Many thanks for the praise, Sarah. I'll try to keep the site up that level.
What's been said about lactic acid is also true for lactates and lactylates.
It is not true that they are always derived from milk, because they can be
found in products marked as pareve. It may be possible that they are
sometimes derived from milk, however, so those with truly severe allergies
should check with the manufacturer if you see them in a non-pareve food. But
those with lactose intolerance should not worry about them.
Steve Carper
Steve Carper's Lactose Intolerance Clearinghouse
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/stevecarper