More on Food Label Allergy Warnings

When is dairy-free not dairy-free?

When you carefully check the full list of ingredients on the back of the package to see a warning that milk is present, that's when.

This is all due to the food labeling laws that went into effect last year. All foods should have the new labels by now.

An article by Vikki Valentine, How to Read a Food Allergy Warning Label on NPR.org, gives the details again.

As of January 2006, all food products must clearly say on the package if they contain any of the foods that are responsible for most allergies: milk, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat, egg, crustacean shellfish or fish.

"Before this labeling act went into effect, there were 20 different ways that milk could appear on a label," says Anne Munoz-Furlong, founder of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. "That made it impossible to teach a 7-year-old to look at a label and to know what to avoid. Now, words are in simple language, and you don't need a science dictionary when you go to the grocery store."

For instance, if an ingredient contains casein, which is a milk protein, the label must include the words "contains milk," or the ingredients list must include "milk."

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Dairy Free: "Free" labels, such as "peanut free" and "gluten free," aren't regulated by the FDA. "Dairy free" can be particularly tricky. On the front, a product may say "dairy free," but on the back, casein/milk may be listed under ingredients. Examples of food advertised as "dairy free" that may contain milk: coffee whiteners, whipped toppings, imitation cheeses and some soft-serve ice creams.