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

I received three responses- two believed the company was not user
friendly or reliable and the one that follows which is very informative:

You are right to be cautious about the source of the dextrin in
Fruitrim.
There does seem to be some question as to whether it is truly gf. First,

see the manufacturer's website,
<http://www.advancedingredients.com/FRUITRIM/FT_General_Product_Info.htm>.

Here, they state that the product is both gf and _corn-free_. (I
emphasize
the latter as being important in what follows).

Next, see the article on dextrins from Gluten-Free Living (2001),
reproduced in html format at
<
http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:JJCCRZd0Q58C:www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/doc/dextrins.rtf+%22dextrins.rtf%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

>.
Here, you'll see that dextrin can be derived from the starches of, among

other things, "corn, potato, arrowroot, rice, tapioca and or wheat". The

article also states "large US manufacturers of this ingredient do not
use
wheat in its production". However, if the dextrin in Fruitrim is both
grain-derived and corn-free (and the manufacturers do say both), I have
to
ask what's left? Wheat, oats, or barley are the most likely suspects,
and
I've never seen oat or barley starch listed as an ingredient. Logic
dictates that it is most likely that the dextrin in Fruitrim is derived
from wheat. They state truthfully that the starch doesn't gluten, but in

the U.S. & Canada, to the best of my knowledge, a) we don't have wheat
starch being processed to the European Codex Alimentarius standard,
which
would _maybe_ allow it to be called gf here, and b) the gf diet as
commonly
followed excludes wheat starch no matter how pure.

If you want to pursue this, I'd suggest not bothering with the bakery,
but
rather going directly to the makers of Fruitrim. The bakers are
prohibited
from telling you the ingredients of Fruitrim because it isn't their
product. All they can do, apparently, is be somewhat insulting, by
suggesting that you're questioning the purity and food-worthiness of
their
ingredients. (As an aside, their response would make not eat their
products
even if they were absolutely gf!) Advanced Ingredients has a page of
contact information at
<http://www.advancedingredients.com/Contact_Us.htm>.
If you write to them directly, quoting the dextrin article from
Gluten-Free
Living, they should understand your concern and at least be willing to
verify that they _are not_ using wheat (or any of the other wheat
relatives--spelt, kamut, durum, semolina, triticale), rye, oats, or
barley
starch. That way, you're not asking them to reveal their proprietary
formula. In fact, I'll contact them as well--if they get multiple
questions
it might make them more aware that this is a bigger issue than can be
answered by saying "just trust us".

Thank you
Elaine

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