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

Hi! I received over 20 responses so this is my summary and findings -
according to my question.  Thanks again to everyone for your responses and
here’s to all the cheese lovers everywhere.....

(1) What cheeses are safe?

Most people suggested and use blocked-aged-hard cheese as opposed to
shredded package cheese. The consensus is that block cheese is
predominantly and inherently gluten-free.  These are made from milk,
enzymes, salt, & coloring in yellow cheese, which is usually an oil base
that has been colored with annatto seeds (full of pollen, but gluten-free).

Swiss cheese, all Italian cheeses (including Gorgonzola, Tallegio or
Parmesan) as well as most French cheeses (Camembert, Brie, Epoisse, raw
milk cheeses), goat cheeses, and English country cheeses - are all fine.
Cabot cheese is good and gluten-free.

It is believed that Rocquefort and Stilton are made with bread mold.  Thus
some 'real' cheeses that aren't gluten-free is blue & similar cheeses that
have been layered with breadcrumbs to facilitate the development of the
mold (that gives them their particular taste).  Herbed and flavored cheeses
might have gluten in their spices (Atheno's herbed feta; Boursin and
Rondele Herb Cheese, were verified as gluten-free).

Packaged shredded natural cheeses contain fillers--usually some form of
cellulose or potato starch (gluten-free) to keep it from sticking in a
clump. Avoid shredded cheeses that have other ingredients added as
flavoring--taco cheese is probably the most common & usually contains wheat
flour.

Although a few people stated that Sargento would not confirm their products
are gluten-free and that Kraft did.  I thought I would go to both web-sites
and check it out.  Here’s what I found:

Sargento’s web-site @ www.sargentocheese.com (in FAQ section):  Q. Is there
gluten in Sargento cheeses?  ” We are pleased to tell you that most
Sargento natural cheeses should be acceptable to a gluten-free diet.
However, there are a few exceptions.   We do not recommend that anyone on a
gluten-free diet eat our Taco Shredded Cheese or our Nacho & Taco Shredded
Cheese because there is wheat flour in the spice mixture in these products.
There is also wheat gluten in Sargento Blue Cheese. Sargento Imitation
Mozzarella Shredded Cheese contains a modified food starch that may contain
gluten. Those on a gluten-free diet should also not eat the following
Sargento Snacks: Cheeze and Sticks, Cheeze and Pretzels, Cheeze and
Crackers, Strawberry and Sprinkles, Chocolatey Chip or S'mores.   You will
notice that we use microcrystalline cellulose, calcium carbonate or potato
starch as anti-caking agents on our shredded cheeses. When added to
shredded cheese, they prevent the shreds from sticking together.
Microcrystalline cellulose is a white, odorless, tasteless, totally natural
powder made from cellulose, a naturally occurring component of most plants.
Calcium carbonate and potato starch are also natural ingredients. None of
these anti-caking agents is derived from wheat, rye, oats or barley;
therefore, they are acceptable to a gluten-free diet. The source of vinegar
in Sargento Ricotta Cheese can vary; however, it is triple distilled, and,
to the best of our knowledge, no gluten is present.   We hope this
information is helpful. If you have questions about how our products may
affect your medical condition, we suggest you discuss this information with
your physician.”

Kraft’s web-site @ www.kraftcheese.com (type “gluten free” in the search
field) has a 2 page pdf file (gluten_free_0623031.pdf) which takes about 10
minutes to download.  It is an overview on how to choose gluten free foods
but one important quote is “If a Kraft product contains gluten, a source of
gluten will be listed in the ingredient statement, no matter how small the
amount.  For labeling purposes, we include wheat, barley, rye and oats as
sources of gluten.”

A few people a good site for food lists and products is:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/start

(2) Why would stool float when eating cheese but not with other dairy
items?

Celiac and Med Student Response:  Floating stool= more fat in it. Maybe the
higher fat content of cheese compared to other dairy products and your
degree of malabsorption are co-culprits. Cheese does NOT coat the villi and
prevent absorption—it should be broken down mechanically in your stomach
well before entering the intestine. I don't buy pre-shredded cheeses and am
quite sensitive-- never have problems with the cheese blocks (I usually get
Tillamook). It is very unlikely that the cheese has gluten.

Most other responses stated the same thing - that it is most likely the
high (about 90+%) fat content.   Fat is lighter than water & floats on
top.  Celiacs, especially newly diagnosed or those with lots of damage
don't absorb fats well and it just passes on through unabsorbed. This
tendency will eventually subside as you heal. One person had this problem
but, once healed, everything sinks!  It's also possible that there is air
(also lighter than water) in it from fermentation from lactose intolerance,
but you would probably have other symptoms if that were the case.

A few stated the same but emphasized it was lactose intolerance!  Most
celiacs have lactose intolerance because the disease destroys the villi.
The tips of the villi are where the lactose enzymes are excreted which
facilitates digestion of lactose (breaks it down).

To heal the gut, one person suggested the following:  with each meal, take
one L-Glutamine capsule 500mg and one probiotics complex capsule.  The
probiotics heals the gut and the glutamine is a catalyst.  You will feel
better within a week and your gut will be healed within 5 months as opposed
to 5 years with just a gluten-free diet.  In the mean time, stay away from
cow's milk products.  You may consume goat's milk and goat's milk cheese
because they do not contain lactose.  This info came from my MD and from my
Nutritionist who teaches on the graduate level.

Celiac or a gluten reaction is NOT the only things that will make stools
float.

The following web site has a lot to say about wheat, milk products & soy:
www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html

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