All FDA-regulated and manufactured food products that contain milk or eggs as an ingredient are required to list the word “milk” or “egg” on the label. Here are some less obvious ingredients to watch out for.
Reading a Label for a Milk-Free Diet
Avoid foods that contain any of these ingredients:
- butter fat, butter oil, butter acid, butter ester
- buttermilk
- casein
- casein hydrolysate
- caseinates (in all forms)
- curds
- custard
- diacetyl
- ghee
- lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate
- lactoferrin
- lactose
- lactulose
- milk protein hydrolysate
- pudding
- Recaldent®
- rennet casein
- tagatose
- whey (in all forms)
- whey protein hydrolysate
Here are a few examples of where milk may be unexpectedly found, but it’s not always the case. Read the label to be sure.
- artificial butter flavor
- caramel candies
- chocolate
- lactic acid starter culture and other bacterial cultures
- margarine
- nisin
- nondairy products
- nougat
And these DO NOT contain milk, but you might think they would:
- Calcium lactate
- Calcuium stearoyl lactylate
- Cocoa butter
- Cream of tartar
- Lactic acid (however, lactic acid starter culture may contain milk)
- Oleoresin
- Sodium lactate
- Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Reading a Label for an Egg-Free Diet:
Avoid foods that contain any of these ingredients:
- albumin (also spelled albumen)
- egg (dried, powdered, solids, white, yolk)
- eggnog
- lysozyme
- mayonnaise
- meringue (meringue powder)
- ovalbumin
- surimi
Here are a few examples of where eggs may be unexpectedly found, but it’s not always the case. Read the label to be sure.
- egg substitutes
- lecithin
- macaroni
- marzipan
- marshmallows
- nougat
- pasta