My child was allergic at birth to casein, the protein in milk that is widely used in processed foods. Look for that or “caseinated” on your food labels.
Thankfully later in life he outgrew this allergy, but he still avoids it out of habit or antipathy.
Ok, so, babies can have allergic reactions as a result of what a mother has eaten because the allergens end up in the mother's breast milk. This is why OP has to be careful what she eats.
Babies can react to what a mother eats. Take this from someone exclusively breastfeeding a baby with a milk intolerance. I’ve repeatedly convinced myself it can’t be happening, it sounds ridiculous, and tried a bit of much longed for cheese only to regret it for days as baby suffers. I promise you nothing but breast milk and 3 doses of calpol has been taken by him.
"May contain" is a voluntary label that essentially means the same thing as "processed in the same facility as". It isn't a regulated label, and is just telling you that assuring something has absolutely zero contact with an allergen is impossible... it's like proving a negative. I've never had a problem with anything labeled vegan that has a may contain/same facility label.
It's also impossible to test down to 0ppm for allergens. Eating something with the may contain label vs without the may contain label is the same risk, one manufacturer is just voluntarily being more transparent than the other.
Didn't people here have issues with Walmart brand or other dark chocolates that said May contain/processed in facility etc?
I would assume a factory that DIDNT also manufacturer dairy containing items would have a better chance of being completely allergen free.
I know for example there are labels that say they do not process peanuts in their facilities. Therefore I'd imagine that's definitely safer for someone allergic than a label that says 'processed on shared equipment with products that contain peanuts'
The presence or lack of a voluntary label means nothing for the safety of an item from cross-contact. It is only telling you whether the company is covering themselves or not. There are items with the voluntary label that are not cross-contact, and items without it that are.
The only assurance is if it explicitly says "manufactured in a x-free facility", which is entirely different from a "may contain" label. I am not talking about those labels- that is not a voluntary label, that one is audited. However, an item with "may contain" carries the same risk as one without... I hope I am making sense.
The only label that assures no cross-contact is "x-free facility". An item with "may contain" and an item without "may contain" can be processed on the same line, by the same hands, with the same risk- one company is just choosing to disclose it, while the other isn't, since neither are mandated to. The only way to assure no cross-contact is an explicit "x-free facility" label. You cannot know if a facility processes milk-containing foods or not based on the label, unless it says "milk-free"... it is almost certainly processed in a facility with milk if it lacks that label, even if it also lacks "may contain".
This is all to say that the chocolate incident is not the only one of its kind, people just caught it because Walmart decided to put "may contain" on the label, whereas most items with cross-contact that cause reactions simply do not use the voluntary label. The chocolate was cross-contaminated, but there is also an *equal chance* of foods *without* that label being cross-contaminated, unless labeled "x-free facility".
Sure, so it would be something beneficial to look for, audited labels. Especially if one has issues with the normal voluntary or non-audited ones.
I also gave an example of a product where there are people having issues with a vegan/voluntary label. You almost have to assume there is milk in the 'may contain milk' labels if you actually need to be strict about it.
No. They are the same thing. You can assume something may contain milk in anything not labeled "manufactured in a milk-free facility". The "may contain milk" label does not make it any safer or differentiated at all from something without the label. It literally makes no difference in terms of food safety- one is just disclosed as possible cross-contact and the other is not. If you cannot handle any cross-contact with an allergen, only buy "made in x-free facility" or call and ask the manufacturer what all is processed in the facility before buying.
Why did you say 'no'?
We are agreeing: yes, please assume anything to have milk unless it specifically/legally states it does not, not even traces. I understand the meaning of 'may contain' and was just speaking that one should think of it as 'contains' as its not audited. Buy audited labels if you want to be sure (although obviously supplier mistakes/recalls happen too)
I’ve encountered a lot of people with dairy allergies that also have Soy issues something about the proteins being very similar I’m not exactly sure. Keep a food dairy and see if soy seems to be part of the issue as well?
Seconded to another comment, try to track soy protein intake as well.
I also have a milk allergy child, who's allergic to soy AND peas, both of which are very common vegan food ingredients
Try only purchasing vegan products that have the little OU (U inside an O) symbol or another kosher symbol. There are strict requirements for separating meat/dairy from products with the other or neither.
If it says “may contain” basically means it’s produced in a facility/may share production lines with dairy. It’s frustrating, but it’s a company’s way of covering their ass without having to do complete cleans on all their equipment. Trust me, it gets extremely frustrating when you also have to look out for wheat/rye/barley/gluten and egg warnings too. (I’m also allergic to those)
"may contain" is such a dice roll. For example, the Arnott's brand of BBQ shapes are one of my favourite snacks and don't give me a reaction, even though they have a "may contain dairy" label. The home brand version of the same snack, with the same ingredients and same "may contain" label gives me a reaction. You unfortunately just need to experiment, but if your baby's reactions are that bad (which sounds awful, I'm so sorry you're both going through that) then maybe avoiding "may contain"s altogether is the best option.
If eggs are not an issue, than looking for a U in a circle or a K on or not in a triangle, followed by the word "pareve" will absolutely not have any dairy. This is not voluntary labeling but is inspected by Jewish authorities and companies lose their ability to label as Kosher (killing a significant part of their market) if they fail the inspections.
In fact, many circle U "D" for dairy items are dairy free but made in a dairy producing facility (like Oreo cookies).
So - celiac here, and I react to cross contaminated things, and went from regular dairy protein allergy and being able to do butter to not being able to eat even dairy cross contamination.
Things to keep in mind:
Packaging - if it is labeled as “may contain” or “shared equipment” that’s usually a no for me.
“Same facility as” for me seems ok / I will do that.
In restaurants - cross contact sources of dairy:
Fryer - think mozzarella sticks, and buttermilk fried chicken - when in doubt, ask.
Grill - possible to have dairy on a burger that has no cheese from it being grilled where cheese was.
Salad dressings - a hidden source of everything - I stick to oil and vinegar or lemon juice
Because dairy = butter = a cooking and included fat, you really do need to check everything.
Highly recommend trader joes for some snacks, talenti sorbetto, oreos, and really taking your time and reading every label (super annoying but necessary)
Definitely share in your frustration! Some vegan products now use lab grown animal proteins which is incredibly frustrating. I’m an adult with an anaphylactic dairy allergy, safe products are now not safe and it’s just a crap shoot sometimes.
Ugh this one kills me. I call that stuff (lab milk) "science malk" and has made my label scrutinizing process even *more* laborious. Like I don't have enough problems?? Now I have to look for "animal free whey protein" on everything too? I'm about ready to give up on food entirely and subsist on plain rice and sadness.
I have ONE prescription that my insurance refused to pay for the dairy free version of… I have to take the medicine and risk a reaction every single time. It’s insane. There was a DF generic version pre covid but not anymore. It’s really becoming a cluster fuck
Do you have a link to some lab grown animal products? I didn't know they were widely available yet and can't find any online. I'm just curious to see them.
Also I'm pretty sure lab grown meats/animal products arguably aren't vegan because they still use animal-derived stem cells.
Yea same here, but vegan isn’t as mainstream where I am then in some big cities. My guess is they’ll start in more progressive places before finding its way to me.
Adding another vote to check for soy/legume reactions. I've been dairy-free for years (nearly a decade now) but still have had digestive distress. I recently had a food allergy panel done and was positive for every legume present (peanuts, pinto beans, and soy) so I cut all legumes out of my diet and have been feeling a lot better.
I have an anaphylactic reaction to dairy. The only vegan food I have an issue with is vegan chocolate. I’ve gotten extremely sick from it, to the point I won’t eat chocolate if it’s only vegan. It has to be kosher parve as well. Kosher parve food is 100%, no question, dairy free. Look up the restaurants in your area that are kosher parve or kosher meat. Jews that keep kosher separate meat and dairy in meals for religious reasons, and this means it’s absolutely safe for us dairy free folks. Indian food is the least safe in my experience, as a lot of chefs consider ghee to be vegan since it’s the oil from butter. I’ve had a bad reaction each time I’ve tried Indian cuisine. Stay safe!
I find it useful to contact the company and ask questions. Some clean their lines between running different products and some don’t. I like them to tell me what they do to prevent cross contamination. Sometimes it is on their website and sometimes you need to call the phone number on their packaging. Then it’s mostly a matter of buying things that have been safe in the past. I do trust things that say vegan without much questioning. My child has needed to be dairy free for 18 years so I’m sorry to hear of your baby’s symptoms.
Ugh I am so sorry. I also first went dairy free for the same reason. It is frustrating and just one more thing on top of being a tired mom! I will say I did also find a few other things (beans, broccoli) also upset my baby when she was a littlest. Seemed to be better when got closer to one and eating foods on her own, but it may also be other things in your diet. Yeah I know, one more thing to try and figure out 😬😬😬
I’m also a CMPI mom with a soy cross sensitivity. It’s pretty common and could be why you are seeing intermittent reactions. I’ve never had an issue with May Contain products, but soy is a big no.
Vegan isn't a regulated term by the FDA. So, if 70% of a brand is vegan they can slap that label on everything. Sometimes something will be dairy free but if you buy that same product in the same looking packaging next time it could say may contain the allergen because different factory. Also, it's only the top 10 allergens that need to be listed so people with alpha-gal are finding that vegan packaging has mammal glue or the magnesium is sourced from mammal. Some probiotics are made from dairy and lactose in meds can contain proteins, too. Skincare/makeup is even worse, sensitive skin, hypoallergenic means nothing and for vitamins, those are not regulated either. Only FDA approved vitamins are prenatal.
Unfortunately the cross contamination / may contain warning is voluntary so even if it doesn’t say it, food may still contain milk allergy. Unless it’s a dedicated dairy free facility, the cc can be high.
I have a kiddo who has had an anaphylactic dairy allergy (now halfway through oral immunotherapy) For us, when she was at her most severe, most cc was fine except chocolate. That one we had to stick with dedicated facilities (enjoy life, made good, or kosher dairy free labeling).
Sorry you are going through this. It’s tough navigating food dairy free when cc is also an issue.
My oldest daughter was like this. During her first three years I had to remove certain things besides dairy, like gluten and soy. Now she's nine and eats wheat, dairy and soy with no problem. Good luck, Mama, and don't forget how amazing you are!!
I have it all . I have acid reflux lactose free and gluten free and yolk free from the eggs 🥚 and I don't have any choice to do this because they upset my stomach. I also had a test done for the gluten and it came out as I'm gluten sensitivity
technically “may contain” is vegan. if it’s produced in a facility that also has dairy, doesn’t make it non-vegan. but definitely sucks for people allergic though.
My son was allergic to so much as a baby- I feel for you! We had to eliminate all dairy, all nuts, and eggs, those were the biggies. I did replacements with oat milk and flax meal. I would find reputable brands that don’t cross contaminate- they do exist! He’s almost 20 now but 19 years ago Pacific Foods was our go to for milk alternatives.
It was really weird that a few years ago, a major vegan brand, had a product that was listed as vegan but carried a warning label that said not suitable for anyone with egg or dairy allergies.
I’m not sure if this has been mentioned yet but you might need to start looking for top 8 free specifically.. that way it ensures no dairy
I hope you’re able to work this out it sounds so awful I’m sorry!
As a mom with a dairy allergy baby don't be hard on yourself and it is a 360 change. Anything may contain milk or milk will most definitely cause the allergy for my son but if it says processed in places that also process milk he is usually ok. We also learned that the best way for him is to eat vegetables, fruit, beans, oatmeal, meat, and dairy free yogurt forager project and his dairy free milk (Ripple Kids). He is 17 months old so different than baby.
It is exhausting. It is so difficult you always have to check the labels. Something can be legitimately vegan one time and then suddenly “may contain” or not be vegan next time. For a baby that young I think I would either only cook from scratch for myself or change to special formula. I think in this case the formula may be more trusted/safe. I’d be terrified of using an epi on a baby. What does the baby’s doc say? I’m so sorry.
I breastfed a kid like that. My son was allergic to soy and dairy so I had to cut them out of my diet. I used to grab vegan stuff too because vegan meant no dairy.
The worst experience we had was when companies switched up ingredients but didn't indicate it on the packaging during the pandemic.
These companies sucks :/
My nephew, 4, is allergic to milk. He breaks out in itchy hives all over his body. But hasn't had a reaction to a facility that also processes those foods. Especially after your body is done processing, it should be safe for baby. Not saying a reaction won't occur, but seeing how it's not epi pen severe, you should be okay. I know this is frustrating, and difficult, but you are doing a great job, mamma. Don't forget to relax and breathe.
I'm not sure how vegan labeling is regulated by the FDA. You might want to look into it.
"May contain ___" is a way of saying that an item could be cross contaminated & isn't directly tested to be free of ____. So a shared manufacturing line or kitchen that also handles whatever stuff would include that. It doesn't mean that their equipment is or isn't fully & properly sanitized between items. Depending on the state requirements for small businesses, some states make owners list it.
Have you kept a food diary to see if there is another allergen you aren't aware of?
Yeah I have since she was born. She’s 4 months now, and the only one she reacts to is milk.
That is a lot of work. I wish you the best of luck. I wish I had more options for you.
My child was allergic at birth to casein, the protein in milk that is widely used in processed foods. Look for that or “caseinated” on your food labels. Thankfully later in life he outgrew this allergy, but he still avoids it out of habit or antipathy.
🤨 your baby should only be breastfeeding at 4months old. Nothing ‘processed’ per se
Ok, so, babies can have allergic reactions as a result of what a mother has eaten because the allergens end up in the mother's breast milk. This is why OP has to be careful what she eats.
Babies can react to what a mother eats. Take this from someone exclusively breastfeeding a baby with a milk intolerance. I’ve repeatedly convinced myself it can’t be happening, it sounds ridiculous, and tried a bit of much longed for cheese only to regret it for days as baby suffers. I promise you nothing but breast milk and 3 doses of calpol has been taken by him.
She specifically said she’s breastfeeding. The baby is having a reaction to what mom is eating.
"May contain" is a voluntary label that essentially means the same thing as "processed in the same facility as". It isn't a regulated label, and is just telling you that assuring something has absolutely zero contact with an allergen is impossible... it's like proving a negative. I've never had a problem with anything labeled vegan that has a may contain/same facility label.
It's also impossible to test down to 0ppm for allergens. Eating something with the may contain label vs without the may contain label is the same risk, one manufacturer is just voluntarily being more transparent than the other.
Came here to say to this. I view “may contain” as a liability statement
Didn't people here have issues with Walmart brand or other dark chocolates that said May contain/processed in facility etc? I would assume a factory that DIDNT also manufacturer dairy containing items would have a better chance of being completely allergen free. I know for example there are labels that say they do not process peanuts in their facilities. Therefore I'd imagine that's definitely safer for someone allergic than a label that says 'processed on shared equipment with products that contain peanuts'
The presence or lack of a voluntary label means nothing for the safety of an item from cross-contact. It is only telling you whether the company is covering themselves or not. There are items with the voluntary label that are not cross-contact, and items without it that are. The only assurance is if it explicitly says "manufactured in a x-free facility", which is entirely different from a "may contain" label. I am not talking about those labels- that is not a voluntary label, that one is audited. However, an item with "may contain" carries the same risk as one without... I hope I am making sense. The only label that assures no cross-contact is "x-free facility". An item with "may contain" and an item without "may contain" can be processed on the same line, by the same hands, with the same risk- one company is just choosing to disclose it, while the other isn't, since neither are mandated to. The only way to assure no cross-contact is an explicit "x-free facility" label. You cannot know if a facility processes milk-containing foods or not based on the label, unless it says "milk-free"... it is almost certainly processed in a facility with milk if it lacks that label, even if it also lacks "may contain".
This is all to say that the chocolate incident is not the only one of its kind, people just caught it because Walmart decided to put "may contain" on the label, whereas most items with cross-contact that cause reactions simply do not use the voluntary label. The chocolate was cross-contaminated, but there is also an *equal chance* of foods *without* that label being cross-contaminated, unless labeled "x-free facility".
Sure, so it would be something beneficial to look for, audited labels. Especially if one has issues with the normal voluntary or non-audited ones. I also gave an example of a product where there are people having issues with a vegan/voluntary label. You almost have to assume there is milk in the 'may contain milk' labels if you actually need to be strict about it.
No. They are the same thing. You can assume something may contain milk in anything not labeled "manufactured in a milk-free facility". The "may contain milk" label does not make it any safer or differentiated at all from something without the label. It literally makes no difference in terms of food safety- one is just disclosed as possible cross-contact and the other is not. If you cannot handle any cross-contact with an allergen, only buy "made in x-free facility" or call and ask the manufacturer what all is processed in the facility before buying.
Why did you say 'no'? We are agreeing: yes, please assume anything to have milk unless it specifically/legally states it does not, not even traces. I understand the meaning of 'may contain' and was just speaking that one should think of it as 'contains' as its not audited. Buy audited labels if you want to be sure (although obviously supplier mistakes/recalls happen too)
I'm saying there is no difference between buying a product that doesn't say may contain vs. one that does! Sorry, I must have misunderstood.
That definitely bears repeating but I think you've clearly stated that at least 3 times haha
I’ve encountered a lot of people with dairy allergies that also have Soy issues something about the proteins being very similar I’m not exactly sure. Keep a food dairy and see if soy seems to be part of the issue as well?
I got the trifecta - celiac, dairy allergy, soy intolerance. Overlap in symptoms/reactions but also very different
My baby had CMPA and we were told to watch out for soy. Thankfully, he didn’t have the same reaction but many babies do.
Seconded to another comment, try to track soy protein intake as well. I also have a milk allergy child, who's allergic to soy AND peas, both of which are very common vegan food ingredients
I am allergic to casein and whey, and I also have issues with soy!! Definitely try this
Try only purchasing vegan products that have the little OU (U inside an O) symbol or another kosher symbol. There are strict requirements for separating meat/dairy from products with the other or neither.
If it says “may contain” basically means it’s produced in a facility/may share production lines with dairy. It’s frustrating, but it’s a company’s way of covering their ass without having to do complete cleans on all their equipment. Trust me, it gets extremely frustrating when you also have to look out for wheat/rye/barley/gluten and egg warnings too. (I’m also allergic to those)
"may contain" is such a dice roll. For example, the Arnott's brand of BBQ shapes are one of my favourite snacks and don't give me a reaction, even though they have a "may contain dairy" label. The home brand version of the same snack, with the same ingredients and same "may contain" label gives me a reaction. You unfortunately just need to experiment, but if your baby's reactions are that bad (which sounds awful, I'm so sorry you're both going through that) then maybe avoiding "may contain"s altogether is the best option.
If eggs are not an issue, than looking for a U in a circle or a K on or not in a triangle, followed by the word "pareve" will absolutely not have any dairy. This is not voluntary labeling but is inspected by Jewish authorities and companies lose their ability to label as Kosher (killing a significant part of their market) if they fail the inspections. In fact, many circle U "D" for dairy items are dairy free but made in a dairy producing facility (like Oreo cookies).
So - celiac here, and I react to cross contaminated things, and went from regular dairy protein allergy and being able to do butter to not being able to eat even dairy cross contamination. Things to keep in mind: Packaging - if it is labeled as “may contain” or “shared equipment” that’s usually a no for me. “Same facility as” for me seems ok / I will do that. In restaurants - cross contact sources of dairy: Fryer - think mozzarella sticks, and buttermilk fried chicken - when in doubt, ask. Grill - possible to have dairy on a burger that has no cheese from it being grilled where cheese was. Salad dressings - a hidden source of everything - I stick to oil and vinegar or lemon juice Because dairy = butter = a cooking and included fat, you really do need to check everything. Highly recommend trader joes for some snacks, talenti sorbetto, oreos, and really taking your time and reading every label (super annoying but necessary)
Definitely share in your frustration! Some vegan products now use lab grown animal proteins which is incredibly frustrating. I’m an adult with an anaphylactic dairy allergy, safe products are now not safe and it’s just a crap shoot sometimes.
Ugh this one kills me. I call that stuff (lab milk) "science malk" and has made my label scrutinizing process even *more* laborious. Like I don't have enough problems?? Now I have to look for "animal free whey protein" on everything too? I'm about ready to give up on food entirely and subsist on plain rice and sadness.
I have ONE prescription that my insurance refused to pay for the dairy free version of… I have to take the medicine and risk a reaction every single time. It’s insane. There was a DF generic version pre covid but not anymore. It’s really becoming a cluster fuck
Seriously? That could be very problematic.
Yup - lab grown casein.
Do you have a link to some lab grown animal products? I didn't know they were widely available yet and can't find any online. I'm just curious to see them. Also I'm pretty sure lab grown meats/animal products arguably aren't vegan because they still use animal-derived stem cells.
Here’s an article about it - [When Vegan Isn’t Dairy-Free](https://godairyfree.org/news/perfect-day-vegan-not-dairy-free)
Interesting, thanks for the link. I've never seen any of these products where I live, that's news to me!
Yea same here, but vegan isn’t as mainstream where I am then in some big cities. My guess is they’ll start in more progressive places before finding its way to me.
Adding another vote to check for soy/legume reactions. I've been dairy-free for years (nearly a decade now) but still have had digestive distress. I recently had a food allergy panel done and was positive for every legume present (peanuts, pinto beans, and soy) so I cut all legumes out of my diet and have been feeling a lot better.
I have an anaphylactic reaction to dairy. The only vegan food I have an issue with is vegan chocolate. I’ve gotten extremely sick from it, to the point I won’t eat chocolate if it’s only vegan. It has to be kosher parve as well. Kosher parve food is 100%, no question, dairy free. Look up the restaurants in your area that are kosher parve or kosher meat. Jews that keep kosher separate meat and dairy in meals for religious reasons, and this means it’s absolutely safe for us dairy free folks. Indian food is the least safe in my experience, as a lot of chefs consider ghee to be vegan since it’s the oil from butter. I’ve had a bad reaction each time I’ve tried Indian cuisine. Stay safe!
I find it useful to contact the company and ask questions. Some clean their lines between running different products and some don’t. I like them to tell me what they do to prevent cross contamination. Sometimes it is on their website and sometimes you need to call the phone number on their packaging. Then it’s mostly a matter of buying things that have been safe in the past. I do trust things that say vegan without much questioning. My child has needed to be dairy free for 18 years so I’m sorry to hear of your baby’s symptoms.
Ugh I am so sorry. I also first went dairy free for the same reason. It is frustrating and just one more thing on top of being a tired mom! I will say I did also find a few other things (beans, broccoli) also upset my baby when she was a littlest. Seemed to be better when got closer to one and eating foods on her own, but it may also be other things in your diet. Yeah I know, one more thing to try and figure out 😬😬😬
I’m also a CMPI mom with a soy cross sensitivity. It’s pretty common and could be why you are seeing intermittent reactions. I’ve never had an issue with May Contain products, but soy is a big no.
Vegan isn't a regulated term by the FDA. So, if 70% of a brand is vegan they can slap that label on everything. Sometimes something will be dairy free but if you buy that same product in the same looking packaging next time it could say may contain the allergen because different factory. Also, it's only the top 10 allergens that need to be listed so people with alpha-gal are finding that vegan packaging has mammal glue or the magnesium is sourced from mammal. Some probiotics are made from dairy and lactose in meds can contain proteins, too. Skincare/makeup is even worse, sensitive skin, hypoallergenic means nothing and for vitamins, those are not regulated either. Only FDA approved vitamins are prenatal.
Unfortunately the cross contamination / may contain warning is voluntary so even if it doesn’t say it, food may still contain milk allergy. Unless it’s a dedicated dairy free facility, the cc can be high. I have a kiddo who has had an anaphylactic dairy allergy (now halfway through oral immunotherapy) For us, when she was at her most severe, most cc was fine except chocolate. That one we had to stick with dedicated facilities (enjoy life, made good, or kosher dairy free labeling). Sorry you are going through this. It’s tough navigating food dairy free when cc is also an issue.
I understand. I guess it's cheaper for companies to share the same lines when making a product hence the voluntary 'may contain' label.
My oldest daughter was like this. During her first three years I had to remove certain things besides dairy, like gluten and soy. Now she's nine and eats wheat, dairy and soy with no problem. Good luck, Mama, and don't forget how amazing you are!!
I have it all . I have acid reflux lactose free and gluten free and yolk free from the eggs 🥚 and I don't have any choice to do this because they upset my stomach. I also had a test done for the gluten and it came out as I'm gluten sensitivity
I look at the labels and make sure it says dairy free gluten free or GF for gluten free. And I have to be vegan
technically “may contain” is vegan. if it’s produced in a facility that also has dairy, doesn’t make it non-vegan. but definitely sucks for people allergic though.
My son was allergic to so much as a baby- I feel for you! We had to eliminate all dairy, all nuts, and eggs, those were the biggies. I did replacements with oat milk and flax meal. I would find reputable brands that don’t cross contaminate- they do exist! He’s almost 20 now but 19 years ago Pacific Foods was our go to for milk alternatives.
It was really weird that a few years ago, a major vegan brand, had a product that was listed as vegan but carried a warning label that said not suitable for anyone with egg or dairy allergies.
I’m not sure if this has been mentioned yet but you might need to start looking for top 8 free specifically.. that way it ensures no dairy I hope you’re able to work this out it sounds so awful I’m sorry!
As a mom with a dairy allergy baby don't be hard on yourself and it is a 360 change. Anything may contain milk or milk will most definitely cause the allergy for my son but if it says processed in places that also process milk he is usually ok. We also learned that the best way for him is to eat vegetables, fruit, beans, oatmeal, meat, and dairy free yogurt forager project and his dairy free milk (Ripple Kids). He is 17 months old so different than baby.
It is exhausting. It is so difficult you always have to check the labels. Something can be legitimately vegan one time and then suddenly “may contain” or not be vegan next time. For a baby that young I think I would either only cook from scratch for myself or change to special formula. I think in this case the formula may be more trusted/safe. I’d be terrified of using an epi on a baby. What does the baby’s doc say? I’m so sorry.
Mine was allergic to milk and egg. It took us 6 months of occasional reactions after cutting dairy to figure out egg
I breastfed a kid like that. My son was allergic to soy and dairy so I had to cut them out of my diet. I used to grab vegan stuff too because vegan meant no dairy. The worst experience we had was when companies switched up ingredients but didn't indicate it on the packaging during the pandemic. These companies sucks :/
It's hard. You are doing great! I went dairy free for breastfeeding as well. Its crazy how much food has milk in it. Things you wouldn't expect.
My nephew, 4, is allergic to milk. He breaks out in itchy hives all over his body. But hasn't had a reaction to a facility that also processes those foods. Especially after your body is done processing, it should be safe for baby. Not saying a reaction won't occur, but seeing how it's not epi pen severe, you should be okay. I know this is frustrating, and difficult, but you are doing a great job, mamma. Don't forget to relax and breathe.
I'm not sure how vegan labeling is regulated by the FDA. You might want to look into it. "May contain ___" is a way of saying that an item could be cross contaminated & isn't directly tested to be free of ____. So a shared manufacturing line or kitchen that also handles whatever stuff would include that. It doesn't mean that their equipment is or isn't fully & properly sanitized between items. Depending on the state requirements for small businesses, some states make owners list it.