Between oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, and rice milk, it seems like navigating the dairy aisle has become increasingly complicated. While these products are valuable alternatives for those who need or want to avoid dairy in their diets, deciphering their food labels can be confusing. In this blog, we’ll discuss what to look for on dairy-free product labels to ensure consumers can safely and conveniently buy products.

Check Allergen Labels

If you aren’t sure what to look for on dairy-free product labels, start with the allergen label. The FDA requires that food products that contain common allergens, such as tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, fish, cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, and soybeans, provide clear and legible allergen labels to alert customers. There are several different purposes of allergen labels, but they are primarily important to prevent customers from experiencing allergic reactions to foods.

If you are lactose intolerant or prefer to avoid dairy in your diet, allergen labels should be your first indication of whether food will be safe for your consumption.

Dietary Claim Labels

Unfortunately, not all dietary labels are the same. While the FDA regulates allergen labels, dietary claim labels are not mandated or regulated at all. And since these labels are unregulated, it is crucial to pay close attention to the exact wording. Here are a few dietary dairy claim labels you may come across.

Dairy-Free

This label should indicate that a product contains zero milk-based ingredients.

Non-Dairy

Consumers should read “non-dairy” product labels with more caution. Although the FDA does not regulate this label, it did previously define non-dairy products as those in which milk makes up less than .5 percent of the total product weight. Although this definition is now obsolete, products may still contain small percentages of dairy. Creamers and whipped cream are common products that may still contain small traces of dairy despite these labels.

Lactose-Free

Lactose-free labels indicate that a product does not include milk or sugar. However, these products are often not wholly free of milk-based ingredients like cheese, sour cream, and even buttermilk.

Ingredients Labels

Since the wording of dietary claim labels can change without regulation, it’s imperative to check the ingredient label of products as a final step before consuming foods. All food products must include a complete list of ingredients, which means that they will need to list any dairy products present.

As more and more consumers remove dairy from their daily diets, it is essential to pay attention to how brands market dairy in their products. Once you understand how to navigate the different types of dairy labels, you’ll be more likely to buy projects that suit your health and desire.

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

Shopping is an essential chore for all of us. It’s a tedious task, but not one worth rushing through. While we may want to dash through a shop, throw things in the cart, and leave quickly, there are benefits to stopping and looking closely at each item we select.

Food has a profound impact on our health beyond nutrition and calories. Choosing the wrong foods is like inviting a saboteur into your life. To protect your loved one’s health, learn how to be a more informed consumer with these food-safety tips to keep in mind while shopping.

Check for Damage

The easiest way to protect your family from bad shopping choices is to thoroughly inspect every package. In the fast-paced world of producing food for a nation, accidents happen. That’s why companies provide safety measures such as tamper-proof seals.

Make sure all your selections are properly airtight and all seals are in place. Make sure there aren’t holes of any size in packages and always select produce that looks and smells fresh. Never choose dented or rusted cans since internal damage can compromise the contents. Small steps like these go a long way to prevent sickness caused by contaminated goods.

Choose Safer Packaged Food

Besides checking packages for damage, you should also have a look at the package itself. Food sits in its containers for sometimes years before it’s eaten. The longer a food is in contact with its packaging, the more risk it’s at that chemicals from the package may seep into the food.

Ideally, food is meant to be stored in food-grade packaging. You can be sure of this by looking for model information in the fine print. Plastic bottles used to store soft drinks often are accused of containing BPA, but by learning how to tell you can keep your family safe.

Check Labels for Bad Ingredients

One of the best food-safety tips to keep in mind while shopping is still to read and understand labeling. Information found on food packaging can seem like a jumble of nonsense words. Amidst all of this, there are a handful of very important details to watch for. Certain legal ingredients in the USA are known to cause health issues. Check the label for any words resembling high fructose corn syrup; this common sweetener is strongly associated with obesity.

Aspartame also should be avoided as it and corn syrup frequently worsen allergies and contribute to feeling sick, nauseousness, migraines, and other symptoms. If you feel poorly, check your diet for these and other concoctions. The fewer chemicals and more real ingredients you and your family eat, the healthier everyone will be.

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

Many people have never heard of arrowroot powder. This ingredient is great because it’s very versatile. You can use it to prepare a meal, but it’s also an ingredient in many natural beauty products. The more you know about ingredients, the more helpful they are in your daily life, so we put together a guide that explains the various things to know about arrowroot powder. Read on to learn more.

It’s Gluten-Free–Friendly

Recently, more people have begun trying to understand their bodies better. Food sensitivity tests are becoming more common, and many people indeed find they have a gluten intolerance or allergy. People with food sensitivities or food allergies may struggle to find ingredients that fit within their restrictions. One of the most important things to know about arrowroot powder is that it’s gluten free, grain free, and paleo friendly. Arrowroot powder is also vegan. This means that nearly everyone can use it.

It’s a Good Cornstarch Substitute

Arrowroot powder is a good substitute for cornstarch. For this reason, you can use arrowroot powder in cooking if you have food allergies, particularly corn allergies. Since cornstarch is one of the main ingredients in many dishes, arrowroot is helpful as a substitute for people who cannot use cornstarch.

There’s a slight learning curve to using arrowroot powder. Although it’s a good substitute for cornstarch, it’s not the same. In recipes that call for cornstarch, you need to use a little less arrowroot powder. It’s best to start with less and add more if necessary.

You Can Find It in Beauty Products

Arrowroot powder is a versatile ingredient, so it’s no surprise that you can also find it in many natural beauty products. For example, arrowroot powder is often used in deodorants because it can absorb sweat and moisture. Arrowroot powder is also popular in skin care or beauty products for people with oily or acne-prone skin due to its mattifying effect.

Authored by Inspire Your Journey