Hidden Dairy

One place dairy may be hiding in your food is in your meats!  There are two items that are frequently used in meats such as lunchmeat, hotdogs and sausages.

The first is lactose.  Lactose is basically the sugar in milk.  Since it is a sugar it can enhance the flavor of meat, especially the types of meats mentioned above.   It is often added to those kinds of meats for that very purpose.

The second is a group of dairy derivatives: casein, caseinates, and sodium caseinate.  These items are often added to meat products and soy products as well.  Casein, caseinates and sodium caseinate ALWAYS INDICATE DAIRY!  These products are used for emulsification and as binders.

There are many lactose-free and casein-free lunch meats, hot dogs and sausages available at all kinds of supermarkets, and not just the specialty markets.  It is imperative you read the labels and triple check to be sure what you’re purchasing is lactose-free and casein-free.  Often the label will indicate “Dairy Free” and then you can be sure there is no lactose or casein products in the meat.

Eggs are not dairy products. Dairy products are produced by the mammary glands of animals and clearly eggs are not. Eggs are safe for someone to eat who does indeed have a milk allergy or sensitivity, but keep in mind that individuals with a milk allergy or sensitivity is oftentimes allergic or sensitivity to several foods, including eggs. That does not make it causal—it’s just an unfortunate coincidence.