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If you have a dairy intolerance and so can't eat milk, cheese or cream, you have to follow a dairy-free diet. But it’s no hardship: we’ve identified nearly 300 recipes at Delia Online that you can enjoy. Find out more, plus useful sources of recipes and information. 

Lactose intolerance is the most common form of milk intolerance, and is the result of the body producing insufficient amounts of the lactase enzyme needed to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. Common symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation. Avoidance of milk products can lead to a low calcium intake, so it is important to look for good non-dairy sources of calcium or soya milk products that have been fortified with extra calcium.

When milk isn't called milk

The following items are made from milk and will, therefore, contain milk proteins

Casein
Caseinate
Whey
Whey Powder
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
"Beverage Whitener" (generally)
Caramel (sometimes okay if pure colour and not adulterated)

We have looked at all the recipes on the site and put together a list of the ones that are suitable for those following a dairy-free diet, including Ajo Blanco (Chilled Almond Soup), above left. However, you could also try substituting milk in other recipes with soya products, but please bear in mind that we have not tested these, so cannot guarantee that you will get the same results. In addition, you can omit cheese from some recipes and use another ingredient.

Delia's dairy-free recipes:

Meat recipes 
Fish and seafood
Pasta, rice, noodles and pizza 
Poultry and game 
Salads 
Snacks, lunches and light suppers 
Soups 
Vegetable and side dishes 
Sauces, preserves and pickles 
Cakes, biscuits and desserts

Useful websites:
Sainsbury’s Freefrom range:
(follow the signposts to healthy eating and food intolerances), endorsed by Allergy UK (see below), is the first specially produced supermarket range of gluten-, wheat- or dairy-free products. The Sainsbury’s website also features about 100 recipes suitable for allergy/intolerance sufferers. Sainsbury’s can also supply a product list of own-label foods that do not contain milk or milk products.

www.sainsburys.co.uk

PK Foods:
Supplies dairy-free foods by mail order. Contact PK Foods, Unit 270, Centennial Park, Centennial Avenue, Elstree, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 3SS (020 8953 4444; fax: 020 8953 8285) e-mail: ellis@glutenfree-foods.co.uk

PK Foods

Allergy UK (020 8303 8525)
a medical charity for people with allergies, provides advice and support via its helpline on 020 8303 8583 (9am-9pm, Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm, Sat and Sun) and will send advice booklets to its members on all aspects of allergy e-mail: info@allergyuk.org

Allergy UK

www.lactoseintolerance.co.uk
gives information about foods and supermarkets, has magazine articles, information about support groups and helplines and tells you about helpful books.

www.lactoseintolerance.co.uk

Food Standards Agency: www.food.gov.uk


Allergic Reaction Central: www.allergic-reactions.com

NB Recipes on the above sites have not been tested by Delia Online.

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