<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Dear All, I think it would be a good idea to call for a bit of caution on the oats question. My understanding is that some coeliacs can eat oats safely but there are many like my wife who cannot eat any at all (we have even demonstrated this "double blind"). From the discussions on this list and talking with local coeliacs, there seems to be a correlation between the severity of the disease and oat sensitivity (but I am ready to be corrected on this). My observations suggest that people with very sensitive responses (my wife will respond to a few 10s of milligrams and possibly even less) are much less likely to be able to tolerate oats. I have been fascinated as I have read the posts on this list, as it now seems obvious to me that there are several different forms of coeliac. This would mean that each form will have somewhat different responses and we must be careful to always make sure that too much isn't claimed by coeliacs of one type due to a misunderstanding of this fact. A typical problem which has arisen from this oats question is that a Scottish company is now marketing oat cakes as "gluten-free". I have written to them and received a letter back which suggests that these sort of attitudes from consultants (who be it noted do not have to live with coeliac, it's not even a major part of their working day, as several posts recently have made clear) have muddied the water so badly that it may not be possible to get them to remove this statement from the pack without a court case. (They also gave the impression that they thought the whole thing a joke!) Have a wonderful (and totally gluten-free) Christmas. All the best for the New Year. David David J Walland University of Bristol Radiation Protection Adviser [log in to unmask] Tel +44 (0)117 928 8323 Fax +44 (0)117 929 1209