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

Today, Linda Jones  <[log in to unmask]> said:

>The last I heard Rice Dream contained gluten.  I was a user of the Rice
>Dream ice cream and quit using it because of contamination.  Please
>check with the manufacturer before using--you do have a lot to lose
>if you use if and it has gluten--don't take a chance!!!!  Has anyone
>else heard contrary to the statement I am making.  Perhaps, things
>have changed since I last checked...

By coincidence, I received a return call today from Jeannete Toneros at Imagine
Foods, the producer of Rice Dream (phone 415-327-1444).  Back in November 1994,
I posted to our List that Rice Dream used barley enzymes, and I wanted to get
an update on their product.

Imagine Food purchases the component which uses barley from California Natural
Products.  According to Jeannette, CNP has been unsuccessful in its attempts to
find a suitable non-barley source for these particular enzymes.  Jeannette
maintains that the amount of gluten remaining in Rice Dream is in the "parts
per million", but they have no lab assay to back up their statement.

I then spoke with Joe Hall at CNP.  He appeared quite willing to help Imagine
quantify the maximum possible gluten content in Rice Dream, and promised to fax
his calculations as soon as they are available.

I also recommended that Imagine and/or CNP get their product tested at a
commercial lab so that Celiacs can get more definitive information about its
gluten content. Both promised to look into this.  If any of you know of an
appropriate laboratory in America, please write to me privately at
<[log in to unmask]>

Don Kasarda posted a note back on November 19, 1995 that:

>...To the best of my knowledge, the smallest amount that
>has been tested with patients and shown (biopsies taken)
>to have a definite effect is 0.1 gram per day (Catassi et al.)
><rest deleted, see archive for further details>

A quart of Rice Dream should weigh about 1 kilogram (at least a liter of water
does!).  If Rice Dream had 100 parts per million of gluten, then a quart would
contain 0.1 gram of gluten (if my calculations are correct) and should be of
concern to most Celiacs.  On the other hand, if Rice Dream had 1 part per
million of gluten, it would appear to be acceptable to many more people.
Therefore, it will be important to see the results of CNP's analysis.
Naturally, I will report these back to the List.  Stay tuned.

Bill Elkus
Los Angeles


P.S. In my prior phone call with Imagine, they also told me that they could not
guarantee that the vanilla flavoring (found in some Rice Dream flavors) did not
use a grain alcohol base.  Some (but not all) celiac support groups recommend
avoiding products with this attribute....that is another controversial topic.
I did not check again on this particular point in my calls today.