Dairy Free Kids

Halloween with a dairy allergy doesn’t have to become a nightmare, it just requires some knowledge of non-dairy treats and some pre-planning.

When I go out with my daughter who has a severe dairy allergy, we know that we will collect millions [on a good night] of chocolate candybars and milk-laden treats, but we have a plan.

We make finding a non-dairy treat an adventure. It really is a nice surprise when she finds a house that is handing out such treats. In addition, there are some replacement treats already picked out which are waiting at the house when we finish our Trick-or-Treating adventure. If she is lucky enough to get some non-dairy treats from her journey, we certainly keep them once we confirm that they do not contain any dairy ingredients. In addition to these precious gems, I bring out the pre-bought selection of non-dairy candy and trade them for the ill-begotten goods which are laced with dairy in any of its forms.

This makes Trick-or-Treating a real adventure, because you never know when you will get something dairy-free amongst the chocolate and other forbidden snacks. It does become an issue of volume, for which I must suffer the consequences after the exchange has taken place. Now where do you think all of the exchanged candy will go? Probably toward a new year’s resolution to lose weight.

So here it is. A list of treats on Halloween that any milk-allergic child will enjoy!

• Stickers and Tattoos - These are a hit with any kid!
• Candy Corn - Humans still consume this. Blueberry Hill Candy corn is dairy-free. Check labels, because some brands are not. If given loosely, then save it for the exchange or toss it at a skeleton for good luck.
  
• Lick’em Aid and Pixie Sticks - Good for getting a large volume of sugar into the bloodstream for wild activity.
• Dubble Bubble bubble gum - Makes good bubbles and is dairy-free
• Hubba Bubba, Bazooka, Bubble Yum - Most of these are dairy free. Check the label to confirm, because some manufacturers use dairy derivatives in the flavoring
• Tropical Source Dairy Free Chocolate Bars - They make great-tasting dairy-free treats. A premium addition to any Halloween haul. On the web at Tropical Source Dairy Free Chocolate Bars
• Jolly Rancher Hard Candies and Jelly Beans - Many flavors, but loose jellybeans are saved for the exchange. Individually bagged Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans are good
• Dum Dum Lollipops - Spangler makes these small lollies in a variety of flavors and uses dedicated equipment to keep them dairy-free
• Push-Pop Candy - Made with buffered lactic acid, but the source is vegetable, not dairy. However, Ring Pops may contain trace amounts of dairy and should be avoided
• Pez - Who could forget Pez and the incalculable number of dispensory devices
• Skittles - Fruit-flavored candy causing global warming due to the rainbow of colors
• Now and Later - Chewey squares of candy that keep dentists in business
• Twizzlers - Fun and not-so-sweet licorice candy
• Starburst Fruit Chews - Colorful squares of dental madness
• Airheads Bars, Xtreme Rolls, Xtreme Belts, AirHead Pops, Whistle Pops - These are all fine. Avoid the Crazy Dips, because they contain a milk ingredient.
• Utz Chips - Some of the flavors of Utz are dairy free. Consult this chart to confirm. Plain ones are dairy-free.

Well, those are some of the treats that we have found to be both delicious and dairy-free. Have a safe and happy Halloween, and if you are in any doubt about a particular treat, set it aside. You can always substitute one of the ones from the list above, knowing that they are dairy-free.

Parents of milk allergic children are often concerned about the ingredients of natural flavoring. The manufacturing of natural flavoring can include dairy ingredients. The legal definition of natural flavorings, as employed by the FDA, states that they can include “dairy products, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional”. Parents then need to read the label to determine if dairy ingredients have been used. Luckily, this is where the Food Labeling Act of 2006 comes in.

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) food manufacturers to disclose in plain language whether products contain any of the top eight food allergens. This law, which took effect on January 1, 2006, mandates that the labels of foods containing milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, and soy declare the allergen in plain language on the ingredient list.

The bottom line is that natural flavoring can contain dairy, but if it does this must be listed on the ingredients list of the products. Using this information, along with the kosher labeling on the front of the package, can be a good indicator that the food is dairy-free.

Nonna’s Real Italiana Cuccine is recalling “Nonna’s Real Italiana Cuccine Stuffed Artichokes” due to undeclared milk, soy, and wheat.

The product was distributed through retailers in the Greater New Orleans area.

The product is in 15-oz. plastic wrapped packages and was distributed from October 8, 2008, to October 17, 2008.

Consumers with questions may call (214) 253-7630.

Source

Dairy Ingredients

These ingredients should be avoided in any amount for the dairy allergic individual:

Lactic Acid

Lactic acid can be made from two sources. One is dairy and is derived from the fermentation of milk sugar and should be avoided completely by someone with a milk allergy. The other source of lactic acid is from vegetables, such as beets, corn or potatoes. This type of lactic acid will show up in vegan foods, as it is non-dairy, and can be consumed by someone with a dairy allergy.

Kosher Food Labels

Kosher food labels are a very helpful resource for anyone with a diary allergy. There are a number of different Kosher certification companies, each with their own standards and practices.You may recognize one or more of these Kosher certification companies.

All of these companies conform to the essential division of meat and dairy, by indicating on the package a D for dairy or the word PARVE, PAREV, or PAREVE for non-dairy ingredients. PARVE foods may contain trace amounts of milk, but for the most part they are very safe to consume. If you see a DE, that is an indication that the product was made on the same equipment that also produces dairy-based products. With DE labeled products, there is a risk of cross-contamination, depending on the methods employed by the factory regarding cleaning and other production methods.

D - dairy, avoid these foods completely

DE - dairy equipment, potential for cross-contamination

PARVE - dairy free, these foods are safe

Checking both the ingredient list on the back of packaging and the Kosher label on the front will help to identify any food products that must be avoided for those with dairy allergies.

Finding a pizza for someone with dairy allergies can be a real challenge. Even more challenging is finding a frozen pizza that will meet all of the criteria for good pizza and not leave a sour taste in your mouth. Well, folks, Tufutti has done it again!

Not only is their Pan Crust Pizza Pizzaz worthy of its name, it meets expectations from a veteran of frozen pizza. The pizza comes in a small box, with three slices inside. Now, I consider anything under eight slices to be tiny, and because this pizza is so delicious, the limited size is even more alarming. The result of such a small pizza is that two of the three pieces are end pieces, but due to the crispy, crunchy crust, that is not a problem.

The sauce is sweet, and a very nice compliment to the crispy crust. The soy cheese actually melts like real cheese, but it gets very hot, so please let this pie cool down before consuming. Tofutti has done a remarkable job in producing a Mozzarella-like cheese that is entirely non-dairy. The pizza has a unique taste, unlike most frozen pizzas which leave the consumer with either heartburn or clogged arteries. At only 5 grams of fat per slice, the entire box has less fat than a single cheeseburger. No trans fats, either.

In summary, this is the best non-dairy frozen pizza I have tasted. This could be due to the limited availability of such an item, but it also derives from the fact that this pizza is one of the better tasting frozen pizzas, with or without dairy, and is just plain delicious. Availability is growing, and I have seen this pizza in major grocers, not just the boutique stores like Whole Foods. So, check your local frozen food section for this great tasting, non-dairy pizza!

TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) — Responding to concerns that food labels aren’t doing enough to alert consumers to the presence of allergens, or that the labels are just plain confusing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is hosting a public hearing Tuesday on what it can do to improve things.

“If you go down the candy aisle and you pick up any number of candy bars or other confectionery products, you are going to see a variety of these ‘may contain’-type labels: ‘may contain peanuts,’ ‘processed on shared equipment,’ ‘manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts or milk or whatever it is,’” said Anne Munoz Furlong, founder of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network in Fairfax, Va. “Nobody knows what it means. Some [labels] are completely ridiculous, and the result is that consumers are confused and are forced to have very limited food choices or take risks.”

“We would like to see all of the food industry adopt one set of criteria for using these descriptions and a limited number of those descriptions,” Furlong added. “There are about 30 different ways to say ‘may contain’ on the marketplace. That’s way too many.”

One result of the current confusion, Furlong said, is that teenagers, who are the most at-risk group for fatal food-allergy reactions, report they are taking risks as a result of unclear labeling.

The hearings are part of a “long-term strategy” on the part of the FDA to help manufacturers upgrade their labeling practices, making them both clear and truthful.

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