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   A week or two ago I posted a description of my own introduction to and
experience with Tritamyl, which contains wheat starch and is obtainable
from the Gluten-Free Mall on the Internet.  I asked also for other people's
experiences with this product.

RESPONSES:
   I received quite a few immediate and varied responses. First, i would like
to summarize one from Don Wiss, who is one of the Listowners, I believe, or
if not so, at least very knowledgable.  Don takes polite issue with my
statement that if I lived in the UK still I would be eating wheat starch.
He says that there is not necessarily that much consumed in England, that
the major web site is totally free of it, that it is a proprietary product
pushed by the celiac society for some financial rewards, and that wheat
starch is not featured largely in British celiac cookbooks.  I myself was
judging by my one and only non-blood relative in England who is celiac and
who eats wheat starch regularly.

Of those who have tried tritamyl

One liked it and enjoyed particularly the other baked products it can be
used for (ex. apple muffins).

One fed it to a small celiac child with no apparent bad reaction.

One liked it but said it is better toasted.

Two had tried it and enjoyed it, saying specifically they had no reaction.

One liked it but found it a bit crumbly and added 1 1/2 t.  xanthum gum
with good effect.

One liked it and commented, as I did, on the ease of making.

An English celiac (who frequently contributes to the Listserv) reports that
his wife, a celiac, eats wheat starch regularly and has, since eating it,
had a second endoscopic exam showing "a full regrowth" of the villi.  I
quote him:  "It saddens me to read of people not daring to eat good things
from an unnecessary fear."

The generally expressed opinion/question among those who had tried the
product was that if it is OK for Europeans, why not for us?

Others:

Three people wanted to try it and asked for the address.

One Emailed me to ask if it contained corn (it does).

Only one reported an adverse reaction, but this was to WHEAT STARCH, saying
she had used a wheat-based pastry mix in error and became ill.  She felt
that she may simply be allergic to wheat.

One had ordered some but not yet received it.

Finally, one writer makes the undocumented claim that "lymphoma rates are
higher in European celiacs who eat wheat starch than in American celiacs."
The same writer says, "It is fine if you want to try it yourself but then
to post to the list the way you did is, in my opinion, irresponsible.

ENCOURAGING celiacs to try this mix and SUPPORTING those who sell it in the
first place is certainly not in the best interests of celiacs."

Naomi in Atlanta