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This article at the end mentions a famous Halachic distinction made between the prohibition of 'Ever Min HaḤai as it pertains to Jews vs gentiles. For gentiles 'Ever Min HaḤai doesn't apply to milk, because it isn't connected to the animal. For Jews, however, there is an added stringency that includes even the milk, which is why the Jews needed special dispensation in the form of the verse that praises Eretz Yisrael as the "Land of Milk and Honey". For this reason, according to the article, Bnei Yisrael never ate dairy prior to Matan Torah, which we commemorate by eating dairy on Shavu'oth. But isn't this internally contradictory? Bnei Yisrael had the same level of 'Ever Min HaḤai prohibition as gentiles prior to Matan Torah!

Seth J
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    There's a teshuva from the Chatam Sofer that suggests that even today, Gentiles cannot eat eggs. Will source soon BH – Baal Shemot Tovot May 25 '12 at 22:21
  • The site cites HaElef Lecha Shelomo YD 322. I don't see any mention of shavuot there. I think this is an incorrect extrapolation on the part of the author. – Double AA May 25 '12 at 22:23
  • I apologize for the typos. Written on my phone. – Seth J May 25 '12 at 22:40
  • related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/7875/603 – Menachem May 29 '12 at 01:33
  • I think Moadim Uz'manim (Rabbi Sternbuch) says something about this also. – msh210 May 29 '12 at 05:46
  • What's the source for "Bnei Yisrael had the same level of 'Ever Min HaḤai prohibition as gentiles prior to Matan Torah"? – HodofHod Dec 26 '12 at 21:18
  • @hodofhod they were Bnei Noah at the time. It's intuitive. – Seth J Dec 26 '12 at 22:54
  • @SethJ prior to Matan Torah there was nothing special about Bnei Yisroel? – HodofHod Dec 27 '12 at 00:00
  • Interesting... if they didn't eat milk product before Matan Torah, then how do you explain וַיִּקַּח חֶמְאָה וְחָלָב - and Avrohom fed them butter and milk? – Danny Schoemann Apr 09 '13 at 11:21
  • @HodofHod, I'm not sure what you mean. What does being special have to do with it? – Seth J Apr 09 '13 at 12:29
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    @DannySchoemann, I don't really know where to begin. I'm not being critical of your question, btw. I'm just coming up blank. – Seth J Apr 09 '13 at 12:32
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    @SethJ: See the answer I posted. Thank you for causing me to do the research. – Danny Schoemann Apr 11 '13 at 09:12
  • @Baal Shemot Tovot about the eggs, does he talk about the rule אין לך דבר שמותר לישראל ואסור לגוי? – Meir Zirkind Apr 11 '13 at 15:44
  • @MeirZirkind, there certainly are things that are מותר לישראל ואסור לגוי;&rlm. קרבן פסח comes to mind. – Seth J Apr 11 '13 at 15:59
  • This idea is not mine but the Gemara Chulin 33b about Aiver Min Hachay. 2) The Korbon Pesach is also forbidden to all Jews except to those that registered for that particular Korbon. 3) That statement refers to a category (like all eggs) not to an individual unit in a category.
    • – Meir Zirkind Apr 11 '13 at 22:03
  • @Meir Zirkind #3 is the only Chiddush to me. Is that the resolution to this, then? – Seth J Apr 11 '13 at 22:38
  • That's my thought unless the Chasam Sofer (or another Posek) negate it. – Meir Zirkind Apr 11 '13 at 22:59
  • What's the chiddush to say that the issur before Matan Torah was the same for Jews and non-Jews alike? – Yehoshua Apr 11 '13 at 23:01
  • @Yehoshua I don't know to whom your asking, but if it's to me I didn't say that, what I said was that there is no category like a specific type of food e.g. eggs/milk that is permitted for Jews and not permitted to non-Jews. The question may arise by those eggs/milk which come from the forbidden species of birds/animals, since they are not permitted to Jews. – Meir Zirkind Apr 11 '13 at 23:50