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