Dairy

This Dairy List is Histamine, salicylate and failsafe – RPAH Food intolerance diet Aware. Not to substitute food lists given by medical professionals and dieticians for people doing elimination diet challenges, or for other dietary concerns.

Dairy
Dairy Alternatives

Dairy Products

Blue cheeses / Mold cheeses
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Cultured butter / Soured butter
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Sweet cream butter (non-fermented)
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Butterkäse
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Buttermilk (slightly sour)
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Cheddar cheese
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Cheese made from raw milk
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Hard cheese (matured)
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Plain cream cheese (very young, no additives)
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Sweet cream (unfermented, no additives)
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Curd cheese
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Ewe’s milk / Sheep’s milk
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Farmer’s cheese (fresh)
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Feta cheese
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Fontina cheese
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Geheimratskäse
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Goat’s milk
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Young Gouda cheese
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Old Gouda cheese
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Kefir (fermented milk drink)
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Mascarpone cheese
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Lactose-free milk
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Pasteurized milk
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
UHT (ultra-heat treated) milk
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Milk powder
‣ Histamine: Moderate
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Mozzarella cheese
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Processed cheese
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Products made from unprocessed raw milk
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Quark
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Raclette cheese
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Raw milk
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Ready-made cheese products
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Unknown
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Ricotta cheese
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Roquefort / Rochefort cheese
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ❌ Avoid
Sour cream
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution
Whey
‣ Histamine: Low
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ✅ Friendly
Yogurt (natural/plain)
‣ Histamine: High
‣ Salicylates: Low
‣ Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution

Here’s a curated list of safe dairy alternatives tailored for people with histamine intolerance, salicylate sensitivity, and those following the Failsafe diet (e.g. for MCAS, ALPIMS, or interstitial cystitis).

All options are:

✅ Dairy-free
✅ Gluten-free
✅ Free from high histamine and salicylate triggers
✅ Marked with Failsafe ratings (✅ Friendly, ⚠️ Caution, ❌ Avoid)

🥛 Milk Alternatives

✅ Rice Milk (unsweetened, additive-free)

Histamine: Low
Salicylates: Low
Failsafe: ✅ Friendly

Choose brands without gums, carrageenan (E407), or added flavorings

⚠️ Oat Milk (gluten-free, unsweetened)

Histamine: Low
Salicylates: Moderate
Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution

Can be soothing, but may ferment or be high in amines if stored

⚠️ Coconut Milk (carton, not canned)

Histamine: Low
Salicylates: Moderate to High
Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution

Check ingredients; avoid if salicylate-sensitive

⚠️ Hemp Milk

Histamine: Low
Salicylates: Moderate to High
Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution

Usually well tolerated for MCAS but less so for Failsafe

❌ Almond

Histamine: Moderate to High
Salicylates: Low
Failsafe: ❌ Avoid

High risk of triggering symptoms

🧈 Butter Alternatives

✅ Ghee (clarified butter) – case-by-case

Histamine: Low
Salicylates: Low
Failsafe: ✅ Friendly (if tolerated)

No lactose or casein; often tolerated by dairy-sensitive individuals
Must be very fresh and pure – avoid if MCAS is severe

⚠️ Refined Coconut Oil (odorless, cold-pressed)

Histamine: Low
Salicylates: Moderate to High
Failsafe: ⚠️ Caution

Not suitable if salicylate-intolerant

✅ Rice Bran Oil / Canola Oil (refined, plain)

Histamine: Low
Salicylates: Low
Failsafe: ✅ Friendly

Neutral-flavored and tolerated in small amounts

🧀 Cheese Substitutes

✅ Failsafe “Cream Cheese” (homemade)

Made with:

Mashed peeled zucchini or choko
Rice milk or oat milk
Pinch of salt and optional rice flour thickener

Mimics soft cheese texture; gentle and versatile
Failsafe: ✅ Friendly

⚠️ Store-bought Vegan Cheeses

Histamine: Variable
Salicylates: Often High
Failsafe: ⚠️ or ❌ (depends on additives)

🍦 Yogurt Alternatives

✅ Homemade Rice Milk Pudding / Pear Chia “Yogurt”

Base: cooked white rice or soaked chia with pear puree
Add gentle probiotics (if tolerated)

A soft, soothing “yogurt-like” option
Failsafe: ✅ Friendly (if fresh)

❌ Common Ingredients to Avoid in Dairy Substitutes

Gums (guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan / E407)
Flavors, sweeteners, “natural” colors or additives
Fermented bases (e.g. soy, cashew)
Malted grains (contain gluten and amines)
Long shelf-life UHT milks with stabilizers

✅ Summary of Best Tolerated Dairy Alternatives

Category	Best Choice	Failsafe
Milk	Unsweetened rice milk	✅
Butter	Ghee (pure) or refined oil	✅
Yogurt	Rice/pear pudding or chia	✅
Cheese	Homemade low-salicylate spread	✅