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Dear Gayle,

I think you articulated the frustrations very well.  I hope you get responses
from more people than just me.  I'm still frustrated and, obviously, so are
you.  If everyone on the list would just take one of those issues and work on
it....

However I have read time and time again of the efforts that various people on
the list have already made to raise awareness, and it seems to fall on deaf
ears.  I know I'm not saying anything you don't know.

I sent out my comments to the List about an article on Free Glutamate in
foodstuffs.  The article was related to a new labeling rule by FDA requiring
that products which contain free glutamate be labeled as such. The food
industry is of course dead set against such labels saying it would (I quote
from the newspaper) "stigmatize products many people have been happily eating
for a long time."  Yeah.

I received very little response to the free glutamate post.  Not being a
chemist I don't know much about the MSG-glutamic acid-free glutamate
relationship.  But I have some suspicions about the politics of food
production, nutrition education, medical education, use of drugs in medicine
etc. etc.  Everyone wants to sell something.  Everyone wants to make as much
money as possible.  I can see that our little voices are easily quashed.

The disabilities issue which finally resulted in some advances for disabled
persons was not an easy battle.  And the benefits are continually in danger of
being eroded.

I will  contact the FDA to see what is happening with this labeling issue.  I
await a response to my letter to Clinton's pastry chef.  In the meantime, I
hope that everyone who reads this message will take pen in hand and write
letters to their elected representatives.  The food and drug industry doesn't
lack for supporters, real or manufactured.

Christina Oldenburg