It is very confusing, trying to make sense of all the kosher labelling, so
I applaud all of you who posted here with such clear concise explanations.
Another marking I have come across is U-DE, meaning "dairy equipment",
which is also considered not OK for my daughter. I avoid it whenever
possible but make an exception for soy milk and soy yogurt, both of which
are U-DE. As was said in some of the other postings, I realize we are
taking a risk in giving her these but feel it is worth it for the
nutritional value and calcium but always take precautions (having her
epipen with us and being near a hospital).
I have a book, The Parent's Guide to Food Allergies, which attempts to
clarify these markings but basically sums it up by saying that in reality,
the difference between u, u-d, u-de is often good intentions. Thus, what
is "clean enough" for kosher might not be good enough for someone with a
milk allergy.
I sometimes run into products that are marked dairy-free and have no dairy
ingredients in the ingredient deck but also have no kosher markings. I
have stayed away from these products, feeling I must assume they are
highly likely to be U-D if they were marked (since 90% of the products
are), but am curious what others in my shoes do in this situation.
With food allergies on the rise, particularly in kids, I am surprised that
more manufacturers are trying to meet the needs of this market rather than
blanketing their packaging with statements like "may contain milk, nuts,
etc. etc." or "processed in a facility that also produces milk, eggs,
nuts, etc...."
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