Oddly enough, I contacted the Everyday Essentials and didn't hear anything back. I’m not sure what their position is on lying but if I had to guess, I would say they are pro!
This is not the normal, "might contain trace amounts. . ." or "processed in a plant that also. . ." this is clearly stating it is dairy-free and clearly stating there is dairy in it.
I did a little research and found "dairy-free" is not a rational term but one build on legalities and statistics - as plainly explained here from the foodallergygourmet.com:
Non-dairy creamers, non-dairy ice cream and other so-called non-dairy products can contain dairy, and still legally be labeled “non-dairy.” According to the FDA’s regulations, only a product containing actual milk in specific forms can be labeled dairy. The FDA does not allow milk derivatives or milk by-products to be called dairy. So if a product has a milk derivative or byproduct, it can be called non-dairy. Lactose is a great example. Many of the so-called non-dairy products contain lactose, which is a derivative from milk.
Makes you wonder, doesn't it? You can read more about how the FDA defines terms you think you might know by checking out Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 101: Food Labeling.
(d) When foods characterized on the label as “nondairy” contain a caseinate ingredient, the caseinate ingredient shall be followed by a parenthetical statement identifying its source. For example, if the manufacturer uses the term “nondairy” on a creamer that contains sodium caseinate, it shall include a parenthetical term such as “a milk derivative” after the listing of sodium caseinate in the ingredient list.
So, when I picked up this "Nondairy" creamer, I thought it had no dairy in it. I was wrong. It contained dairy but legally they could plaster DAIRY-FREE all over it and then on the back, in small print in parenthetical terms, list it had dairy in it.
While everything is surely legally based, not human based, I'd like to think that maybe this company is trying to market and warn at the same time - pointing out a sort of faulty logic that could affect thousands if not millions of people because what "dairy-free" means to me, someone who cannot consume dairy, means something different in the world of food production.
To me, this isn't simply about avoiding all foods or growing your own or becoming vegan or whatever the common response when any issue is found with a food or product (I think a lot involves panicky parents raising alarms because their sweet children are in danger). To me, it's about logic and clarity.
I want my backyard farmer to grow his crops and then grow his business into larger businesses - as has happened with most of these businesses - I just want to trust the use of simple terms is not double-speak. Don't protect yourself legally, protect yourself in a practical and straight-forward manner.
Maybe there is a bigger issue when it comes to casein and dairy and milk during production - how can this be solved so it's clearer? I know no one is going to do anything so I got to do something.
Seems to be, a really easy way, Everyday Essentials should remove "Dairy-free" from its product. It is legally dairy-free but sometimes you just have to do the right thing. It's the right thing to do for people like me who can't have dairy.
Lesson learned? Always read labels like someone is lying to you.
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