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I definitely agree that we would are all far better off getting gluten-free
foods from companies that specialize in that, as well as from those who
otherwise demonstrate an understanding of specialized dietary restrictions.
And interestingly enough, the very companies that do so are the very ones
that =voluntarily= provide adequate labeling.  Why would we want to impose
standards on them when they are already meeting them voluntarily?  Why would
we impose higher costs related to compliance and regulatory issues on them?
 
I don't have any connection with food manufacturing whatsoever.  I am a
paralegal who specializes in corporate law, lobbying, and regulatory
compliance issues (primarily environmental).  And yes, I am a celiac.  I am
also violently allergic to soy, nuts, most fruits, and palm and canola oils.
I know what foods are safe for me to eat, and I avoid any foods that are
even questionable.  I won't risk having a food kill me before I finish my
first bite.
 
I don't agree with your analogy to anti-pollution technology.  The companies
that are voluntarily providing detailed labeling do not compete directly
with the companies that do not.  That's why they exist.  They take care of a
specialized market that the other companies have missed.  Regulation would
do nothing but make it that much harder for them to fill that niche.
 
Yes, it would cost more for the "big" companies to give us (all -- not just
celiacs) what we need that they would be likely to make off of our business.
 Maybe that won't be true in the future, however.  It's all a matter of
education.  In the meantime, I fully intend to keep purchasing my foods from
manufacturers I know and trust and, while I agree that some legislation is
appropriate for some things, I cannot agree that legislation is necessary or
desirable in this instance.  I also cannot agree that it is the place of the
federal government to regulate with regard to the safety, health, or general
welfare of me or any other person.
 
"That government is best which governs least." - Thomas Jefferson
 
Shawn Anderson
 [log in to unmask]
 Juneau, Alaska