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Hi everybody!

Recently a Gluten-Free Menu list was posted for Chi Chi's restaurant. This Menu list specifically excluded the Chi Chi's corn tortilla chips.  Given that the store-bought Chi Chi's brand corn tortilla chips are gluten-free, the exclusion of this food on the restaurant's GF Menu list led to questions.  

Last week I spoke with Shawn Showalter of Casa de Oro Foods (sp?) at 502-772-2500, ext.106.  He explained the rationale for exclusion of the chips from the GF Menu:  Chi Chi's restaurant receives frozen chips from the manufacturer. The ingredients in these chips are gluten-free.  However, these frozen chips are then deep-fried by restaurant personnel to make the warm chips that are served to customers. Since a dedicated fryer is not used, these chips are excluded from the GF Menu list.  Shawn also mentioned that his mother was diagnosed recently with celiac disease, and thus he understood the challenges that we all face in finding safe restaurant fare.  Shawn did confirm for me that the store-bought tortilla chips (plain, unflavored) are indeed gluten-free. 

Regards,
Teresa

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *