Questions on allergic reaction to milk

Milk allergy happens within seconds or minutes of ingestion of a milk-containing product. Majority of the cow's milk protein is in curd and the most common of them is the casein. Whey is the water which separates out.


People can be allergic  to casein / whey / both. When a person who is allergic to milk eats a food that contains milk, the body's immune system mistakes the milk proteins as fatal "invaders" The immune system reacts by producing specific antibodies immunoglobulin E (IgE)  , which fight off the “invader.” Milk allergy affects the skin (swelling and eczema), respiratory tract (coughing, sneezing and asthma) and the gastro-intestinal tract (diarrhoea and vomitting).