At 10:48 AM 2/2/97 -0500, George Kontos <[log in to unmask]> asked:
 
>Is caramel a source of lactose?
 
Caramel color has a standard of identity. One of the allowed ingredients is
lactose. Here's an excerpt from Ener-G Food's "Detailed Ingredients
Listing". Note it was written from a gluten point-of-view, but just mentally
change the word gluten to lactose.
 
Caramel Color
  The problem with caramel color is it may or may not contain gluten
  depending on how it is manufactured.  In the U.S.A. caramel color must
  conform with the FDA standard of identity from 21CFR CH.1.  This statute
  says- The color additive caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid material
  resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of the following food-
  grade carbohydrates:
        Dextrose (corn sugar)
        Invert sugar
        Lactose (milk sugar)
        Malt syrup (usually from barley malt)
        Molasses (from cane)
        Starch Hydrolysates and fractions thereof (can include wheat)
        Sucrose (cane or beet)
  (Also acids, alkalis and salts are listed which may be employed to assist
  caramelization)
 
Annatto Color
  Because ethyl alcohol and/or caramel color can be present in annatto
  color and is not declared, people with Celiac-Sprue should consider
  avoiding this ingredient.
 
>How can these products, labelled as
>*non-dairy*, contain milk or milk products?
 
Because the law allows things that include dairy to be labeled "dairy-free".
The food laws are controlled and exist for the benefit of the manufacturers,
not for us.
 
Don.