'may contain traces of....'

[Nothsa]

Hello guys.. and girls..

I was just wondering, what is everyone's view on foods that 'may contain traces of milk' etc?
Would you eat it? Or give it a miss?

[Big Good Wolf]

I eat it.
I take it to mean that other products with milk in them are made in the same factory and there is a possibility that some of the milk may end up in the vegan stuff along with the flies and mouse shit that all mass produced food contains if you believe the stories from people who work there.

[fredrikw]

Dito what BGW said. Veganism for me isn't about purity, so getting some traces here and there doesn't bother me at all, it's all about what's used when making a product. Traces are not part of the ingredients but a residue from other products being made in the same factory, if any at all (the include this just in case there's cross-contamination)

[emm7]

yes the position taken by BGW and fredrickw is my position too.

My impression is that "traces of" does not mean that the product recipe contains the animal product, it is just allergen information for those with severe food allergies that could be triggered by an extremely minute trace of eg. dairy remaining on a production line that was making eg. milk chocolate then washed down and then used to make plain chocolate.

[baldy]

+1 I eat stuff that may contain traces.

[Big Good Wolf]

There's something funny going on here.
People keep agreeing with me.

[JohnBarleycorn]

yes the position taken by BGW and fredrickw is my position too.

My impression is that "traces of" does not mean that the product recipe contains the animal product, it is just allergen information for those with severe food allergies that could be triggered by an extremely minute trace of eg. dairy remaining on a production line that was making eg. milk chocolate then washed down and then used to make plain chocolate.

Mine too !

Being vegan is a state of mind, doing our best, in an imperfect world. As long as we do our very best to be vegan, thats good enough !

[JohnBarleycorn]

There's something funny going on here.
People keep agreeing with me.

Yes, thats weird !

I bet Ha would disagree with you !

[Man On Bike.]

some thing that 'may contain traces of milk' might not ever contain traces of milk at all - the words are on the label to cover the manufacturer's back just in case someone tries to sue them if they have an allergic reaction.

[baldy]

I bet Ha would disagree with you !

I am fairly certain he would say "if it has a label on it, I would not eat it."
The Legend of Ha!

[ghost]

Wow I thought there'd be more who would say no. I guess yeah yo can be too strict in an 'imperfect world'as some say. Unless you are allergic. What if though.. it's kinda like.. using a cup that had eggs in it, was unwashed, and then you put whatever vegan product they sell in it? Are you going to drive a whole company out of business just because they make non vegan products? lol. I guess not.

[Gelert]

It seems to be a get-out clause to protect against litigation from someone who is very allergic (What's that coming over the hill? A peanut! Urgggh!)
and gets very ill after eating a product which is subsequently found to be inadvertantly contaminated with an allergen. e.g.

http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/181 ... 22_fm.html

But Big Good Wolf and fredrikw shock me with their feckless indifference to the possible accidental contamination of their foods with microgram quantities of the products of animal abuse. Shame on you both.

[Man On Bike.]

I contain traces of badness.

[barnz2k]

yep its a legal thing. Like Gluten / peanuts etc.

eat it, but if product A says traces and B doesnt.. I buy B.

[spike]

Yeah, I eat it too, as long as the actual ingredients are vegan.