (watch out for milk in noodles); condiments including: mayo, mustard, ketchup; fish and seafood (if they are not breaded); fresh fruits and veggies; frozen juice desserts and Italian ices; jams; honey; Kosher-Pareve items; beef, marshmallows; fruit candies; licorice; some dark chocolate (not Hershey's anymore); milk-free margarine (Fleischmann's has some Parve margarine available in grocery stores); milk substitutes like enriched Rice Dream or WestSoy; milk-free whipped cream, pasta, potatoes, poultry (except some brands of self-basting turkey); milk-free tofu cheeses (watch out for casein to be an ingredient in some tofu cheeses); tofu based frozen desserts

Substitutions:

1 cup milk = 1 cup water or fruit juice plus 1 tablespoon oil or shortening

= 1 cup soy, rice, or nut drink (milk substitute)

= 1/2 cup milk substitute + 1/2 cup water

= 1/2 cup juice + 1/2 cup water

1 cup milk (for baking)= 1 cup water + 2 tablespoons milk-free margarine

1 cup buttermilk = 1/2 cup milk substitute + 1/2 cup water + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

light cream = milk substitute

heavy cream = milk-free whipping cream or meringue

cream cheese = mayonnaise

Sour Cream = mayonnaise + 1 Tablespoon sugar

Nutrition Requirements:

For recommended daily allowances, visit: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/etext/000105.html (Thanks to Jenn Borgesen for the link.)

Vitamin D:

Enriched milk substitutes have vitamin D added to them. You can find how much on the label. However, the sun is an excellent source. How much sun a person requires varies according to their skin tone (darker skins require longer exposure than lighter skins) and how much of the body is covered. It is safe to say that it is less time than it takes to burn. For most people 10-15 minutes per day is sufficient. In the cold climates, it might be necessary to keep track of the vitamin D being consumed internally.

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