Hi -

Pareve should always be milk-free and safe for those on this list
EXCEPT for local or sloppy certifying organizations.  (That's because
the strict kosher rules say you can ritually clean equipment
between food types (milk, pareve, for example).  And ritually clean
isn't *always* clean enough for allergy purposes.

A MEAT designation (which we've ignored on this list) should be just
as safe as pareve, for our purposes.

A MILK designation is, surprisingly, sometimes safe for our purposes.
It will depend upon the sensitivity of your allergy.  If the product
is milk because it is manufactured on milk equipment BUT the manufacturer
actually washes the equpiment (just not ritually), then the vast majority
of those on this list will NOT have trouble.  For example, we rely on
Duncan Hines cake mixes in our house.  Now, our tolerance is relatively
high, and we do read ingredients for individual products.  But their cake
mixes appear to be dairy-free even though processed on equipment that's
dairy for ritual purposes.

I hope I've muddied the waters sufficiently!
--Beth Kevles
  [log in to unmask]
  http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
  Disclaimer:  Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
  advice.  Please consult with your own medical practicioner.