Thursday, October 29, 2009

Neocate and Corn Allergies

We've Moved!To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

It’s common for children with milk allergies to also have sensitivities to other common allergens like soy, wheat and corn. Since Neocate contains “corn syrup solids,” I often get asked if Neocate is safe for children with corn allergies.

The answer is Yes – Neocate is typically safe for children with a corn allergy. Even though “corn syrup solids” are listed on the ingredient list, corn allergies are usually the result of the body being unable to tolerate the corn protein. In Neocate, all of the corn protein has been extracted out of the corn syrup leaving only the corn carbohydrate source which is suitable for a child with a corn allergy. (Also, the corn source in Neocate is non-GMO, which means it does not come from genetically modified organisms.)

However, be careful! Food labels can be confusing and other products listing “corn syrup” as an ingredient, might not be safe for your little one. When in doubt, check with your doctor and/or the manufacturer.

Any other questions about the ingredients in Neocate? Let us know!

-Mallory

2 comments:

Violets said...

Found this post through a google search. Just wanted to add that although "typical" allergies are to proteins, and most kids with mild allergies to corn can tolerate formulas that contain corn syrup without the proteins present, many who are struggling with corn allergies and failing to thrive do not tolerate even the amount of corn in neocate. For these babies, alimentum ready to feed may be the safest choice. To my knowledge, it is still the only formula that is truly corn free on the market.
Babies unable to tolerate the milk in alimentum sometimes need compounded formula.
It's expensive. But I like to pass that knowledge on, so hopefully eventually there will be a second choice for parents in that situation.
***I'm just a corn allergy sufferer, who's been stumbling through the uncorny life for over 5 years.

Baby Health Blogger said...

Thanks for the insight!