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"Dairy free", but Circle-U with "D"?

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Kenneth Brody

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Nov 10, 2009, 12:38:10 PM11/10/09
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Can someone here please explain how something could be listed "dairy free",
yet still have the "Circle-U with D" kosher/dairy symbol?

Our son has a casein intolerance, so we have him on a strict non-dairy diet.
Usually, the labels "parve" and/or "vegan" are good indicators. However,
the other day, I noticed a package that said, among other allergen
statements, "dairy free", yet still had the "Circle-U" kosher symbol with
the "D" next to it.

Any idea what could constitute "dairy free" for allergens, yet "dairy" as
far as kosher?

--
Kenneth Brody

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rec.food.cuisine.jewish recipe archives
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David Samuel Barr

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Nov 11, 2009, 7:26:52 AM11/11/09
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Kenneth Brody wrote:
> Can someone here please explain how something could be listed "dairy
> free", yet still have the "Circle-U with D" kosher/dairy symbol?
>
> Our son has a casein intolerance, so we have him on a strict non-dairy
> diet. Usually, the labels "parve" and/or "vegan" are good indicators.
> However, the other day, I noticed a package that said, among other
> allergen statements, "dairy free", yet still had the "Circle-U" kosher
> symbol with the "D" next to it.
>
> Any idea what could constitute "dairy free" for allergens, yet "dairy"
> as far as kosher?

Government definitions often do not jibe with kosher ones.
For example, the government may define "dairy free" or "non-dairy"
as simply having less than a certain percentage of dairy ingredients,
while kosher will not only define dairy as containing *any* dairy
ingredients but also being made on equipment on which dairy products
also are made (since even with regular cleaning residue from other
products may still adhere to the equipment and be transferred to other
items made on it even if they don't themselves contain dairy
ingredients). That's why you'll see the kosher "D" designation on
products such as dark chocolate (made on the same lines as milk
chocolate) or plain potato chips (made on the same lines as
sour-cream-&-onion-flavoured ones). The classic examples in this
particular category are "non-dairy" coffee lighteners and dessert
toppings, which are mostly made of vegetable oil (parve) but get their
imitation dairy flavouring from casein. Casein, of course, is derived
from milk, which for kosher purposes makes it dairy, but since it isn't
actually milk or cream the government considers it non-dairy. When
dealing with allergens, the greater the sensitivity the more one has to
look past the basic warnings and examine the listed ingredients and
other telltales such as the kosher indicators to determine the actual
risk in a product.

W. Baker

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Nov 11, 2009, 7:24:24 AM11/11/09
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Kenneth Brody <kenb...@spamcop.net> wrote:
: Can someone here please explain how something could be listed "dairy free",
: yet still have the "Circle-U with D" kosher/dairy symbol?

: Our son has a casein intolerance, so we have him on a strict non-dairy diet.
: Usually, the labels "parve" and/or "vegan" are good indicators. However,
: the other day, I noticed a package that said, among other allergen
: statements, "dairy free", yet still had the "Circle-U" kosher symbol with
: the "D" next to it.

: Any idea what could constitute "dairy free" for allergens, yet "dairy" as
: far as kosher?

: --
: Kenneth Brody

Since the OU does not have a separate designation for foods made on dairy
equipment tht contain no dairy, (DE for some other kosher hechshers) it
will label such foods D. If you son's issue is an allergy, then this is
important for you to know so a stray bit of dairy is not in his food.

Wendy Baker

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