Wow, that's a great link Links.  Penicillin in sausage skin. Who knew?  What a helpful site, too.  Thank you!

Called the dairy.  Tarentaise and gruyere are considered "alpine cheeses" and are made similarly, and are both aged.  I am now suspecting the histamine issue, which is more common in these types of cheeses.  This particular tarentaise has a natural rind and is not rinsed/coated with anything. 

I'll try again if they get a new block, but I"m thinking histamine. Interesting about the migraines, too, since she is my only kid to get any kind of headaches.  She's had a couple I was very close to bringing her to the ER.  Just the fact that I knew what it was and that some nausea meds made it better kept us home.

Yup.  XC.

Some cheeses-- especially specialty/artisanal types, may be "washed/cured/sealed" with different things during production, too-- so while I don't KNOW of a cheese that requires a walnut-based ingredient, that doesn't mean that there isn't one.  KWIM?

We recently ran across something that surprised the heck out of us-- DH pointed the label out to me, because I would NEVER have figured cheese to be a risk for almond XC, but it was.  Apparently some kind of "amaretto" wash during curing-- I'd heard of ports and stouts used that way, but never flavored liqueurs.  Well, you learn something new every day, I guess.

Also-- pistachios are a known risk because of that one kind of Italian cheese with them in it-- mortadella?  (ironic name, that)

I have to agree with this.  I believe that Gourmandise cheese is made with walnuts (at least a variety of it).  So depending on what type of artisanal cheese is being made, it's likely that it could be nut cross contamination. 

The other thought I had was the rennet used and sometimes albumin (egg) is added, so the reaction could be something other than milk or nuts.

Cheese can contain histamines, which can cause a reaction that mimics allergy:

http://www.allergyuk.org/common-food-intolerances/histamine-intolerance

This would explain why it's just one cheese. Does she also get migraines? My son gets these and they can be triggered by high-histamine foods.

Perhaps there's a relationship to food allergies because these kids have a higher histamine level than the norm? Don't know that part.

lakeswimmer, true.  Maybe I'll try again when they get a new block.

McC, I agree.  Seems like straight up cheese to me.  (scratch head)

It's not a huge deal, per se, so much as if she starts to have minor reactions to other things I can start to figure out common ingredients.

Was the cheese they cut brand new, right out of the wrapper or had it been previously cut?  Clean gloves and cutting board won't take away xcontam that may have already been there if it weren't a brand new piece of cheese right out of the wrapper.  It could also be factory xcontam.  Maybe it is wrapped on shared equip with some allergen.

I tend to think things like this are usually xcontam and less likely to be brand new allergens, although new ones can pop up any time.  Good luck figuring it out. 

http://thistlehillfarm.com/aboutthecheese.htm

I dunno, Aggie. 


Really seems more probable that somehow, the outside of the rind was handled by someone with walnut residue on his/her hands at some point-- which, yes, is really low XC or should be...


but the alternative is even further 'out there' if you KWIM...

Because that cheese sounds like a REALLY straight-up thing in terms of production. 

Is it possible that it's just really high in histamines?

Ahhh-- thanks, Linden!  I never knew what the heck that stuff was, exactly.  Just that pistachios in a savory sliced deli thing sounded...


well, nasty even without allergies.  LOL.