Hi. I recently saw vegan ice cream that said contains milk. I thought vegan meant dairy free?
Welcome to the new world of engineered proteins!! I hope you can hear that cheesy announcer voice I said that in because like you, I’m not amused.
There’s a new trend for vegan-focused companies to replicate milk proteins without having animals involved. However, if you’re allergic to milk, you can absolutely have an allergic reaction to this.
Veganism is choosing to avoid all animal products due to ethical reasons. A milk allergy is removing milk and dairy products for health reasons. Whilst there’s an overlap with the two groups, most vegans don’t have a milk allergy. They would be happy to consume “milk” if no animals we involved, and that’s where these engineered proteins come into play.
Rather than go too deep into it here, read this article where I tell you everything you need to know. What it means, products to avoid, words to look for, and how to keep yourself and your family safe.
Happy reading!
~The Allergy Chef
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