(edited)- Sorbet is basically just sugar, water and fruit puree, so it is absolutely dairy-free BUT you'd have to check labels or phone a sorbet company to check about cross-contamination with milk, since pretty much all sorbet manufactureres also make ice cream. I was under the impression tofutti was completely dairy-free, since vegans eat it, and they don't eat ANYTHING that comes from an animal (even honey). I guess we have a long way to go yet to get good labelling on products.
If you wanted to make homemade sorbet, use your search engine to find "sorbet" - there are a lot of recipes and some even include instructions on how to make it without using an ice cream maker. Good luck!
I wanted to bring this to the top again because I just spoke with Tofutti this morning. I found many posts on the Cuties(non-dairy ice cream dessert), where most people had no trouble with the vanilla Cuties, but then someone had a severe reaction to one. I must say (before reading these posts) that I was convinced also from speaking with a friendly rep that their cleaning process seemed very thorough. They do make pb Cuties on the same line, however never on the same day, and supposedly go through some rigorous cleaning in between to satisfy Kosher guidelines. However, after hearing about the severe reaction, I don't want to try the Cuties. I am wondering instead about some of the other Tofutti dessert products that are not made on the same lines as pb products. As I understand, the Cuties (all flavors) are made on a separate line from the other products. I was told that the Hip Hip Hooray Bars and the Too Too's are not made on lines that also process pb products. I have given my PA son Hip Hip Hooray bars without problem, but have not yet tried the Too Too's I have in my freezer. Has anyone tried these products? Or other Tofutti dessert products?
As a secondary question, can anyone recommend a safe dairy-free dessert. I know Soy Dream ice cream and Soy Delicious ice cream are not safe. I cannot find any other non-dairy brands in my grocery stores.
Cara, I called Tufutti about three months ago after the WholeSoy incident. I got to speak to an exective at Toffuti, I can`t remember his name; it was the guy next in line to the owner. After the WholeSoy incident, I looked into Toffuti Cuties which I had been giving, and on Toffuti`s website it said that it is considered milk free because it is tested periodically for milk. My allergist and FAAN say this is worthless, because the limit of detection of the test can be higher than what it can take to cause an allergic reaction. Three months ago the website also said that since the test is negative for milk, that shows their cleaning process is also adequate to get rid of peanut residue. I got them to take that off their website, explaining that it can take much less peanut to cause a reaction than milk in some people, and also that peanut residue is harder to get rid of. Anyhow, they claim to be milk free because they test their product periodically for casein, and it tests negative. After the WholeSoy incident I stopped buying Toffuti Cuties.
About imitation ice cream that is not on shared equipment, I have found none. So now, even though we don`t have time for it, I make my own. I never thought that would be me, my idea of cooking is to stick a Stouffer`s in the microwave. But the WholeSoy incident was a real eye opener for me. The company claimed that their product could not be cross contaminated because they clean their equipment really well, yet I saw my daughter have the reaction. About sorbet, I would be really concerned about shared equipment. We make our own; it has fresh fruit pureed (we usually use strawberries or peaches), sugar, lemon juice, and corn syrup.
I called Tofutti 2 weeks ago to find out about their pint size frozen dessert. I was told that regular ice cream is made on the same lines but that every batch from every days run is tested for dairy protein. That made me feel good until he said that the result is never zero. That less than a certain amount is acceptable. After that comment I wasn't too comfortable with giving the product to my son because I want to give him every chance to outgrow at least his milk allergy. Based on what CarefulMom found out from her allergist and FAAN I will definitely not be giving this to my son.
The representative told me about the Cuties having one with a PB flavor in it.
CarefulMom - Could you e-mail me an icecream recipe or tell me where I could get some. I tried one which wasn't very good and the other recipe I have calls for Farm Rich NonDairy Creamer which I won't use after talking to the company.
Ok - maybe I am slow - but is this a milk allergy problem or a peanut allergy problem? In reading the posts it seems it is milk related, but you also mention a p-butter flavor and I am confused.
I know that many folks have multiple allergies, and many of the problems etc are the same and I love hearing their stories too - but when you are talking about products I like to be clear. They may or may not relate to us (not allergic to milk).
Don't mean to dismiss your fears, concerns etc about milk allergy... but this is the peanut allergy board and I am easily confused. So, can you state your allergies, concerns etc... up front in the future?
We use a cusinart ice cream/ sorbet/ frozen yogurt machine. It is great. My son is PA so I can make peanut-free icecream for him, and my daughter is milk and egg allergic so I make sorbet for her (my son loves the sorbet too). It is really easy to use, and there is no requirement for ice or salt (it has bowls that are kept in the freezer).
Chicago, the Tofutti Cuties are definitely on shared equipment with peanuts. I don`t recall about milk, because it didn`t matter since she can`t have it because of the peanuts. Another point I`d like to mention is this issue of parve. Both WholeSoy and Toffuti hang their hat that because their product is blessed as "parve" by a Rabbi which means free of milk from a religion standpoint that it is free of milk from an allergy standpoint. Both FAAN and my allergist say that the cutoff the rabbi uses is higher than the cutoff to cause an allergic reaction in some people. The guy at WholeSoy and also Toffuti kept harping on this that the rabbi had certified it as parve. The guy at WholeSoy insisted on faxing me the certification papers from the rabbi like that was going to make me give the product to my daughter after she had reacted to it. (Chicago, she was probably reacting to peanut, but it is also cross contaminated with milk.) Anyhow, don`t be convinced that parve is okay for you if you are milk allergic.
Chicago-sorry, I probably didn't explain it very well. It is definitely a PA issue. Regular vanilla Cuties and pb flavor Cuties are made on the same production line. Milk keeps coming up because, as CarefulMom says, they hang their hat on the fact that the equipment is so well cleaned in between runs of regular and pb Cuties, that it meets strict Kosher/parve guidelines (I believe they do these tests daily so that they can call it dairy-free). And because of this strict cleaning process, they feel all peanut residue is also removed before producing regular Cuties.
However, CarefulMom's research and one poster's account of a severe reaction from a regular Cutie does not seem to support this conclusion.
OK, consensus says Cuties are not safe. CarefulMom did you happen to look into any other of their dessert products? Ones that are not run on the same lines as a pb product?
I'd rather not have to buy an ice cream maker and make my own, but possibly that is the only safe answer. When I contacted Soy Dream they ensured me that the beverage was peanut-free, but they could not guarantee the frozen dessert was. And the nice rep emailed me the following recipe:
Here is a peanut-free recipe you can make at home:
Soy Dream Non-Dairy Vanilla Frozen Dessert
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons Agar-Agar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
3-1/4 cups Vanilla Soy Dream Beverage
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. In a small bowl, sprinkle Agar-Agar over apple juice. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until Agar-Agar is dissolved and softened, about 10 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together honey and 2 cups soy milk. Cook until just hot, stirring frequently; remove from heat. Add softened Agar-Agar to hot Soy mixture, stirring until Agar-Agar is completely dissolved. Stir in remaining Soy Dream Beverage and vanilla; let cool, cover, and refrigerate until very well-chilled.
3. Spoon chilled mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker and freeze and process according to manufacturer's directions.
Makes about 1 quart.
Volume PER 1/2 CUP SERVING: 123 CAL (16% FROM FAT), 3g PROTEIN, 2g FAT, 22g CARB, 58mg SODIUM, 0mg CHOLESTEROL, 0.6g FIBER
Thanks for all the input.
I get it now - thank you.
For some reason this thread is really depressing. We've been using the Cuties without problems but if they are made on shared equipment with peanut butter-flavored ones I will assume that they are not safe. They are the only "ice cream" DD has ever had and she will miss them. Has anyone tried the recipe posted by nonutshere? And where can we buy agar-agar?
You can get agar agar at a health food store or asian market.
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Cheryl, mom to Jason (5) and Joey (3)
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