Message text written by George Kontos
>The instructions say to not take more than 6 tablets (6x3000=18000 FCC
Units Lactase).  I am curious to know why the limit is set a such.<
 
Only because at one time Lactaid had not run experiments using more than 6
pills at a time, therefore they could not legally recommend a higher
number.  I thought that they had taken this restriction off their
packaging.  Once again, as I said in my reply to Tulip, there is no known
evidence of harm at any level.  (Doesn't mean that tomorrow they won't find
some, though. <g>)
 
>>  By the way, just a tip:  If a food product has the word "Parve" on its
wrapper, this is an indication that the item has absolutely NO milk
products in it at all.
 
Curious.  What is "parve" and why does it indicate that there are no milk
products?<<
 
The Jewish dietary laws prescribe a strict separation of meat from milk.
Therefore a need arose for "neutral" dishes that contained neither that
could be safely eaten at any meal.  "Parve" is taken from a Yiddish word
meaning neutral.  One warning: parve is not at all the same as Kosher.
Parve foods may or may not also be kosher: they do not have to be.  Kosher
dairy foods abound; just because a food is kosher does not mean it contains
no milk products.
 
Here's one other source of confusion.  A "U" in a circle indicates that a
food has been certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America.  A "U" in a circle followed by a capital "D" has
two possible meanings.  It may mean that the food is kosher and contains
milk products.  It may mean that the food is kosher and has no milk but is
produced using the same machinery that at other times is used for foods
containing milk.  Check the ingredients list to be sure.  And the "U" "P"
symbol means that the food is kosher for passover, NOT that it is parve.
 
 
>Take caseine, for instance.  (I always thought that was glue.)   Is
caseine a source of lactose?  What about whey or lactoblobulin?  Do all
milk products contain lactose?  If not, would someone please be kind enough
to explain which do and which do not?  Kathy Wentz ([log in to unmask])
posted that even caramel coloring or flavoring contain milk products.  Is
caramel a source of lactose?<
 
Casein is a milk protein often added to processed foods.  It should be
lactose free, but depending on manufacturing process, may contain a small
amount of lactose.  Same for lactoglobulin.  This should not be enough to
affect anybody with lactose intolerance by itself.  Whey is the premiere
source of lactose in processed food.  Caramel is made with milk; therefore
it contains lactose.  Do all milk products contain lactose?  A qualified
yes.  Proteins shouldn't.  Milkfat shouldn't.  Butter, margarine and aged
cheeses can contain next to no lactose.  Other products do in varying
proportions.
 
 
> For example, how can something labelled "margarine (Fleishmann's twin
pack 100% guarranteed milk-free)" contain milk products?  Also, what about
"coffee whiteners"?  I presume this means products like non-dairy
Coffeemate and Creamora.  How can these products, labelled as *non-dairy*,
contain milk or milk products?<
 
Margarine is often made with milk products added; check most labels.
Beyond that, the dairy industry lobby is a great and wonderful beast.  Most
dairy laws are at the state level, but affect national brands, who of
course want to sell in all states.  The short answer is that they allow
foods containing no milkfat to be labeled "non-dairy."  Therefore, foods
containing caseinates can be non-dairy foods.  In the past, foods with whey
or even skim milk were allowed to be labeled non-dairy.  This is no longer
true.  And the new food labeling act requires that casein or its
derivatives be prominently labeled a "milk derivative" in an ingredients
list.
 
 
> Hazel also lists "seasonings" as containing milk products.  Can someone
explain that one as well?<
 
Lactose helps make powders flow better by drying them out.  It is sometimes
added to seasonings (and powdered gravies and mixes, etc.)  for that
purpose.
 
 
All this is explained at greater length in my book.
 
Hope this helps,
 
 
Steve Carper
author of Milk Is Not for Every Body: Living with Lactose Intolerance
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/stevecarper