When the only dairy ingredients listed are after the “less than 2%” designation, does that make the product parve? Since 1/60 is 1.67% is that close enough that we can establish bittul, or is that an assumption one cannot make?
Additionally, I noticed that for a box of muffins that says it contains milk, the only ingredient that is dairy is “whey (milk)”. According to the ingredients list, it says it is parve. Am I understanding that correctly?
1st question:
It would depend on what else, if anything is listed as less that 2%. If it’s only milk then it’s not shishim.
2nd question:
Yes you are correct.
That would be considered pareve
I think that each item in the “less than X%” section has to be less than X%, not that they are less than X% total. Sometimes, though, they put “less than 1.5%” or even smaller percentages
I stand corrected.
The less than 2% is a per item listing.
Meaning each item in this list is less than 2% not cumulative.
Therefore it can never be relied on for shishim as 2 is still more than the 1.66 you tabulated.
Surely there could be 20 ingredients at less than 2%, it still wouldn’t guarantee milk is less than 1:60? in fact, all of then could be more than shishim.
Why is whey parve?
You are correct.
Whey, before mixing into the food, has a bitter and/or unsavory flavor that renders it “pagum”. And simply put it looses its food status. Therefore if it doesn’t contribute in a positive tasting way (no pun intended) it isn’t milky (milchig) either.