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To Dayan Osher Westheim or the rabbi who supervises Kestenbaum Oat Matzos:

Last year I bought Kestenbaum Oat Matzos for Passover, and they were marked gluten-free. I went to my local supermarket, where I can buy the product and found that the labeling has changed from last year.....for the worse. It is very confusing, and potentially dangerous.  

On one side, the ingredients say all it contains is oat flour and water and that it is completely supervised (uncontaminated) and safe for those who need shmura matzah and cannot eat wheat, which would mean it contains no gluten...no wheat, barley or rye...the latter two of which are unacceptable on Passover, anyway. On the other side of the box, it says the ingredients are "oat flour (contains gluten) and water".

Which is it? Why is there a contradiction in terms? Is it safe for those of us who need shmura matzah AND have celiac sprue disease or have gluten-intolerance or have wheat allergies (not the same thing...but still means we cannot eat wheat, barley, rye, or contaminated oats) OR does it now contain gluten...and if yes....why?

Consider the fact that non-contaminated oats, grown, shipped and prepared in isolation from wheat, barley or rye, should NOT contain the gluten that makes us sick or would contain less than the 20ppm that is accepted by most experts.

So what has happened to your product? Why is it still sold online as a gluten-free product, why does it say it is safe for those who cannot eat wheat, and yet it  says "contains gluten?"

Passover is only two weeks away. I respectfully request a prompt reply. I am sharing this response with the celiac listserv, some of whose members need matzah, and several Jewish friends who also have celiac and need matzah. 

Thank you.

Linda Goldkrantz
Cherry Hill, NJ, U.S.A.



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