Living with a Milk Allergy

Articles On Milk Allergy

Use this list to check food labels for cow's milk or milk products. Also, ask your doctor if sheep and goat's milk are safe. For most people with a milk allergy, the answer is no -- the proteins in sheep and goat’s milk are similar to those in cow’s milk and also cause a reaction.

Don't get lactose intolerance confused with a milk allergy. They're not the same thing. Lactose intolerance is when you can't digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy products. You'll often get symptoms like stomach pain, gas, and diarrhea. With a milk allergy, the symptoms affect more than just your digestive tract. A milk allergy is when your immune system thinks dairy is a foreign invader and attacks it by releasing chemicals called histamines. Symptoms can range from wheezing problems to vomiting and diarrhea.

Foods With Milk in Them

These foods often contain cow's milk protein. Check their labels before buying. If you're eating out, ask if milk was used to make them.

• Au gratin dishes and white sauces
• Baked goods -- bread, cookies, crackers, cakes
• Battered and fried foods
• Cake mix
• Cereals
• Chewing gum
• Chocolate and cream candy
• Coffee creamers
• Creamed or scalloped foods
• Donuts
• Granola bars
• Gravies
• Indian food, in which ghee (a form of butter) is very common
• Malted milk
• Margarine
• Mashed potatoes
• Meats -- canned and processed, including cold cuts and deli meats
• Nougat, found in some candy
• Salad dressings
• Sherbet

Ingredients With Milk

If you see these listed on a label, the food has milk proteins in it:

• Artificial butter or cheese flavor
• Casein or caseinates
• Diacetyl
CurdGhee
• Hydrolysates
• Lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate
• Lactose, lactoglobulin, lactoferrin, lactulose
• Protein powders
• Recaldent
• Rennet
• Tagatose
• Whey or whey products

These lists may not be complete. Look up any ingredient that you are not familiar with.

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