Hidden presence of cow's milk proteins in foods.

Cow's milk is one of the first foreign proteins ingested by infants and is one of the most common and potent food allergens. The presence of cow's milk is widespread due also to its unlabelled inclusion as an ingredient, or to errors in cooking, processing and preparation, and in restaurant food. As several foods may contain cow's milk in a hidden form, foods for allergic babies should be prepared at home or with food items with all their ingredients listed on the label. Parents should be provided with appropriate material and instructed how to detect potential sources of hidden cow's milk by judiciously reading food labels to avoid possible untoward reactions. A study on products with potential hidden forms of cow's milk or its proteins is reported herein.