Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

Q: Our family keeps kosher, and we just found out that my son needs to be on Neocate due to his severe milk allergy. I know some formulas aren’t kosher, can you tell me if Neocate is?

A: Neocate does not have an official kosher certification. However, the London Beth Din Kashrut Division (LBDKD), an independent, leading authority on kosher food and Jewish Law, recognizes the Neocate family of products as Kosher. Please note that we are not affiliated with this organization. Below are some of their websites which may be helpful for you.

• To view an “Approved Product List” which lists Neocate, visit http://www.kosher.org.uk/documents/ApprovedProducts2010_003.pdf.
• To view an “Approved Product List” which lists Duocal, Monogen, E028 Splash, metabolic products, and Ketocal, visit http://www.kosher.org.uk/documents/Medicines2010.pdf.
• You can look up the kosher status of any product using the search feature on the LBDKD website: http://www.theus.org.uk/jewish_living/keeping_kosher/keeping_kosher/kosher_product_search/.

If you are interested in using one of our products and are concerned about the kosher status, you can share the information above with your Rabbi. To contact the London Beth Din Kashrut Division, visit http://www.kosher.org.uk/contact.htm. 

Kosher and Food Allergies

You can look for the kosher symbol on a product, which is usually some variation on the letter U or K (click here to view the commonly used kosher symbols in the US). This indicates that the food has been inspected by a kosher certifying agency. If it has a “D” or the word “dairy” next to it, this means that it contains dairy. If the kosher symbol has an “m” or the word “meat” next to it, this product contains meat and if it has “pareve” written next to it, it contains neither milk nor meat. Fish is commonly classified as “neutral” or “pareve” so keep this in mind if your little one has fish/shellfish allergies.

Don’t forget that kosher labels may not always take cross-contamination into account so it’s possible that there are traces of milk proteins in a product even though it is not labeled as “dairy". So if something has a kosher symbol listing “meat” or “pareve”, you should still read the ingredients closely or call the manufacturer and not assume it is 100% dairy-free.  

Cross contamination is a big concern among food allergy sufferers.  According to Kids with Food Allergies, cross contamination can be defined as “a food being inadvertently contaminated with food proteins other than those listed on the food label during the course of its being prepared, stored or served”.

During Manufacturing and Production:

One way that cross contamination may occur is during the manufacturing of a food. For example, when a safe food is manufactured on the same equipment as an unsafe food, there is a chance for trace amounts of the unsafe food to end up in the safe food. For those with food allergies, even trace amounts of an allergen can lead to serious allergic reactions.

Although the Food Allergen Labeling and consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) requires manufacturers to clearly list the top 8 allergens on the food label, this rule does not account for cross contamination. Sometimes you will see “may contain (allergen)” or “made in a facility that also produces (allergen)” on a label but the manufacturers are not required to list this information. If you have any doubts, call the manufacturers and ask about the possibility of cross contamination. If your child’s allergies are severe and the manufacturer can’t guarantee it is safe, its probably not worth the risk.

By the way, this is why we are proud to say that Neocate is the only amino acid-based infant formula prepared in a 100% milk-free manufacturing site, eliminating the risk for cross contamination!

At Home:

Cross contamination can also happen in your home. Kids with Food Allergies provides some helpful tips on minimizing this risk: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=65.

Eating Out:

Eating out can be intimidating for those with food allergies because you have less control over how foods are handled and efforts to minimize cross contamination. For helpful tips, check out this article from Food Allergy Gourmet.

Food Safety for Everyone:

The risk of cross contamination is not limited to allergy sufferers. Cross contamination of bacteria from foods (such as raw meat, seafood and eggs) is a concern for everyone. To keep you and your loved ones safe, follow these tips from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Have any of your children experienced an allergic reaction as a result of cross contamination?  Any advice to offer other parents?
 

-Mallory