Thanks to everyone who responded to my post about ham. I'm sorry to be
so slow in posting back! I called the company that makes Dinner Bell Hams
on Tuesday. The man I spoke to said he didn't know of any ingredient in the
processing or packing of their regular hams that might be derived from
dairy. (I didn't fire off the whole list of alternative names for dairy
products, however.)  He said that none of the products processed in the
plant that makes this ham contain dairy. He did say that their Lower Sodium
Ham is processed in another plant which also processes items containing
dairy, so there might be a chance of cross contamination with that
particular product.
     In response to some of your questions, and to summarize for those who
didn't see the whole thread-- yes it is possible that my son was reacting
to something besides the ham. And even if it was the ham, something else in
the ingredients could have triggered the reaction. The reactions I saw were
nasal congestion followed by an asthma attack, along with loose stools and
some itching. He gets these symptoms in response to milk, but can get them
from other things as well. In fact, we have just started an elimination
diet to try to sort out other food sensitivities, which is why I wanted to
be sure we weren't unknowingly giving him milk.
    Some other possibilities that were suggested for his reaction, if it
was the ham, were sensitivity to gluten, honey, nitrites or the meat
itself. And it sounds like some hams can contain milk products, so the best
thing to do when in doubt is to call the company.
    I didn't mean to alarm anyone! Thanks again!
Jean