Does Anyone Know About Kosher Food

wouldn't it be easiest just to go vegan?
or as one of my friends who is sensitive to dairy does, eat meat but no dairy products at all?
ETA, diane, you are a font of usefulness! what a fascinating post- thanks for all that information.
khairete
S.

I'm sorry you are going through yet another issue with your daughter.

I think there are misconceptions about casein. There are 2 kinds, one of which is rennet-based. Since rennet comes from the stomach of an animal (and is therefore considered "meat"). Kosher laws prohibit a lot of things, but one is the mixing of meat and dairy products. Other laws relate to the type of animal (e.g., no pigs or shellfish) but others relate to how the animal is slaughtered and what condition the animal is in at slaughter (e.g. must be blemish-free and defect-free). So, bacon and pork aren't kosher. But while a cow is a kosher animal, its meat may not be if certain slaughtering techniques were used or if the animal wasn't in prime condition. Finally, even if a cow is slaughtered according to Jewish dietary laws and is pronounced blemish-free, its meat or other body products (such as rennet) still cannot be mixed with milk. The kosher meat can be consumed at one meal, and the cow's milk can be consumed at another, but they can't be mixed together.

So, a kosher dairy product means it comes from an "approved" cow and contains no meat products such as rennet. But there is also casein that is "kosher" - but it's still a dairy product. So it depends on exactly what your daughter is allergic to.

Kosher products are certified by a number of rabbinic authorities, and different consumers rely on different authorities as being strict enough. Designations appear on many products that you already have in your home. There is usually a "K" of some sort (different fonts, sometimes inside a triangle), and also an OU certification (a U inside an O - from the Orthodox Union), also one that says K/VH (kosher by the Vaad Ha-ir, another authority), and others. If it says K/D it means it's a kosher dairy product, and if it says "P" or "Pareve", it means it has no dairy in it at all and can be consumed with a meal that is either meat based or dairy based. Lots of things are Pareve - vegetables, fruit, most fish, eggs, many grains, etc. So, Triscuits and Lay's Potato Chips are kosher (look for the OU on the package) even though they contain neither meat nor dairy.

What a kosher/pareve product tells you is that there is absolutely no "contamination" by dairy or meat products at all - it means the processing facility is supervised by a rabbinic authority. Sometimes kosher products are in a separate section in the supermarket, but mostly they are scattered on the shelves along with everything else because most people don't look at the labels very carefully. Observant Jews pretty much learn which products are kosher, and just buy by the brand name, so products don't have to be isolated.

If your daughter is supposed to avoid dairy, then she avoids dairy - kosher or otherwise. If she's supposed to avoid rennet-based casein only (not all casein), then a kosher dairy product would be okay. You'll have to get clarification from her doctors about that.

I have to take issue with Reverend Ruby's comments about soy. The idea of soy being estrogenic and therefore harmful to, say, estrogen-responsive tumors (breast or ovarian cancer, for example) or responsible for early puberty was debunked a long time ago. One medical journal that published a study retracted it when the scientist's findings could not be duplicated, and they apologized. The info still appears in a number of blogs written by people who have lifted that outdated info from old publications and continued to publish it as fact, but no serious scientists even entertain that anymore. There were years during which people were told not to eat soy products, but the problem with soy is not in the product itself, but in the processing! In fact, a peptide in soy (called lunasin) is a key ingredient in soy's beneficial properties. It's been heavily researched for its cancer-preventive and epigenetic properties. It's something that is stripped out of most processed soy but exists in varying amounts in non-GMO soy that's not processed in alcohol or hexane or other harmful substances. A quick look on pubmed.gov will show you how many institutions are happily looking at it for its anti-cancer properties. So any early menarche (onset of periods) is more likely due to the hormones added to products or the chemicals involved, and there is no basis whatsoever for blaming soy for this.

If I can be of more help to you, PM me.

My son has a dairy allergy and he has avoided dairy 100% for the last seven years. Kosher dairy items DO still contain dairy. Only Kosher meat or parve items will be dairy free. Do not rely on a kosher label alone to think it's dairy free. You will have better luck with items that say Vegan or dairy-free. Looking at kosher items is most helpful for me when I'm choosing a meat item, like hot dogs or lunch meat, as no kosher meat product will ever contain dairy.

All of the dairy-alternative products we buy are in our local grocery stores - Ralph's (part of the Kroger family), Sprouts, and Whole Foods all have a good variety. Even Target has some now.

We use Earth Balance "buttery spread" (margarine) instead of regular butter. It's available in a spreadable tub and also in sticks. Fleischmann's unsalted margarine sticks are also dairy free (but the salted variety are not). It is not true that there is only one dairy-free margarine on the market. We used to use Smart Balance, but discovered Earth Balance and prefer that one.

For yogurt, my son likes the So Delicious brand, which makes both soy and coconut milk yogurts. He used to eat the soy, but more recently started preferring the coconut milk. The same is true for this brand's ice cream.

For cheese, we have found Daiya shredded cheese to be the best for melting, so we use it in things like pizza or lasagna. Please note that A LOT of soy cheeses still contain either casein or whey (the other protein that causes a lot of dairy allergies), so you need to read the labels very carefully.

We keep our cupboards stocked with dairy free snack foods, many of which are totally common items: Wheat Thins, Ritz, Z bars (several flavors but not all), Orville Redenbacher's "simply salted" natural popcorn, Fig Bars, Nature Valley granola bars (some flavors), animal crackers, and many many more.

For baking, the Ghiradelli DOUBLE chocolate brownie mix is incredibly delicious and completely dairy free. The triple chocolate mix is NOT dairy free. Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips are also dairy free. Even Duncan Hines cake mixes (many but not all) and frosting (most) are dairy free.

For cream cheese and sour cream, we buy Tofutti brand "better than cream cheese" and "better than sour cream."

I recommend baking cupcakes and freezing a batch (we freeze about a dozen at a time) so that you can bring one whenever you go to a birthday party. We also keep frozen pizza on hand, as most bday parties serve pizza. Daiya brand and Amy's brand make good dairy free pizzas (for Amy's, you need to find the one that says Cheeze, as not all of them are dairy free).

The whole things takes time to figure out. It can be very scary and frustrating in the beginning, but it is SO much easier now that he's eight years old than back when he was a toddler/preschooler. Make sure your friends and family, daycare/school, and anyone else that she spends time with are all completely aware of her allergies. Do not allow them to offer her any food (other than things like fresh fruit and veggies) without checking with you first. When my son is at a friend's house, or if a friend is buying food for an upcoming party or event, they will often text me a picture of the ingredient list so I can verify if it works for him or not. Do not feel uncomfortable about asking the host of a party in advance what food will be served - don't expect or ask them to alter things for you, but simply find out so you can bring an appropriate alternative. My son really likes to have the same type of food as everyone else.

Finally, don't let people scare you away from soy. When they're little, soy milk has the best nutrients and is the best alternative to cow's milk - it is most similar in terms of the good fats, vitamins and calcium. It's ok to limit soy somewhat, but to be dairy free and soy free is incredibly difficult. When you're trying to negotiate a dairy-free lifestyle for the first time, the last thing you need is to worry about soy.

I know my post was long, but I sure wish someone had sent me something like this when my son was little! PM me if you have any questions - I am happy to help.

You are confusing kosher dairy with kosher foods. Kosher is the Jewish laws that govern how food is raised, harvested, stored, and prepared. Kosher dairy is dairy. kosher non-dairy or pareve are free of dairy proteins.

Grandson #2 has the same allergy. Read all labels because dairy and casein are in things that will amaze you including margarine. Trader Joes has some good non milk cheese and there are a couple good soy based margarines. Read labels.

Kosher refers to the food being prepared or manufactured according to Talmud/Jewish law in an approved kitchen/facility. It does not mean it is safe for a dairy-sensitive person to eat or that it doesn't contain casein.

To avoid casein you'd want to look for the word Parve, which means it contains neither meat nor dairy.

I suspect the products you read about are non-dairy substitutes. For example, the Diaya brand is Kosher Parve: http://us.daiyafoods.com

Hope this helps.

I know that you said you realize that IgG testing "may or may not be entirely scientifically reliable" but that you are willing to try it anyway. Fine.

I am going to post the following information to clarify that there isn't really a question about the reliability of this type of test for the diagnosis of allergies--it simply isn't a proven method for diagnosis. If you are not interested, stop reading now, but just in case, or for anyone who reads this post looking for info for their own family, I think it is important that the facts be presented. I know that before I made a huge dietary change for my ailing child, I would want to be sure that I was using a proven diagnostic tool to be sure we were getting the best possible information and not wasting our time/energy on something that wouldn't make them better.
__________
From http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/page/unproven-method...
"In IgG testing, the blood is tested for IgG antibodies instead of being tested for IgE antibodies (i.e., the antibodies typically associated with food allergies). The existence of serum IgG antibodies towards particular foods is claimed by many practitioners as a tool to diagnose food allergy or intolerance. The problem with this is that IgG is a “memory antibody.” IgG signifies exposure to a food, not allergy to a food. Since a normal immune system should make IgG antibodies to foreign proteins, a positive IgG test to a food is a sign of a normal immune system. In fact, a positive result can actually indicate tolerance for the food, not intolerance. There is no scientific evidence to support IgG testing for the diagnosis of food allergies."
__________
From: https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/igg-food-intolerance...
"So where does immunoglobulin G (IgG) come in? IgG molecules mediate interactions of cells with different cellular and humoral mechanisms. IgG antibodies signify exposure to products—not allergy. IgG may actually be a marker for food tolerance, not intolerance, some research suggests:

Children with eczema and egg or milk allergies with higher levels of IgG to milk/egg were more likely to be tolerant of these foods at a later age.
Resolution of cow’s milk allergy is associated with increasing IgG
A study found increasing IgG in patients who underwent oral immunotherapy for milk or peanut allergy

That research is continuing. But given the lack of correlation between the presence of IgG and physical manifestations of illness, IgG testing is considered unproven as a diagnostic agent as the results lack clinical utility as a tool for dietary modification or food elimination."

My son had a casein allergy when he was little -- man, you'd be surprised at what has casein in it....watch out for those packaged rices, like pilafs, which use sodium caseinate as a seasoning...chicken nuggets have milk in the coating....my son loves cheese and all the rice and soy cheeses I found had casein in 'em...read all your labels......my munchkin enjoyed the enriched rice milk by Rice Dreams...I hear the almond milk is good too but mine is highly allergic to tree nuts, particularly almonds

and believe it or not, back then at least, the creamy filling in oreos did not contain any dairy... go figure
My son did outgrow the allergy after a while but we still go kind of easy on dairy

Also, you may want to check out Whole Foods , but still read your labels

Good luck

My nephew also has allergies to dairy (not lust lactose, but the proteins in it) and cannot eat ANY dairy. My sister gets him rice cheese and other non dairy items. It will take some time to get used to the taste difference but if your kid likes cheese, yogurt, etc. it's worth it.

I suggest finding a health food store near you so you can find different options or just cut out all dairy from her diet. She can get calcium from other sources.

I'm lactose intolerant which is very different than an allergy to the protein in cows or goat milk. I just wanted to tell you that non-dairy milk works very well as a dairy substitute. I use it with cereal. I drink it, I cook with it. I first used rice milk. I primarily use coconut milk and almond milk now because I like their creamy looks and taste. Rice milk looks like non fat milk and has the most neutral flavor. I like the flavors of coconut and almond best.

You have to go dairy free completely. This is not easy, you will have to read every label on every food item you buy. There is only one margarine on the market that does not contain dairy.
I would also advise on too much soy foods. Soy contains estrogen, this could put her into early puberty.
My granddaughter is autistic and her mom put her on a dairy free diet several years ago. She drank soy milk for years and at 9 1/2 she had her first period. I am not sure it was the soy but it is worth looking into.