Heidi is a Migros brand for preservative-free dairy products from farms in the mountains, the cows probably eat healthier but Migros doesn't specify what.

For persons with food allergies, Reformhaus shops are an option. A forum search will give some useful results.

Thanks very much I didnt intend to cause any drama here!! and I TOTALLY agree with the previous poster who said that just because something isnt labelled gluten free it isnt - its just when you have a 1yr old and a 3yr old you do everything you can to not make them severely sick - right?

Hi there
Im a very sensitive coeliac and Ive never come across this product in the UK and US? Ive never had trouble with milk. What I do remember which may be of interest to you was when I was first diagnosed (5 years old) I was allergic to a lot more than gluten as a result of exposure to gluten. For example red meat and fruit. It took about a year on a total GF diet when I was able to start eating these extra foods.

BTW, regarding breastfeeding I recently read an article about GF antibodies being passed in breast milk at approx 6 months. Therefore to discourage Coeliac disease to BF for a minimum of 6 months. Im currently BFing my daughter for that reason. If I find the article Ill pm it to you.

I don't know anything about this topic but a quick google search found the following:

http://www.emmi.ch/english/consumer-...n/gluten-free/

http://www.emmi.ch/fileadmin/user_up...e_products.pdf

Not sure if it is of any use but Emmi products are certainly available here in Switzerland. Good luck!

Thanks - that is reassuring My youngest is 17months and still breastfeeding (I breastfed my first for 16months - shes now 3.5yrs). I'm not celiac myself but my husband is and so are my two daughters, so when we've always used milk labelled "gluten-free", but are now thinking that we should trial "regular" milk not labelled as it'll probably be OK! I'd love to see the article if you find it

Thanks very much - thats really helpful

if it help any, we've just moved here and my son has coeliac - he's been on a gluten free diet for 18 months - and there's heaps more here than in Australia that is 'normal' food gluten-free - in Aust they add a lot of wheat thickeners to lots of things.

Also, not sure about US, but in Australia to claim something is 'gluten free' it has to be tested (which costs money), many products that don't contain gluten are not labelled because it's a marketing tool they don't need (no-one bothers to label, for example, tomatoes as 'gluten free'.

My son has no problem with normal cow's milk, but as the other poster said, it took quite a while on a gluten-free diet for his system to heal and for him to tolerate things.

My daughter, who definitely doesn't have coeliac, is allergic to lots of other things, so both my kids have special diets _ I know what it feels like!

We weren't referred to a dietician with the coeliac, but my son has Type 1 diabetes as well, and standard care for diabetes is regular appointments with the dietician - I have found the dieticians a fantastic source of information and would highly recommend them - especially if you can get someone via the coeliac society who is familiar with feeding small children (and breastfeeding etc).

I've never heard of gluten going through breastmilk - my son only developed coliac after I stopped breastfeeding him... breastfeeding is considered protective as well if the child is still being breastfed when wheat is introduced.

Out of curiosity - was your toddler (who you are still breastfeeding)tested for coeliac, and how did they test ? - my third bubs is still breastfed and we have chosen to introduce wheat early to his diet, rather than late, because of a european study they are doing at the moment...

My local MMM has soya milk on the shelf.

Rgds,
Nick

Thanks for your reply - I will definitely try and get in contact with a dietitican if/when we go to switzerland.

Our toddler who is still breastfeeding hasnt been tested so we dont know for sure if she is celiac, just that she is supersensitive to me eating anything containing gluten (even relatively trace levels) and given that her dad and older sister are celiac/gluten sensitive we are assuming the same for her too. At one time (approx 6months of age) she picked up a tiny piece of cracker in a store and tasted it and half an hour or so later she was very violently sick and then had all the other symptoms (watery bowels, reflux, gas pains, no sleeping etc.) for the next 2-3days. We havent therefore tried introducing wheat as we're pretty sure that she wont tolerate it well. As I said she may not be classic celiac but she is highly gluten-sensitive even to gluten cross contamination in foods.

Good luck with introducing wheat to your third

Hi I was interested in the soy milks. My four kids are all milk protein intolerant and are on soy milk here. After much taste testing I have found alpro soy/provamel (brand name may vary) to be the nicest unsweetened one. Do you know if this is available in CH (near Geneva) or one that tastes like it? They also do a lovely range of fresh soy yoghurts in a variety of flavours. Don't mean to sound like an ad.....

Basically, there's a milk called A2 milk in New Zealand that is now being produced on a grander scale on the premise that standard milk with the A1 protein could be harmful to some people. Semen from A2 bulls is being used more widely in New Zealand at the moment. A review is currently being undertaken but a body in the EU (I think it's the EU), which should shed more light on the situation. I think it's due in November, but I could be wrong...certainly around then some time.

Regarding grain-fed cows, Europe still favours grass-fed over grain-fed. The US went crazy for grain-fed cows injected with hormones (rBST) a few years ago, but the hormone is now basically unpopular and demand is dropping. Australia turned to grain when the drought made it too difficult to use grass. At a dairy conference last year, a CEO for a company based in Australia said there had been no consumer backlash and that nobody had noticed the difference. Indeed, he said, the public was behind the struggling dairy farmers. My cealiac (I can never spell that) friend back in Melbourne certainly drinks lots of milk without a problem.

Also, this summer was great for making hay. The farmers here in La Clusaz (just south of Switzerland, in France) were able to make at least three crops this summer, and the cows are still grazing high in the mountains before the cold weather kicks in. They are due down lower, to graze on whole fields of grass, untouched since they were mowed for hay a few weeks back, before they head back into their horrible, dim, small sheds for winter. The shed next to the farmer across the road from me is full to the brim with hay, but I have no idea if that lasts them all winter or not.

I hope at least some of that helps for some background info.

Oh, I should point out the that the semen from A2 bulls is being used more widely to impregnate cows COWS, and not in milk...