Tips
for Managing a Milk
Allergy
Baking
Fortunately, milk is one of the easiest ingredients to substitute in baking and cooking. It can be substituted, in equal amounts, with water or fruit juice. (For example, substitute 1 cup milk with 1 cup water.)
Some Hidden Sources of
Milk
- Deli meat slicers are frequently
used for both meat and cheese
products.
- Some brands of canned tuna fish
contain casein, a milk protein.
- Many non-dairy products contain
casein (a milk derivative), listed
on the ingredient labels.
- Some meats may contain casein as
a binder. Check all labels
carefully.
- Many restaurants put butter on
steaks after they have been grilled
to add extra flavor. The butter is
not visible after it melts.
Commonly Asked Questions
Is goat milk a safe
alternative to cow milk?
Goat's milk protein is similar
to cow's milk protein and may,
therefore, cause a reaction in
milk-allergic individuals. It is not
a safe alternative.
Can I rely on kosher symbols
to determine if a product is
milk-free? The Jewish community uses a
system of product markings to
indicate whether a food is kosher,
or in accordance with Jewish dietary
rules.
There are two kosher symbols
that can be of help for those with a
milk allergy: a "D," or the word
"dairy," on a label next to "K" or "U"
(usually found near the product
name) indicates presence of milk
protein, and a "DE" on a label
indicates the product was produced on equipment
shared with dairy.
If the product contains neither
meat nor dairy products it is "pareve" (parev, parve). Pareve-labeled
products indicate that the products
are considered milk-free according
to religious specifications. Be
aware that under Jewish law, a food
product may be considered pareve
even if it contains a very small
amount of milk. Therefore, a
product labeled as pareve could
potentially have enough milk protein
in it to cause a reaction in a
milk-allergic individual.
Do these ingredients contain
milk?
We frequently receive calls about
the following ingredients. They do
not contain milk protein and need
not be restricted by someone
avoiding milk:
|
Calcium lactate
|
Lactic acid (however,
lactic acid starter culture
may contain milk)
|
|
Calcium stearoyl
lactylate
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oleoresin
|
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Cocoa butter
|
Sodium lactate
|
|
Cream of tartar
|
Sodium stearoyl
lactylate
|
Resources Available from
FAAN
The following are some helpful
resources that may be ordered
online or by calling FAAN at (800)
929-4040.
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