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Some of the dietary practices used by the Jewish culture can be useful
when looking for foods acceptable for a milk protein-free diet. "Kosher"
is the term used to designate a food that is acceptable in the Jewish
diet. "Kosher" is designated on the labels of a wide variety of foods. An
example is provided at the back of the Table of Contents.
One of the Jewish dietary laws state that dairy products and meat products
cannot be consumed at the same meal. Because of this law, some kosher
foods are labeled "pareve." Pareve signifies that the food does not
contain milk products or any milk derivatives. Unlike some "dairy- free" claims, the Jewish designation of "pareve" is very strict and these foods
do not contain any dairy ingredients, and thus, are acceptable in a
milk-free diet.
When reading food labels to determine if a food contains milk protein,
look for symbols from the Jewish Congregation. Kosher foods are marked
with a "K" or a "U." The "U" may be in a circle: If the letter "D" is by
the "U" or "K" (such as D or D), then the product contains some sort of
dairy ingredient. Therefore, these products are unacceptable in a
milk-free diet.
Products with the word "pareve" written out on a label, or the designation
p or p are acceptable. If you only see a "U" or "K", but not the word pareve, then there is no guarantee that the food does not contain dairy
ingredients.
Many communities have Jewish grocery stores or bakeries, in which all
foods are kosher. Many pareve items can be found there. However, other
grocery stores carry kosher items as well. Check labels carefully. Any pareve item can safely be used for a milk-free diet.
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