So for breakfast this morning I had a decadent GFCF breakfast of Chocolate Mint Silk and Chocolate Chip Muffins ( Kinnikinnick). Yum! But then about 10 minutes after eating, I noticed I was starting to get stuffy… Then my eyes were itching. And then my throat was scratchy. And pretty soon I was wearing my “Allergy Mask:” a hot, red, itchy face that I only get when I’ve eaten casein.
What?! But all Kinnikinnick products are manufactured in a dedicated gluten and dairy free facility! It can’t be the yummy muffins (yes.. I had two 😛 ) that caused my allergy reaction.
So it must’ve been the Silk. Actually, come to think of it, I had a similar (yet not as severe) reaction yesterday when I had I had a glass of Pumpkin Spice Silk. By a meeting at 11am my face was bright red and itchy. Allergic reaction for sure. But I was so busy I didn’t take the time to track it down and try to figure out why. But today, well, today I took a look at Silk’s website.
And I’m very surprised to see that Silk products can not be certified Kosher Parve! All of their soy milks are heated on the same machines that process dairy!! So that means there’s a chance of a dairy cross contamination in all Silk Soy Milk products. Trace amounts of casein is still casein! I don’t understand how they can get away without even putting a “processed in a facility with dairy” warning on their products. US Legislation on food labeling is ridiculous.
Here’s what Silk has to say on their website about it:
Are Silk products kosher?
All Silk products in all flavors are certified Kosher OU-D. Kosher OU-D certifies that our dairy-free product was heated on equipment also used for dairy, but does not indicate the presence of dairy in the product. We have extensive testing protocols in place at our production facilities to detect and prevent contamination by dairy or dairy components including casein and lactose.
Because Silk products are dairy-free, why is the Kosher certification OU-D?
All Silk products are completely dairy-free and can be suitable for people with dairy allergies. While Silk soy products do not contain dairy, they carry OU-D Kosher certification because they may be produced on equipment that also produces dairy products.
Silk follows strict allergen-cleanup procedures to ensure that products made on shared equipment are dairy-free. We have extensive testing protocols in place at our production facilities to detect and prevent contamination by dairy or dairy components including casein and lactose. Those with severe allergies should always consult a doctor before introducing a new food.