Common Food Allergies: Peanuts, Wheat, and Milk

Dania Sonin May 16, 2017 Allergy, Dairy Products, gluten, Health, Nuts

Cow Milk

Most people are quite familiar with lactose intolerance and in fact, many people are unable to digest large quantities of milk without experiencing uncomfortable symptoms. That’s because most people aren’t naturally able to digest lactose as we grow out of the nursing stage as infants. However, a milk allergy will result in an anaphylactic response, which, again, can be severe enough to be life threatening. And, as with the coincidence of peanut allergies and tree nut allergies, people with a cow milk allergy have a higher chance of being allergic to goat milk and sheep milk.

How to avoid it:

Derivatives of dairy products can be found in many unexpected places and under names that don’t sound related at all. Casein/caseinate, a milk protein, is a common ingredient in processed foods, cosmetics, and even produce. Casein wax, for example, is sometimes used to coat fruits and vegetables — another reason to wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly. It’s also important to note that dairy-free, non-dairy, and lactose-free don’t necessarily mean that a product doesn’t contain milk derivatives. While in Canada casein must be labelled as a milk product, in the US, both dairy-free and non-dairy products can legally contain casein. And of course, supplements, medicines, and cosmetics often have less strict labelling rules.

See all our lactose-free recipes >>

Of course, you should always consult your doctor when dealing with allergies. Stay tuned for our next article on allergies where we’ll cover mustard, eggs,  and soy.

Sources

• Food Allergy Canada. Food Allergens. Accessed: May 15, 2017
• George Du Toit, M.B., B.Ch., Graham Roberts, D.M., et al. The new England Journal of Medicine. “Randomized Trial of Peanut Consumption in Infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy.” February 26, 2015. Accessed: May 15, 2017
• Food Allergy Research & Education. Peanut Allergy. Accessed: May 15, 2017
• Canadian Celiac Foundation. About Celiac Disease. Accessed: May 15, 2017
• Food Allergy Research and Resource Program, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dairy-Free and Non-Dairy? Accessed: May 15, 2017
• Food Allergy Canada. Fast Facts: Food Allergies in Canada Accessed: May 15, 2017

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Author

Dania Sonin

Dania is a web designer and writer, though she loves anything creative and that includes cooking. Add to that a passion for food, and SOSCuisine was a perfect fit!