Hidden dairy

Hidden dairy is the most dangerous kind. You’re going along with your head sorted as to what your child can and can’t have and all of a sudden one day they get stomach pains again and you go through what they’ve eaten only to discover it was something you gave them unknowingly. Of course this would be much more serious in case of someone with a milk allergy. This is a short list of some of the many foods which can contain unexpected dairy:

• processed ham
• chicken slices
• turkey slices
• burgers
• jam
• crisps
• biscuits
• pesto
• jelly sweets
• fruit ice lollies
• fish fingers
• battered fish

• caramel

• chicken broth
• bread
• hot dogs
• margarine
• salad dressings
• mixed spices

Basically it is worth checking any and all processed food ingredients, especially processed meat, to see if they contain milk products.

I bought some Angus burgers in SuperValu recently. When I was just about to throw them on the grill, I took a look at the ingredients and was dismayed to realise that they contained dairy. What was meant to be a quick dinner for the kids ended up being just for the adults. This is a good example of an unusual place that you might find dairy.

Other examples which i come across frequently are the likes of  prepackaged ham or chicken. These often contain milk products, and I tend now to stick to the one or two brands that I know for sure don’t contain them.

As with all products, it is good to have a list of brands that you know are ‘safe’, but it is always worth checking them regularly to see if ingredients have changed, especially if they get packaging makeovers.