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

Hi Again All!
        I'm trying to save some time (very busy with school right now) but I
wanted to get this quick summary out regarding the GF status of annatto
and wheatgrass.  For time's sake, at this point, I am just going to post
the responses I recieved that contained any info regarding either item.
The wheatgrass seems like a definite no-no for celiacs, as it is what it
sounds like - very young wheat, wheat is wheat!  This annatto stuff,
however, is more complicated and I do absolutely plan on researching
this more, as many people are wondering what's up with it as well!  But
for the meantime, I'm posting the info I recieved from my inquiry.
Thanks to all those that gave me their input, and as usual, I WILL keep
you (all) posted on what more I find out.  Regarding annatto in
products, call the usual routine remains ... call the company and ask
what and how the annatto in their product is derived and processed,
respectively.
Thanks again and best regards to all!
~Whitney~
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Bev in Milawaukee wrote:

Annato is also know as achiote seeds.  I looked it up in a reference
book & it said something like tropical evergreen shrub.  That is not a
grain.  Grinding the seeds & using them as they are shouldn't present a
problem.  Puerto Rican cookery heats the seeds in oil to extract the
color & uses it to color a variety of food including Puerto Rican
yellow rice.  If the color was extracted w/ oil & therefore oil-based,
it would make it a natural to color butter since it would another oil
would mix in readily.

        Only things that would make it not g.f.  would be if is was
contaminated in the grinding or if grain alcohol was somehow used in
the process--& I don't know if color is even soluble in alcohol.
Doesn't seem like an oil based color would need an alcohol
preservative.  (Thanks Bev!)

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Don Wiss wrote:

Excepts from Ener-G Food's "Detailed Ingredients Listing":

Annatto Color
  Because ethyl alcohol and/or caramel color can be present in annatto
  color and is not declared, people with Celiac-Sprue should consider
  avoiding this ingredient.

An old search. You should do one on wheatgrass, and it should have been
done before you asked the question.

Item #   Date   Time  Recs   Subject
------   ----   ----  ----   -------
004777 95/12/12 14:19   17   Query: sprouted wheat
004778 95/12/12 16:15   22   Re: Query: sprouted wheat
006132 96/03/25 22:29   10   Sprouted Bread

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Theresa in NYC wrote:

Search the archives for information about wheatgrass---you'll have to
make your own decision about it based on the information you find there.
One important note to keep in mind:  wheatgrass is exactly what it
sounds like--wheat that has not yet "matured" to form seeds.

Another thing to keep in mind about wheatgrass--that "rush" you feel
after you drink it is closer to a traditional sugar rush rather than a
vitamin-rush.  From what I understand, wheatgrass juice has the
nutritional equivalent of sugarcane.
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Again, thanks to you all!