This Dairy-Free Soyatoo Soy Whip May Contain Traces Of Dairy

February 9, 2009

By Carey, 1:00 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009, 6,074 views

Stephen's wife is trying to be a good vegan, one who doesn't eat dairy, so naturally she was surprised that her "Dairy Free" Soyatoo Soy Whip warned that it might "contain traces of dairy."

Stephen writes:

My wife recently made the leap to a vegan (animal-product-free) lifestyle. Its been an interesting two months so far, and I've been surprised at the variety of "regular" foods available in vegan form. She sent me to the store to grab some vegan whipped cream, which I figured was an impossible task. Ceres Organics (under the label Soyatoo!) does offer Soy Whip, a whippable soy topping that serves as a substitute for whipped cream. The front of the package proudly labels it as "vegan" and "dairy-free". I grabbed two and headed home. But when I looked at the package closely, I noticed a warning: "MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF MILK OR NUTS". Um, what? Dairy-free ... but "MAY CONTAIN MILK"? How can that be?

Sure, I understand the meaning of "traces". But does Ceres understand the meaning of "vegan" or "dairy-free"?

The label is clearly an allergen warning, but you would think it would potentially contradict their dairy free claim.

Comments :

absentmindedjwc 1:07 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009

nothing really big, chances are that the plant that makes this product also makes a dairy and nut product, meaning they have to put that warning on the box.

It is the same reason why you will look at a bag of pretzels or something and see the warning "may contain nuts". It most likely doesn't, but as it is manufactured in the same building, they are forced by the FDA to disclose it.

iammoses 1:09 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009

I would put this on my labels to because someone could die if they had an allergy to milk or nuts. While the product might not have any milk or nuts I would not be able to ensure that something did not contaminate the product somewhere in the supply or distribution chain. It is better to be safe then dead or sued. shepd 1:11 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009

Perhaps it's dairy-free according to religious sects that require either a dairy-free diet or dairy separation, but not necessarily always perfectly dairy-free enough to stop someone with an extreme dairy allergy from dying? The_IT_Crone 1:15 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009

Correct me if I'm wrong*, but aren't warnings like that put on because the equipment and/or processing may allow traces of things to enter the food supply? Maybe peanuts or dairy are processed in the same building, and the amount of product in the AIR might provide enough of a trace to warn about it.

When I go to a BBQ the vegans won't even use the same grill as me because I've had meat on it in the past and their soy patties may get traces of animal on it!

TLDR: "Traces" do not equal "ingredients."

*Who am I kidding, this is the internet. If I'm wrong I'm sure to enjoy the roasted marshmallows at the OMGWTFBBQ. Rene Murillo 1:16 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009

This is nothing new to someone with food allergies. The statement in bold type on the front of food packaging is always contradicted in the ingredients list or allergen statement.This particular food might appeal to someone going dairy-free for ascthetic(sp?) reasons, but not for a person allergic to milk and its proteins.If I ignored this statement or felt that <10mPPM was sufficiently "milk-free", and fed it to my milk-allergic child, I could expect him to develop a rash at the VERY LEAST. Julia789 1:24 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009

So the factory packages milk products as well. Even if they flush the lines and containers between products, there is a chance a small amount will be passed on to the next product. It's a just legal disclaimer.

If a vegan eats at a restaurant, their veggie burger will likely be cooked on the same grill as beef burgers, and will therefore contain "traces" of beef. They might use the same spatula to flip it.

For what it's worth, there is no way to avoid animal products 100% as "traces" of animal products can and do sneak in from time to time. A trace could be a quarter of a droplet in thousands of gallons.

There are very few factories with equipment dedicated solely to vegan products. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars for the equipment lines, so manufacturers are often forced to use it for many products to recoup the costs.

Even if you did find a factory whose products were on a completely vegan line, there is a chance something could get contaminated or let in the ingredients at the beginning of the process. A bug. A mouse. It happens. The wrong order shows up and chicken broth is added to soup instead of veggie broth...

Just take comfort in the fact that you're following your heart and doing your best at what you feel is the right course of action. laserjobs 1:34 PM on Sun Feb 8 2009

Anyone who is dairy free should check out Go Dairy Free. Alisa Fleming is the foremost expert on the subject and not a milk basher either. She explains all the information about shared equipment, what products contain hidden dairy and even has a new book on the subject and dairy free product lists.

Peter vv