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Hello interested list mates,

I thought I would update you all on my communications with OreIda about the
GF status of "Crispers" and the other 29 products listed as GF in the TCCSSG
guide last year.

I want to thank all of you out there who sent me such positive, supportive
e-mails about pursuing the GF status with OreIda.  (I received almost 50
responses, only 2 were negative).

I totally agree with everyone that our approach with food companies should be
friendly and non confrontational.

I have been working with Grant Jones in Public Relations to get a GF list
from OreIda.  I realized part of the initial delay in hearing back from
OreIda may have been due to the fact that they did not have enough (or any)
information about Celiac.  I will provide you with the list and any pertinent
information OreIda sends me.  I sent a letter to Grant Jones, Phyllis
Tambling and Jenny Horning (Consumer Affairs) explaining what Celiac disease
is, the symptoms it could lead to, and how cross contamination can make a GF
product unsafe to eat.  I also provided them with information about the
incidence of Celiac in the US.  A recent study by Dr.  Fassano, Pediatric
Gastroenteroly and Nutrition, University of Maryland, School of Medicine,
Baltimore, USA.  He spoke at the Annual Celiac conference Nov.  98 at
Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.  His study used random samples of blood
purchased from a blood bank.  Results of the study shows the incidence of
Celiac in the US is 1:250 - 300.  This prevalence is similar to many European
countries.  It is also much higher than previously estimated in the US.

I thought that OreIda might be interested in this because 1) it helps build
awareness of Celiac disease among food companies 2) it could provide a big
opportunity for more good tasting and convenient food choices to be made
available to the Celiac community 3) it may help get us closer to food
labeling that instantly allows us to know by looking at the front of a
package if a product is GF safe.

My old motto used to be "when in doubt, do without."  My new motto is "when
in doubt, call and find out."  If a product truly is not safe then I can live
with that but if it is truly GF and we can add it to our list then GREAT!!

This leads me to my next project.  I am developing a form to use when phoning
a food company to inquire about the GF status of a product(s).

I have been reading all of the e-mails regarding contacting food
manufacturers and I thought it might be useful to many of us to have a form
that gets the dialogue going in a positive and friendly manner and enables us
to get the most accurate information in a timely manner.

If you are interested in receiving the form when it is finished please let me
know by March 1.  I will e-mail it to all interested.

Incidentally, Grant Jones at OreIda said he would give us his input from a
company perspective as he thinks this would be a great tool.

My hopes are that the form will help newly diagnosed Celiacs and help food
companies provide the Celiac community with more good tasting and convenient
food choices.  Convenience is one attribute that has been untapped in the GF
arena and I believe there is a huge opportunity here.

One of the e-mails from the list serve that I received back about my initial
contact with Ore Ida was extremely negative.  It mentioned that I should just
sit back and realize that there are just going to be foods that Nicole can't
eat and I should live with that because she has to.  I just want to say that
I'm not going to sit back.  If I can provide her with even one more
commercial food product that she loves (and is convenient) then I will work
my hardest to do so.

My wish is that one day in the not too distant future I can walk down the
food aisles at my local grocery store and find products that are GF simply by
seeing a GF stamp on the front of the package.

Thanks again for all of your support.

Audri J. Humphrey
(Nicole's Mom in Columbus, OH)