Butter and Beef Tolerance in Children with IgE-Mediated Cow's Milk Allergy.

Abstract

Background: Butter and beef are often prejudicially forbidden for children affected by IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy (IgE-CMA). Methods: Children with IgE-CMA underwent prick-by-prick (PbP) test with clarified butter and normal butter, raw and cooked beef. In case of positivity of the PbP, an oral food challenge (OFC) with that food was proposed. Results: Thirty children with IgE-CMA were enrolled. Twenty-five (83%) introduced clarified butter into their diet; the remaining 5 did not want to do so. Fifteen patients (50%) were authorized to introduce normal butter into their diet; 1 patient (3%) was allergic to normal butter; for 14 patients (47%), allergy to normal butter remained uncertain. All 30 patients enrolled ate cooked beef without any problem. No one introduced raw or undercooked beef in his own diet for reasons of hygiene and taste. Conclusions: It is advisable to perform a PbP and eventually an OFC with normal butter, clarified butter, and cooked beef in any child affected by IgE-CMA.