Milk Allergy
Tuesday, July 26th, 2016
Milk Allergy: Hidden Places You May Find Milk
If your child is allergic to dairy, you probably already know the obvious foods to avoid.
Ice cream. Yogurt. Milk and buttermilk. Cheese-covered chips and snacks.
There are other foods that might surprise you, as well as non-food items.
Take balloons.
Would you expect balloons to have milk powder? Some do. This example shows balloons that contain casein. Casein is a milk protein.
How about herbs?
You might not think herbs sold in the refrigerated produce section have milk. This is a squeezable herb paste. It contains milk.
Do you use lunch meat when you pack a camp or school lunch?
Salami is salami, right? But some lunch meats contain dairy.
Are you looking to add safe, dairy-free cheese to a sandwich?
Cheeses known as:
- non-dairy
- lactose-free
- veggie
are not the same as “dairy-free.” Always read the ingredient label to check for “milk.”
Looking for a protein boost?
Products that advertise “high protein” may be adding whey protein isolate, a form of milk. If your child can eat peanut butter, but not milk, here is a label where milk was added to peanut butter.
The bottom line:
- Always read the label – every time.
- Look at labels on non-food products too.
- Read the label in the store and again at home.
References:
Kids with Food Allergies. (2016). Milk allergy: Hidden places you may find milk. Retrieved from: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/milk-allergy-warning-hidden-places-you-may-find-milk?platform=hootsuite
