Soy-based infant formula

chiam margalit wrote in message
om...
Well, according to the Ultra O, no, breastmilk isn't pareve, it's
milchig, especially if the mom is milchig and nursing at the kitchen
or dining table. This is a really interesting discussion that has been
going on for quite a while. While I'm with you, my kashrut is pretty
strict but not THAT strict, other people differ radically and thus
have kept their babies pareve (the thought of a baby being labeled as
milchig or pareve cracks me up) by using soy formula.

Are they concerned that breastmilk may contain meat after the mom eats
meat? But if the mom eats meat in keeping with kashrut, how could her
milk be treif (sp)? Why would a baby need to be only pareve to be
Kosher? If the baby is only milchig, how can that not be Kosher? (If
you don't mind my asking - I am genuinely interested in Jewish law.)
Or, can I go and read the discussion myself?
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 7 mo.
And Jaden, 2 months

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

In article ,
chiam margalit wrote:
(Robyn Kozierok) wrote in message
...
In article ,
chiam margalit wrote:

Oh, I know it's true, and I know the entire story. It's a thread on
scjm that I've followed, plus I've read it in the Israeli papers. And
it has carried over to the US because people have stated that they
used soy formula rather than breastfeeding to ensure that their baby
stay milchig, something I can't even fathom, but heck...

Huh? Aren't soy formula and breastmilk both pareve? I'm sure I'm
missing the point here, but I can't understand this reference (and
I have breastfed while keeping kosher, though I admit I have never
been strict about it with my infants).

Well, according to the Ultra O, no, breastmilk isn't pareve, it's
milchig, especially if the mom is milchig and nursing at the kitchen
or dining table. This is a really interesting discussion that has been
going on for quite a while. While I'm with you, my kashrut is pretty
strict but not THAT strict, other people differ radically and thus
have kept their babies pareve (the thought of a baby being labeled as
milchig or pareve cracks me up) by using soy formula.

Hmm, I was always under the impression that breastmilk was pareve,
at least partially because for it to be milchig, it would have to be
the milk of a kosher animal, which humans are not.

I couldn't find anything on the OU website, but I did find the following

http://www.yoatzot.org/question/37 says:

Breastmilk is pareve (neither meat nor dairy). It is
rabbinically forbidden to mix breastmilk directly with meat
products to avoid the appearance of mixing meat and milk, but a
bottle containing expressed breastmilk may be placed on a table
together with meat, and may be washed with either meat or dairy
utensils.

I'm not sure how "Orthodox" the source is -- it is a service of Nishmat
and appears to be strong on Halacha, though of course different sources
may vary in their halachic rulings. I'd be interested to see other
information on this issue. I'm done with breastfeeding, but I'm still
quite interested in the related issues.

--Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/93 and Matthew 6/96 and Evan 3/01)

(Robyn Kozierok) wrote in message ...
In article ,
chiam margalit wrote:

Oh, I know it's true, and I know the entire story. It's a thread on
scjm that I've followed, plus I've read it in the Israeli papers. And
it has carried over to the US because people have stated that they
used soy formula rather than breastfeeding to ensure that their baby
stay milchig, something I can't even fathom, but heck...

Huh? Aren't soy formula and breastmilk both pareve? I'm sure I'm
missing the point here, but I can't understand this reference (and
I have breastfed while keeping kosher, though I admit I have never
been strict about it with my infants).

Soy formula can be pareve, but may not be. (What if one of the
things put into the formula came from pigs, or fish without scales,
or they decided to add anti-oxidents which came originally from
non-kosher wine?) Even worse: what if the formula was made on
Shabbat? Some rabbis will not sign the kosher form for factories
which operate on Shabbat, even if they are otherwise kosher.

Joshua Levy

In article ,
Joshua Levy wrote:
(Robyn Kozierok) wrote in message
...
In article ,
chiam margalit wrote:

Oh, I know it's true, and I know the entire story. It's a thread on
scjm that I've followed, plus I've read it in the Israeli papers. And
it has carried over to the US because people have stated that they
used soy formula rather than breastfeeding to ensure that their baby
stay milchig, something I can't even fathom, but heck...

Huh? Aren't soy formula and breastmilk both pareve? I'm sure I'm
missing the point here, but I can't understand this reference (and
I have breastfed while keeping kosher, though I admit I have never
been strict about it with my infants).

Soy formula can be pareve, but may not be. (What if one of the
things put into the formula came from pigs, or fish without scales,
or they decided to add anti-oxidents which came originally from
non-kosher wine?) Even worse: what if the formula was made on
Shabbat? Some rabbis will not sign the kosher form for factories
which operate on Shabbat, even if they are otherwise kosher.

Right. I got the impression from Marjorie's post that folks were choosing
kosher pareve soy formula over breastfeeding for reasons of kashrut, and
that doesn't make sense to me if breastmilk is, as I have always been led
to believe, also pareve. And Marjorie said that it was to "ensure that their
baby stay milchig" which confused me even more, since it seemed like the
whole point was to avoid feeding the baby something milchig.

From googling the thread on scjm, it appears that some people choose
pareve soy formula over milchig milk-based formula for reasons of
kashrut (to keep the baby pareve, not milchig), but I don't see any
references to choosing the soy formula over breastmilk. (I'd
appreciate pointers if I'm wrong about that.)

--Robyn

(chiam margalit) wrote in message . com...
LisaBell wrote in message . ..
On 11 Nov 2003 11:22:47 -0800, (chiam margalit)
wrote:

WARNING: Josh Backon is a well known medical crackpot that posts on
soc.culture.jewish.moderated. While he DOES have credentials, I'd
advise anyone even remotely interested in this post and other medical
posts Josh has posted over the years to please look carefully at his
postings. This is a guy who has tried to convince people that eating
leftover rice is deadly, has a tendancy to try and disgnose people
he's never laid eyes on before with life-threatening or several mental
disorders, and tends to believe that vitamins will save the world.

He does not appear to be a member of the medical faculty of the Hebrew
U (not in the directory),

He was in the directory every single time I looked him up, and I know
of other people who know him IRL and he is telling the truth that he
works there. I have no problem with his 'credentials' as I've read
them, not as he presents them.

but the issue he brings up is a legitimate
one. The facts he cites about babies hospitalized (and three dead) as
a result of thiamine deficiency, allegedly caused by all of them
having been fed exclusively with Remedia soy formula while the formula
contained no vit B1... are true. There is a HUGE row about this right
now in Israel. I hear it has even carried over to Brooklyn, NY.

Oh, I know it's true, and I know the entire story. It's a thread on
scjm that I've followed, plus I've read it in the Israeli papers. And
it has carried over to the US because people have stated that they
used soy formula rather than breastfeeding to ensure that their baby
stay milchig, something I can't even fathom, but heck...

It's an interesting postulation trying to figure out what exactly
happened and why.

My worry is that people will believe that Josh is a medical expert (on
everything, just ask him!) doing valid research on Usenet. You know
and I know that research on Usenet is a ridiculous proposition at
best, especially since I believe you are the *only* Israeli poster on
this newsgroup at this point in time.

Whatever... I just feel it's important to counteract anything Josh
claims because those of you who don't know him might be fooled by the
DR in front of his name. That could be dangerous if you were to follow
some of his medical advice. Recently there was a thread started about
pregnancy and childbirth and reading it will give clear indication of
Josh's position to the very very right of nutsoid.

And oh, Josh is a former American. You don't have to translate
anything on how we do things here. He knows, he knows. :-)

Marjorie


after reading this triade i'm begining to wonder WHO"S REALY THE CRACKPOT.....

Ani Hakatan