While looking through the cooler at my local food co-op, I noticed that every single cheese substitute they had in stock contained some sort of dairy product. Whether it was a soy-based fake cheese or rice or nut-based, it would end up having milk protein or something else along those lines listed in the ingredients. Having searched elsewhere, I’ve since found cheese substitutes that lack any dairy products whatsoever, but it seems like many others have casein in them even so.
I’d assumed that the cheese substitutes were for vegans until I started looking at them, but that clearly can’t be the case. Since it’s only the protein, people who are lactose intolerant could likely eat it, I suppose, but most aged natural cheeses are extremely low in lactose anyway. With so many low or no lactose natural cheeses on the market, I’d be surprised to learn that all of these cheese substitutes are for the lactose intolerant. Obviously those like myself with a milk protein allergy aren’t going to be eating this stuff. Apparently casein improves the texture and makes it possible for the “cheese” to melt, but I’m left wondering to whom these products are being marketed. If I was going to eat something with dairy in it, why not just eat cheese?
I’d also heard that it’s added to help with melting. We avoid dairy because of dietary issues with Dweezil’s autism, and I’m as baffled as you are, honestly, because that added casein sure seems to eliminate the primary reasons I can think of for eating the stuff (vegan, dairy allergy). Maybe it’s not an issue with people who are eating it because of lactose intolerance, but I’ve also heard that real cheese is better-tolerated by lactose-intolerants than other dairy products are.
The one “pure” fake cheese we’ve ever been able to find is Tofutti brand imitation cream cheese. Another brand (Soya Kaas?) of the stuff has casein. And of course all the “american slices” do as well.
I’d bet you’ve also found that nearly all margarine also has casein or whey or other dairy in it? It’s tough to find dairy-free margarine. Thank heaven for Trader Joe’s!
Anyway - no answers here, just sharing your confusion 
I’ve seen the Tofutti imitation cream cheese and have been told that Galaxy Foods have rice-based cheese substitutes that are entirely casein free, though I don’t believe I’ve ever seen them offered in a store around here. It is extremely difficult to find milk protein free imitation cheese, though–and doubly so for me since I’m also allergic to soy.
Because of the soy allergy and the fact that soy oil is usually used in margarine, I just fumble through with olive oil most of the time and that tends to work well enough, though I had noticed that casein ends up in there, too. And in the “non-dairy” coffee creamer. :rolleyes:
I’ve theorized that they’re being sold to vegans who don’t read food labels, but that seems so silly that I was hoping for a better answer. I can’t imagine there are very many people who eat dairy and yet choose to eat imitation cheese, so I can only assume I’m missing something.
Here’s a long list of nondairy cheeses along with information on whether they contain casein or not.
I think the problem is that people who don’t have to deal with the issue don’t understand the nuances of it.
Very few people with dairy allergies are truly dangerous anaphylactic to dairy. Children tend to have more severe reactions, but many of those who grow to adulthood and still have dairy allergies are not as badly affected. True allergy is mediated by the IgE antibody, but other reactions can be mediated by other antibodies. Sometimes these are all lumped together into allergies, sometimes they are sorted out as hypersensitivities. People who have them know the difference and know what kind of and how much dairy they can have.
There are also vegans, vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians and a huge number of shades of variation there as well. The real market for these products are vegetarians who don’t want to eat real cheese but aren’t such strict vegans that a bit of casein spoils the product for them. The real world is filled with people who compromise, or cheat, or rationalize. They are far more numerous than those who are strict observers. In this and, well, in everything else as well.
Thanks for the response, Exapno. A dangerous allergy to milk protein might be pretty rare, but it sucks mightily to be cut off from the exquisite joys of cheese due to asthma and eczema even so. Perhaps it was just projection on my part, but I honestly couldn’t comprehend somebody being able to eat cheese worry-free, with no qualms about eating dairy products, yet choosing fake cheese even so. Since it’s not a moral issue for me, I wouldn’t remain a vegan for long if cheese stopped troubling me. 