<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I agree with Fran. Very often it is best not to explain, and just say "no thanks". I only try to explain what I can and cannot eat if the person in question is likely to offer me food often, e.g. good friends. Most people don't know what they are eating anyway, so they don't know what they are trying to feed you either. All the stupid things I've heard... "What, there's flour in there?!!!" - about pretzels, pasta etc... people seem to think those grow on trees. If the situation needs an explanation, I usually go with the allergy, and only if people ask me what would happen if I ate flour, I say "It destroys my intestinal lining", at which point they usually decide they don't want to know more about it. Really educating someone about the gluten free diet is ony worth the trouble if the problem will come up often. Sylvia in Ithaca, NY, USA.