# milk allergies



## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Anyone out there dealing with actual diagnosed cow's milk allergies (as opposed to intolerance) either for their family or their customers? I am asking because a friend is interested in milk for her daughter. They already know that the daughter can drink goat milk (though when they tried it in the past, they got it from the store and didn't like the taste), but I am wondering about the cultures for cheese and yogurt. I imagine that even if you buy the plain cultures (and don't use store bought buttermilk or yogurt for starters), that they probably grow those cultures on cow's milk. So if people have actual allergies to cow's milk, do the cultures used to make goat cheese and yogurt cause them problems? I emailed dairy connection to ask about it, but haven't heard back yet.
Thanks!


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Gosh I don't know but you could make cultures from kefir using goat milk ie: butter milk and even make a type of chevre from kefir.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

You can just rennet with vegetable rennet and not actually culture to get some cheese products.


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## Leo (Mar 10, 2008)

Poor girl. 
I found this, it might help:


> What other foods or products need to be avoided?
> 
> When your baby starts eating solid foods, you'll have to be very careful not to give her cow's milk or any food containing milk or milk products for as long as she remains allergic to milk. And if you have any doubts about what's in a particular food, it's best to play it safe and not give it to your child.
> 
> ...


Like Sondra said Kefir is really good to make cheese, you wash the grains in water, and put them in GM, and like buckrun said with the veggi rennet it's ingredients are Microbial coagulant Mucur Pussillus/Mucur Miehei, mainly, some have additives such as salt, or Cellulose Microcristaline, so animal protein free).
Megan
Megan


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## MayLOC (Oct 26, 2007)

hsmomof4 said:


> Anyone out there dealing with actual diagnosed cow's milk allergies (as opposed to intolerance) either for their family or their customers?


Yes, we are in our family. But I don't know the answer to your question. sorry.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Well I am allergic to cows milk according to blood tests from the doctor. Evidently it is the whey portion of the milk that causes the problems. I have never had any trouble with any of the cultures but I am sure it would depend on the severity of the allergy. Mine is not severe, as I can eat cheese and butter from cows milk without problems.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

So you have protein allergy- A1 beta-casein you need either non Holstein cows milk or GOAT!
The proteins are different types and the most common allergy is to type 1 and goats humans and wombats - zebu cattle are type 2. When breeding for capacity something changed genetically in the Holstein and Frisian lines and many people have this allergy. Jersey are mostly type 2. But most commercial products are from Holsteins. Guernsey is ok- they are mostly type 2- a high percentage. There was a great article about this and I cannot find it. Will post link if I run across it again.
You can tolerate the cheese because the protein has been denatured by heating and in butter there is very little left after processing. 
Search A1 and A2 milk and see what you can find.

http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/beta-casein-a1-and-a2-in-milk-health/


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

All very interesting and helpful, thank you. This particular family has a number of people allergic to milk...some just get hive/rash type reactions, others have upper respiratory stuff (wheezing, etc) that goes on. Obviously, if you have breathing problems, it's a much bigger deal than if you just break out in a rash. 

Hmmm...maybe we need to have dairy wombats. :rofl


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