If you have an allergy, “traces” of your allergen can be lethal. According to Detective Olivia Benson “traces” of gunpowder residue and other unmentionables can be enough to convict someone of a crime. But what about traces of dairy and the vegan: does accidental ingestion of a product that may contain traces of dairy mean I’ve fallen off the vegan wagon after only 2.5 days?
Yes, it probably does, but in my defense:
- It was an accident. I avoided the office candy dish full of delightful milk-chocolate wonders and opted instead for a brisk walk (temperature, not speed) and a Luna bar. Midway through the bar I checked the ingredients and found that it may contain some dairy. Dairy? I didn’t know! I swear!
- It was self-defense. I had to defend myself from a terrible case of Mundane Mondays lurking just around the corner. Had I not ingested the snack, there’s no telling how the afternoon may have played out. I could’ve been overwhelmed by heavy eyelids or felled by a brain wanting only to ogle pictures from last night’s Golden Globes (I’m looking at you, Rooney Mara.)
- There is reasonable doubt. The label indicates that the bar “may contain traces of dairy.” May is not a definitive word; it leaves possibilities, doesn’t it? Isn’t it possible, likely even, that the bar may not contain traces of dairy? Reasonable doubt.
Lesson Learned: Read the label before consuming!
