Food Allergy to Yeast, Egg and Dairy Ingredients
How to Avoid Eating Foods that may Contain Eggs, Yeast or Milk
Jun 16, 2009
According to the food intolerance consumer guide, one in three people suffer from sensitivity to yeast. Three in every four people suffer from sensitivity or intolerance to dairy. Egg allergies are more prevalent in children under the age of seven – roughly one in ten – while adults with egg intolerance are less common – about one in fifty.
Yeast Intolerance and Hidden Yeast
Yeast is a common bioflora (bodily microscopic plant) that is used by the human body to maintain chemical balance. In our food, it is commonly used in baked goods, and can be found in other grain-based and sugar-based foods.
For those suffering from Candidiasis – an overgrowth of the candida albicans yeast in the body – avoiding foods containing yeast is only one part of the drastic elimination diet required by physicians. These patients are also asked to avoid all sources of refined carbohydrates and simple sugars to re-gain the proper body chemistry, because the yeast actually feeds on sugars. This elimination diet is essentially “starving” the yeast in an individual’s system.
There are some individuals who are sensitive or allergic to yeast itself, without a diagnosis of candidiasis.
The real question that arises with avoiding yeast is what foods contain residual amounts of yeast. Yeast is a naturally occurring plant, and may be present in the drying of coffee, tea or spices. Culturing yeast may be the starting point for the fermentation of foods such as vinegars or ciders. The common food additive citric acid is also created out of a yeast-culturing process.
Because yeasts feed on sugars, yeast can be found in milk products and processed fruit products like canned fruits or frozen juices. As with most food allergies, it is often best to steer clear of any food that has been highly processed.
How to Avoid Egg Ingredients
Eggs are also commonly used in baked goods and breads. In ingredients lists, look for the easy “egg” words like “egg white”, ”egg yolk”, “dried egg”, “egg powder”, or “egg solids”.
The word / prefix “Ovo” also refers to eggs. Related ingredients include “ovalbumin”, “ovomucin”, “ovomucoid”, and “ovovitellin”. Finally, the words, “albumin” and “livetin” refer to egg parts, and the fat substitute Simpless is derived from egg proteins.
In your own baked goods, experiment with various egg replacement substitutions. Possible substitutions for one egg include:
- 1 tablespoon water mixed with 1/2 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil
- ¼ cup of banana or applesauce
- ¼ cup of tofu
The trick with egg substitutions is to avoid the more liquid replacements in recipes that are already quite moist. Anecdotal evidence suggests that flaxseed oil is one of the best “all around” replacements.
Last but not least, do not get vaccinated for influenza if you are allergic to eggs. The flu shots that are created each year are cultured in chicken eggs and are not easily tolerated by those with egg allergies!
Sensitivity to Dairy can be Allergy or Lactose Intolerance
For some people a negative physical response to dairy indicates lactose intolerance, an inability to properly digest the sugar in milk and milk products. For those with lactose intolerance, there are over the counter digestive enzymes available to assist with the digestion of diary products. For others, dairy represents a genuine food allergic response, these people may actually be allergic to the proteins in beef or cow’s milk, and may be able to use goat’s milk as an alternative.
No matter what kind of sensitivity or intolerance is present, it is important to know when products contain milk ingredients. Given that this is such a common sensitivity, often manufacturers are clearly marking products containing milk. However, this is not always the case, and it is important to know the other ingredients that may contain dairy.
Dairy ingredients include “whey”, “lactose”, “milk”, “cheese”, “yogurt”, “cream”, “ice cream”, “milk solids”, “butter”.
Some people – particularly celiacs and others avoiding dietary gluten – are sensitive to casein, a protein found in cheese. Any casein ingredient or derivative is also a dairy product. These ingredients include “casein”, “caseinate”, “calcium caseinate”, “ammonia caseinate”, “magnesium caseinate”, “potassium caseinate”, and “sodium caseinate”.
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