Hi -

I'm not certain about the "dairy-free" designation, but it either doesn't have
a legal definition, or else the amount of dairy in it comes under some specific
percentage so it's effectely dairy-free for most purposes. (Not ours, of course.)

Non-dairy is a different term, requested by the milk industry, to indicate that
a food item has so little milk in it that it shouldn't be considered a milk
item any more. Hence a product like Cool Whip is considered to be a non-dairy
alternative to whipped cream, even though casein is an essential ingredient.
The OTHER ingredients aren't what you'd expect from a cow, so it's no longer
a dairy product.

I actually haven't seen "dairy free" on items that contain casein.  THey may
be out there, but I haven't run across any.  Non-dairy, on the other hand ...

I hope this helps,
--Beth Kevles
  [log in to unmask]
  http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
  Disclaimer:  Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
  advice.  Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

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