The only form of treatment for milk allergy is the complete removal of milk from the diet. Food allergies can be deadly if avoidance is not practiced diligently.

By checking ingredient lists for milk and milk products, people can limit their exposure to milk proteins. New legislation may make it easier for people to determine if a food item contains a potential milk allergen (a substance the body perceives as a threat, triggering an allergic reaction). As of January 2006, food manufacturers are required by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to clearly list food allergens on their product labels.

Individuals with milk allergies should also be particularly vigilant when eating away from home. Restaurants often use ingredients or cooking methods that result in the milk contamination of "safe" foods that do not normally contain milk. Individuals should always inquire about the ingredients of the meals they are ordering, and find out whether the restaurant’s kitchen properly cleans the surfaces and utensils during food preparation. These same questions should be asked when eating at a friend’s house or in any new environment.

Since an infant or young child is often too young to make dietary or medical decisions, the parents or guardian must take responsibility for keeping the child’s diet milk-free. Parents should also let their child’s school cafeteria or daycare facilities know about any special dietary needs.

It is important to note that individuals who remove milk and dairy products from the diet as a result of a milk allergy often need to take supplements or alter their diets to replace lost vitamins and nutrients – particularly calcium. Multivitamins or other nutrient-rich foods (e.g., fish, eggs) can help replace these lost nutrients. Individuals with a milk allergy should discuss their diets with their physician to learn how to properly replace missing nutrients.

Additional tips for living with milk allergies include:

• Milk allergic individuals should take particular note that the appearance of the phrase “non-dairy” on the packaging of a food does not mean the food is milk-free. The term “non-dairy” signifies that the product is less than 0.5 percent milk by weight. This means that a non-dairy product may easily contain enough milk proteins to trigger an allergic reaction in a milk allergic individual.
  
  
• Individuals with a milk allergy should be aware that milk and dairy items marked as “lactose-free” can still trigger a milk allergy and should be avoided. Lactose-free products contain many types of milk proteins that can trigger allergic reactions.
  
  
• Breastfeeding infants are generally not allergic to human milk. However, a mother nursing a milk allergic infant must discontinue her own milk and dairy consumption because milk proteins can cross over into breast milk in small amounts.

There are currently a number of alternatives available to individuals with milk allergies who wish to drink milk or eat dairy. Many of these are found at health food stores or specialty food stores. These alternatives include:

• Alternative milk. There are several kinds of milk currently available that place substitute proteins in place of cow’s milk proteins. These include:
  
  
• • Rice milk. Does not contain any of the problem proteins found in cow’s milk. However, rice milk does not always contain the same amounts of nutrients as cow’s milk, and a dietary supplement may still be necessary. This is a very safe and popular alternative to cow’s milk.
    
    
  • Soy milk. Replaces cow’s milk proteins with soy proteins. Unfortunately, many children who are allergic to cow’s milk proteins are also allergic to soy proteins. For this reason, a milk allergic individual should only try soy milk under the supervision of a physician.
    
    
  • Goat’s milk. Some individuals who are allergic to cow’s milk can tolerate goat’s milk without symptoms. However, it is not uncommon for a person to a have a cross-reaction between these two types of milk. A milk allergic person should only try goat’s milk under the supervision of a physician.

Almond milk, oat milk, sesame milk and coconut milk are milk substitutes that often cause allergies in young children and infants. They also have very low levels of calcium and are difficult to find. For these reasons these forms of milk are not considered good cow's milk substitutes.

• Hypoallergenic baby formulas. There are several types of baby formulas available that have been treated in such a way that the protein allergens have been partially broken down. Most milk allergic children can tolerate these formulas without symptoms. It should be noted that hypoallergenic baby formulas are much more expensive than normal baby formulas.
  
  
• Non-dairy substitutes. There are some types of foods that commonly contain dairy proteins, but which are also produced in non-dairy forms. These foods can often be found at health or specialty food stores. Some of these dairy-free foods include: