Finding Hidden Dairy Products

Milk sounds so very easy to find, doesn't it? Of course, we all know milk is the stuff you drink. Then there's cheese and ice cream products also.

But what many people do not realize, the food industry has a lot of other words they also use to "describe" the use of milk in the manufacturing industry. So being diagnosed with a milk allergy, even a lactose intolerance, means you now have to learn all of these names also for yours (or a family members') protection.

So some other common food sources to find milk products also includes:

• butter and margarines
• creamed soups or sauces
• canned entrees like, spaghetti, ravioli etc.
• macaroni and cheese boxes
• many dessert selections
• almost all chocolate selections
• milk shakes, malts, powdered drink mixes, cocoa mixes
• pre-packaged salad dressing bottles and mixes
• pre-packaged whipped topping mixes and coffee creamers (even the ones which say Non-Dairy)
• plus many others

Many of the surprising ones, like the non-dairy coffee creamer for example, you must become accustomed to reading the ingredient label. Although they may not have added milk, they did use one of the milk-based proteins within the ingredients. This addition therefore means you now have a type of milk product within that jar. Many of the truly dairy allergic can and will have an adverse reaction.

So, get yourself accustomed to reading that label and look for some of these words also. If you ever see any of them, that means that product does contain milk.

• milk solids, low fat or nonfat milk
• cow, goat, sheep and camel milk may all be a problem for some
• cream, sour cream, whipped cream, half & half and cream cheese
• yogurt and kefir
• lactose or lactalbumin
• any words with casein, caseinate or sodium caseinate
• artificial butter flavorings
• buttermilk or buttermilk solids
• whey or whey protein
• rennet
• ghee or clarified butter
• hydrolysates

There is also many other ways milk can be an added ingredient in pre-processed or pre-packaged foods. Until you become accustomed to finding them all, actually the easiest, and actually the cheapest way to guarantee your safety is just by cooking and preparing your meals for the family right from your own home. After all, if you cooked it, you know what went in it.

What about any of you... what's the most unusual item you found when you first started? What you had difficulty with believing can become a life-saver for someone else just starting out. If you can remember what your stumbling blocks were, let the rest of us know. Thanks for the help!