<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I thought I ;would share with the list the results
of my gluten testing on several products.  These
products are pretty exotic, but since my son
requires gluten/casein/egg free foods, and insists
on being a vegetarian, I wind up with some unusual
products in the house.

Disclaimer:  this is not intended as any product
endorsement or criticism.  I tried to perform the
test as best I could, but it is possible that I
made mistakes.  For absolute confidence, better
to do your own testing!

I used the Gluten Home Test Kit made by Medical
Innovations Ltd, in Sydney Australia and sold by
Food Analytics of Massena New York (800) 263-3677.
The same kit is also sold by at least one major
gluten-free mail order house.. The Gluten Free Pantry.

Testing involves putting drops of various
solutions into test tubes, and several timed
steps.  The kit includes a test tube with a pale
blue color standard.  The literature says: 'A
very pale blue color of an intensity clearly
less than the colour standard indicates the
presence of extremely low and acceptable amounts
of gluten ... acceptable under Codex guidelines.
A well washed 'A Grade' wheat starch acceptable
for gluten free food manufacture would show this
level of color in the test'

Another part of the literature defines the Codex
standard as 0.3% protein from wheat, oats, barley
or rye (although this test cannot detect oats).
It has previously been discussed on this list
that the UK and some other countries have more
lenient standards than the USA for the acceptable
amounts of gluten in foods, and there is not
agreement amongst the various celiac groups
on this issue.

Here is each product tested, and the results:

1)  Aztec cereal by Erewhon, a division of US
Mills, Omaha Nebraska.  Ingredients listed:
yellow corn meal, ground whole amaranth, apple
juice concentrate, sea salt.
Test result - (tested twice, a month apart) -
absolutely no color, which implies, if the test
was done correctly, essentially no gluten.
However, the test cannot detect oats.

2)  Poppets cereal by US Mills.  Ingredients:
brown rice flour, maple syrup, natural flavors
(lemon and orange), colors from natural sources
(annatto extract and tumeric extract).  I
personally called US ;Mills and was told in clear
terms that they were very familiar with the
requirements of celiacs, and that there was no
gluten in the natural flavors -- steam extraction
process.  I ;was also told that the annatto extract
did not use grain alcohol and was gluten free.
Test result - - (tested twice, a month apart) -
distinct pale blue color, clearly less intense
than the 'colour standard' from the kit. If
tested correctly, this indicates a small amount of gluten.

3)  Tofu-Vegie Burgers by Wildwood Natural Foods,
Santa Cruz California (an excellent tasting food!).
Ingredients:  Tofu, nigari, magnesium chloride
or calcium sulfate, onions, carrots, kale, potato
or rice flour, sea salt, garlic powder, high
oleic safflower oil.  Test result - absolutely
no color, which implies, if the test was done
correctly, essentially no gluten.

4) The Ultimate Meal -- this is a powdered mix
for making shakes and is sold by a company with
the same name, phone (800)-THE-MEAL in Santa
Barbara.  The ingredients appear to be excellent,
healthy stuff:  Rice protein concentrate, millet,
quinoa, amaranth, spirulina, flax seed, lecithin,
horsetail herb, green papaya, vitamin c, calcium,
zinc, vitamin E, bioflavonoids, pycnogenol,
octacosanol.  I personally spoke to the owner of
the firm who assured me that the rice protein was
not from California Natural Products (who sometimes
uses barley enzymes in making rice protein).  He
told me he was totally confident the product was
gluten free, and that he rigorously researches
each supplier to be sure of this.

Test result - tested twice about 90 minutes apart -
distinct blue color, clearly more intense than the
'colour standard'.  If the test was done properly,
this appears to indicate presence of unacceptable
amounts of gluten.  Although some celiac groups
avoid millet, quinoa and amaranth, Dr. Kasarda
and several groups which I ;personally feel are
the most state-of-the-art feel these are almost
certainly gluten free.  I am more suspicious of
the rice protein and other ingredients.

5)  Matzoh.  Ingredients:  wheat flour and water.
I tested this just to be sure the test kit worked,
and the resulting color was the most intense of
all, even more intense than The Ultimate Meal.

---comments---

Like most of you, I find the process of calling
manufacturers tedious and frustrating.  It is
really disappointing to find this evidence
suggesting the two supposedly gluten-free products
actually contain gluten.  The gluten test kit
is expensive (roughly $50 for 8 tests) and time
consuming.  It is not practical to test everything
one eats.  I tested these because they were
exotic and because my son eats Aztecs and Vegi
Burgers daily.

If any of you have used the gluten test kit, I
hope that you will share your results.

Bill Elkus