Need a Food Allergy Shopping Guide? - Dairy

Category: Just for Parents

Written by Cilie Yack

DAIRY ALLERGY

A list for the newly diagnosed

Dairy is a common allergy in infants and toddlers. About 2.5% of children under age 3 are diagnosed with a dairy allergy.

Most children who develop a dairy allergy will eventually outgrow it. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, skin rashes, hives, eczema, blood in stools, asthma, and in rare instances, anaphylaxis.

A dairy intolerance is much different than an allergy and is caused when the child is missing an important digestive enzyme that can break down the sugar or the proteins in the milk.

Lactose intolerance is the most common type and about 30% of the population has it. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and when the body can’t break it down it will cause gassiness, bloating, and stomach cramps. This is the most common food intolerance and is lifelong and will only worsen as the child grows and ages.

Casein intolerance has similar symptoms but it is much harder to manage. Casein is the protein found in dairy products and it is used as a filler in many processed products on the shelves in stores. An intolerance to casein will not show up on an allergy test so the only way to discover it is through an elimination diet. And foods labeled dairy free often have casein in them as an ingredient.

Dairy can be found in foods like:

Breath mints
Baby formulas
Cereals
Coffee whiteners
Dessert toppings
Mayonnaise
Potato chips
Processed meats
Protein bars and powders
Salad dressings

Important issues with dairy:

Do not buy meat at the deli as it is cross-contaminated.
Some brands of canned tuna fish contain casein.
Some meats may contain casein as a binder.
Many restaurants put butter on steaks after they have been grilled to add extra flavor. The butter is not visible after it melts.
The following ingredients are SAFE for people with casein intolerance and dairy allergies: Calcium Lactate, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate, Cocoa Butter, Cream of Tartar, Lactic Acid, Oleoresin, Sodium Lactate, and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate.

Ingredients that contain Dairy:

Acidophilus milk
Ammonium Caseinate
Artificial butter flavor
Butter
Butter Fat
Butter Oil
Butter Solids Buttermilk
Calcium caseinate
Casein
Casein hydrolysate
Caseinate
Cheese (All)
Condensed Milk
Cottage Cheese
Cream
Cultured buttermilk
Curds
Custard
Delactosed
Whey Demineralized Whey
Dry milk powder
Dry milk solids
Egg nog
Evaporated milk
Goat's milk
Half-and-half
Hydrolysates
Hydrolyzed Casein
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Iron Caseinate
Lactalbumin
Lactalbumin Phosphate
Lactate
Lactoferrin
Lactoglobulin
Lactose
Lactulose
Magnesium Caseinate
Malted Milk
Milk (whole, lowfat, and skim)
Milk Derivative
Milk Fat
Milk Powder
Milk Protein
Milk Solids
Nougat
Potassium Caseinate
Protein Hydrolysates
Pudding
Recaldent
Ready Sponge
Rennet Casein
Semisweet chocolate
Sherbert, sherbet (spelling variation)
Sodium Caseinate
Sodium Lactylate
Sour Cream
Sour Milk Solids
Sweet whey
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Whey
Whey Powder
Whey Protein Concentrate
Whey Protein Hydrolysate
Whipping cream
Yogurt
Zinc Caseinate

Ingredients that may contain Dairy:

Artificial Flavors / Flavoring
Bacarian cream flavoring
Brown sugar flavoring
Caramel Color
Caramel Flavoring
Coconut Cream Flavoring
Galactose
Ghee
High Protein Flour
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
Margarine
Natural Egg Flavor
Natural Flavors / Flavoring
Protein
Fat Replacers
Simplesse
Soy Cheese
Non-Dairy (may still contain casein, a protein found in milk)

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