Health Library

Guide to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of conditions from A to Z.

Find Health Information

Search entire library by keyword

Choose by letter to browse topics

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

(A-Z listing includes diseases, conditions, tests and procedures)

Can't find a health topic, click here to tell us what's missing

Home > Health Library

Milk Allergy Diet

See related health
topics and resources

Diseases and Conditions

.

<< Back to Diseases and Conditions

Milk Allergy Diet

General guidelines for milk allergy

The key to an allergy-free diet is to avoid foods or products containing the food to which you are allergic. The items that you are allergic to are called allergens. A milk allergy is an abnormal response of the body to the proteins found in cow's milk. Milk allergy is most common among infants and young children. Milk and milk products are found in many foods. Obvious forms of milk are cream, cheese, butter, ice cream, and yogurt. Milk and milk products may also be hidden sources in commonly eaten foods. In order to avoid foods that contain milk products, it is necessary to read food labels.

Important information about avoiding milk and milk products

The word nondairy on a product label indicates it does not contain butter, cream, or milk. However, this does not necessarily indicate it does not have other milk-containing ingredients.
The Kosher food labeled pareve or parve almost always indicates food is free of milk and milk products. A D on a product label next to the circled K or U indicates the presence of milk protein. These products should be avoided.
Processed meats, including hot dogs, sausages, and luncheon meats, frequently contain milk or are processed on milk-containing lines. Carefully read all food labels.

Foods	Allowed	Not allowed
Beverages	Carbonated beverages Coffee Tea Soy substitute-milk formulas, water Fruit drinks	All milks (whole, low-fat, skim, buttermilk, evaporated, condensed, powdered, hot cocoa) Yogurt, eggnog, milkshakes, malts All beverages made with milk or milk products
Breads	Milk-free breads French bread Wheat, white, rye, corn, graham, gluten, and soy breads made without milk or milk products Graham cracker or rice wafers	Wheat, white, or rye breads Biscuits, donuts, muffins, pancakes, waffles, zwieback, crackers, saltines, rusk Most commercially prepared breads and rolls contain milk or milk products French toast made with milk
Cereals	Any cereal to which no milk or milk products have been added	High-protein cereals Prepared and precooked cereals with milk solids, casein, or other milk products added
Desserts	Meringue, gelatin, popsicles, fruit ice, fruit whip, angel food cake Cakes, cookies, and pie crusts made without milk or milk products	Cake, cookies, custard, pudding, cream desserts, or sherbet containing milk products Ice cream, cream pie Pastries brushed with milk, junket, popover
Eggs	All prepared without milk	Scrambled with milk, creamed eggs, egg substitutes
Fats	Vegetable oil, meat fat, lard, bacon, shortening, milk-free gravy Peanut butter (made without milk solids) Margarine without milk solids Kosher margarine	Butter, cream, margarine Salad dressing or mayonnaise containing milk, milk solids, or milk products Some butter substitutes and nondairy creamers
Fruits	All fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and juices	Any served with milk, butter, or cream
Meats, fish, poultry, and cheese	Baked, broiled, boiled, roasted or fried: beef, veal, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, organ meats, or tofu (prepared without milk or milk products) Sausage, deli/luncheon meats, or ham if made without milk products Note: A small number of persons with cow's milk allergy may develop a reaction to beef. Thus, those with cow's milk allergy should be careful when consuming beef or foods containing beef.	All cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese Some sausage products, bologna, frankfurters Breaded meats, meatloaf, croquettes, casseroles, hamburgers (unless made without milk) Commercial entrees made with milk or milk solids
Potatoes and substitutes	Macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, rice White or sweet potatoes prepared without milk, butter, cream, or allowed margarine	Au gratin, buttered, creamed, scalloped potato or substitutes Macaroni and cheese Mashed potatoes containing milk or butter Frozen french fries sprayed with lactose
Soups	Bouillon, broth, consommé or soups with broth base plain or with all allowed foods	Bisques, chowders, creamed soups All soups made with milk or milk products
Sweets	Corn syrup, honey, jam, jelly Hard candy, candy made without milk or milk products Granulated, brown or powdered sugar	Candy made with milk, such as chocolate, fudge, caramels, nougat
Vegetables	All fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without milk or milk products added All vegetable juices	Au gratin, buttered, creamed, or escalloped vegetables Batter and dipped vegetables Vegetable soufflés
Miscellaneous	Catsup, olives, pickles, nuts, herbs, chili powder, salt, spices, condiments Any foods that are milk-, cheese-, or butter-free, or that do not contain powdered milk or whey	All items containing milk, cheese, butter, whey casein, caseinates, hydrolysates, lactose, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin or milk solids, artificial butter flavor Nondairy substitutes containing caseinate

How to read a label for a milk-free diet

Be sure to avoid foods that contain any of the following ingredients:

Artificial butter flavor
Butter, butter fat, butter oil
Casein, casein hydrolysates
Caseinates (ammonium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium)
Cheese, cottage cheese, curds
Cream
Custard, pudding
Ghee
Half and Half
Hydrolysates (casein, milk protein, protein, whey, whey protein)
Lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate
Lactoglobulin, lactoferrin
Lactose, lactulose
Milk (derivative, protein, solids, malted, condensed, evaporated, dry, whole, low-fat, nonfat, skim, goat's milk and milk from other animals, milk fat, powder)
Nisin
Nougat
Recaldent
Rennet casein
Sour cream
Sour cream solids
Sour milk solids
Whey (delactosed, demineralized, protein concentrate)
Yogurt