Ask the Rabbi - Is apple sauce with calcium lactate parve?

Question: Ask the Rabbi - Is apple sauce with calcium lactate parve?

Dear Rabbi,
In looking at ingredients in apple sauce, I see that some apple sauces include calcium or calcium lactate. I am assuming that is a milk derivative. Is apple sauce with calcium lactate parve?
Thank you! Debbie

Answer: Dear Debbie,

Thanks for writing. Your question is very appropriate given today's complicated world of kashrut regulations, derived chemicals, synthetic food additives, ....

Did you know that sodium caseinate renders any product dairy, even though sometimes "dairy-free" is printed on the label?

With regards to calcium lactate, I found several resources that might be helpful:

1. A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, Updated Fourth Edition, by Ruth Winters
2. The Additives Guide, by Christopher Hughes

I found that information on "Lactate - Lactylate - Lactalbumin - Caseinate" is inconsistent. The same additive often can be derived either from dairy or non-dairy sources. Both the manufacturing process and the purity of the manufacturing process are important factors in whether the product with calcium lactate is dairy or parve. An additive labeled "not a source of lactose" in one food may prove to have lactose in another. Lactic acid in olives tends to be synthetic.

Thus, I suggest relying on a product's kosher marking (hechshar). Make sure the hechshar is from a reliable kosher supervising agency.

The second best approach is to contact the manufacturer of the product. Most food manufacturers are approachable from the Internet via email.

Remember to be extra suspicious when an additive or product is produced in or added to a product in a foreign country. Recently there have been claims of forged or illicit kashrut certification and/or outright non-supervision in China.

Lastly, you should know that one of the quirks of manufacturing and labeling in this country is the "serving size" and percentage of material. The FDA only requires a listing if each ingredient meets a minimum percentage of the final product. However, if one keeps the "serving size" small, then the additive or ingredient becomes such a small percentage by serving, not by product as a whole, that it falls under the standard required for listing on the label. Thus, a teaspoon serving may not require that a certain ingredient be listed, even if the consumer is likely to use 15 teaspoons and enough of the ingredient to have required listing. So looking for kosher symbols is better than reading labels when you want to know a product's kosher status.

Thanks for bringing this additive to my attention. Given today's complex world of chemical additives and manufactured derivatives, I am unwilling to state definitively if calcium lactate added to apple sauce is dairy or parve. When in doubt about a product's kashrut status, it is best to rely on the product's hechshar.

Best wishes,
Rabbi Dov