“WHAT IS SHERBERT
AND WHY IS IT MILCHIG?”
By; Rabbi Yaakov Mendelson
“Sherbert” is a distortion o f sherbet, and a very popular vernacular
usage for describing a pareve frozen dessert. Nothing could be
further from the truth! Sherbet (drop the second “r”) is always
Milchig.
It has long puzzled me that so many o f us have the idea that
sherbet is not dairy. The confusion appears to be rooted in the fact
that there are two traditions about this word. In my Random
House College Dictionary (1975 Edition) I read: Sherbet 1. a
frozen fruit-flavored mixture, similar to an ice but with milk, egg
white, or gelatin added. 2. British: a drink made of sweetened
fruit juice diluted with water and ice.
So there you have it. In the American tradition sherbet is a frozen
product which mav contain milk. Must it contain Milk? According
to the dictionary definition, not necessarily. However the legal
definition is another matter. Here is the description of sherbet as
it appears in the Code of Federal Regulations o f The Food & Drug
Administration section 135.140.
among our people’s European parents and grandparents, this
would explain why many o f us grew up with the notion that
sherbet is pareve. Thirty years ago if your mother made sherbet it
probably was pareve; that is why you ate it for dessert on Shabbos
right after the Cholent.
This discussion would not be complete without mentioning another
product often confused with sherbet, called sorbet. (Sorbet,
pronounced sor-BAY, is French for - you guessed it - sherbet.)
What is Sorbet? My dictionary did not say. Consulting Webster’s
Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1991 Edition), 1 found “fhiitflavored ice typically served between courses as a palate refresher.”
Thus sorbet is genetically pareve. (“Sorbet & Cream”, on the
other hand, is dairy because dairy ingredients are included in the
recipe.) However sorbets are often produced at ice cream factories
on dairy equipment. Therefore in the OU system, they will
sometimes be labelled OU-D. In that case the product may not be
eaten together with meat, for Ashkenazic Jews, but may be eaten
directly afterwards.
Incidentally, looking through the same dictionary (Webster’s
Ninth), I did find “sherbert” with the second “r”. Evidently the
popular pronunciation is now officially acceptable; but it still
contains milk. So either way, “sherbert” or “sherbet”, it’s a sure
bet to be Milchig.
Description
(1) (a) Sherbet is a food produced by freezing, while stirring, a
pasteurized mix consisting o f one or more o f the optional
dairy ingredients specified in paragraph (b) o f this section ...
and other safe and suitable nonmilk derived ingredients...
(2) ...the total milk or milk-derived solids content is not less
than 2 percent nor more than 5 percent by weight o f the
finished food.
Thus according to federal regulations sherbet in this country
must contain milk. Therefore you will always find dairy items
listed on the ingredient panel o f every sherbet. In the OU system
these items are o f course labeled OU-D.
The reason for our constant surprise at this phenomenon is the
other definition, the British one, which includes fruit and sugar
but no milk. Assuming that this is the meaning that held sway
THE MASHGIACH’S
CHECK LIST
Spice/Seasonings/Powder Companies
By: Rabbi Michael M. Morris
1. Check Schedule A (look out for magnesium stearate, Israeli
produce, Tolaim).
PRODUCTS: Haagen Dazs Update
1. All Haagen Dazs Ice Cream products are o f course dairy due to
their milk content, as are all “Sorbet and Cream” products. To
properly reflect this, the Haagen Dazs Co. has begun changing
their labels from a simple OU to OU-D.
2. Sorbets. Haagen Dazs Sorbet products do not contain any dairy
ingredients. However the equipment mav be considered dairy.
Sorbets which still carry only a simple OU are from the old
production and are pareve. Note: “Sorbet & Cream” products
have always been dairy because o f dairy ingredients.
3. Bailey’s Ice Cream. All Haagen Daze ice cream products are
now koshqr certified including the Bailey’s Irish Cream variety.
However the B ailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur drink, remains
uncertified at this point in time.
4. In the above mentioned plants, if products are blended, check
that all is produced cold at room temperature. What is the
cleanup procedure between products? Look out for dairy
ingredients, b e e f fat in jectio n and other non-kosher
ingredients.
5. Product coming from China requires special attention. Even
Group 1 ingredients may not b,e accepted without a reliable
kosher certification.
Any spray-dried ingredient should be brought to the attention
o f the RC.
2. Check Schedule B.
3. In plants that are mixed dairy/pareve or kosher/non-kosher,
check formulas for every seasoning product. Are these dairy
or pareve, kosher or non-kosher?
In the above mentioned plants, (see #3) the screw conveyor
should be opened up and checked to see if it is clean for use
with kosher product. At times it is used with non-kosher
shortenings which adhere to the inside of the housings.