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

On March 9 Jim Lyles responded to a question on an iron supplement:

> It might be gluten-free or it might not be...You should contact the
>manufacturer.

By mail my company specific, sometimes even ingredient specific, letters
do get full current disclosure from some companies.  All too often,
however, they don't.

Phoning works better but gets expensive for the smaller companies without
toll-free numbers.

Here's a short list of (international, I think) companies covering that
range:
               HONOR ROLL: Lipton. Sent a full listing with cover letter-
                                   when then called about "new flavor" on
                                   package immediately identified it
                                   and volunteered that printed list's date
                                   was 8/94.
              HONEST: Pet. Mail- Admitted they temporarily couldn't supply
                           a list due to reorganization of their data. R.D.
                           wrote to say read list of ingredients carefully
                           and call me with any questions at 800....
              HALL OF SHAME: Quaker. Same corporate policy response from
                             both Quaker and Pritikin. "Due to.... we are
                             unable to provide a listing such as you
                             described." Not even using the word gluten.
              HALL OF SHAME: General Foods- by phone for modified food
                             starch in Columbo's yogurt "cannot ensure that
                             any of our products will be gluten free".

Given the current climate in Washington, let's hope we don't see more
Quaker and General Foods type responses.

       Kemp Randolph                              Apples await,
       [log in to unmask]                  In New York State