<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Dear Group, I spoke with Patti Murphy from Tom's of Maine yesterday to question the gluten status of their products. I am very pleased to know that their products are all gluten free as I have been searching for a shampoo I can use. I am forwarding the e-mail Patti sent to me--it answers all the questions I asked and includes a phone number so that others may contact her. How nice to know a company that responds so completely to CD questions! Priscilla Orcas Island, WA USA ---------- From: Patti Murphy <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Our Telephone Conversation Today Date: Tuesday, September 16, 1997 12:44 PM Again, Priscilla, it was a pleasure speaking with you today. On a whim I took a look in my hard drive file and lo and behold, the letter was pretty much shouting out at me. So, without further ado...here it is! Best of health to you, Patti Murphy Consumer Dialogue Coordinator Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address the concern about the gluten content of our natural personal care products. I apologize for the misinformation given to Janet in Maine in response to her request for information on this subject, and I have met with our customer service representatives to ensure that everyone is current on product information. All of our personal care products are gluten free. The glycerin we use is always corn derived and is not contaminated with any other grains. Our natural flavor oils are steam distilled and not grain distilled. Our products are alcohol-free, and they do not contain soy, casein or caseinate, MSG, wheat, oats, barley, rye, malt, spelt, kamut, HPP, or HVP. We do not use flour of any kind in our manufacturing process for conveyor belts or for any other purpose. Our containers are not dusted with flour before filling. We feel that it is important that our customers know exactly what is (and isn't) in our products, and we list all the ingredients on the packaging and in most cases identify its source and purpose in the product (in some cases, the label space is not large enough for the source/purpose information, but we encourage our consumers to call with any questions they may have). Although individual body chemistry is such that we cannot make a blanket statement to the effect that all celiac sufferers can use our products, I hope this information helps you and your health care professional to make healthy choices for your personal care products. I also wanted to commend you on your support system; the gathering and sharing of information is invaluable to those with health concerns and it is obvious that this group is committed to each otherÉs well-being. At TomÉs of Maine we believe in building relationships with our customers that extend beyond product usage to include full and honest dialogue. We ivite you to call us at 1-800-775-2388 if we can be of any further assistance to you. Sincerely, Patti Murphy Consumer Relations Coordinator ----------