Sandy,

My 4 1/2 year old daughter has been severly allergic to milk since she was
a baby (first exposure was at 6 months).  On her most recent blood test
her score was over 50.  This spring she was seen by a top pediatric
allergist in Baltimore (he is on the medical advisory board for the Food
Allergy Network), and he told us that ANY food labelled U-D is NOT okay to
give her.  There are two reasons for this 1- to avoid a possible reaction,
and 2- to avoid even the most minute exposure to dairy products.  The
latter is very very important because it provides your child's best
defense for overcoming the allergy-- that is, the longer your child goes
without ANY exposure to milk, the better his/her chance of outgrowing the
allergy.  Fo
r example, you could give your child these cookies and he/she
might not experience a reaction but that does not mean he/she did not have
an exposure to a milk ingredient.

I find it very frustrating to find safe snacks for her, but since visiting
this pediatric allergist, I have stopped giving her any processed foods
unless it is labelled U or U-pareve.  If there is no kosher marking I
don't give her the product.

There is a oreo-type cookie that is kosher-pareve made by a brand called
Mi-Del.  I have a hard time finding them, though.  There is a kosher
supermarket here that carries them but that is the only place I've found
them.  Tofutti also makes an excellent chocolate chip cookies, but again,
I have a difficult time finding them.  I used to get them at Trader Joe's
(they carry other great dairy-free items such as "better than cream
cheese" and a sour cream type product, as well as Tofut
ti Cutie ice cream
sandwiches) but not anymore.  Tofutti is supposedly working on an online
store and then we will be able to order the cookies directly.  If I run
into any other places to get these products, I'll let you know.

Patty