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

Jane Ehrenfeld <[log in to unmask]> reported several weeks ago that:

>NOW Foods Xanthan Gum
>Distributed by NOW Foods, Glendale Hts., IL 60139/Tel. # (630)545-9000
>
>This product is grown on barley!!!
>
>On 5/19/97, at 5:15 p.m.EDT, I spoke with a company representative to
>ascertain the GF status of this product.  The label states this xanthan
>gum is "...100% pure and contains no sugar, salt, starch, yeast, wheat,
>corn, soy or milk."  When I asked whether it contains oats, barley or rye,
>I was told that it did not.  The label also states that "Xanthan Gum is
>produced by the pure culture fermentation of the miroorganis, Xanthomonas
>campestris, to yield a type of gel fiber similar to guar gum."  When I
>asked what this pure culture fermentation is grown on, I was told (after a
>brief delay while the company rep checked the information) that it was
>grown on barley.....

Since Xanthan gum is offered by many food companies, I asked Ted Wolff,who runs
the Kinnikinnick gluten free mail order service, to research other Xanthan
sources.  As his reply indicates, all of his sources are GF and it would appear
that the use of barley is unusual:

T>To: [log in to unmask] (Bill Elkus)
T>From: [log in to unmask] (Ted Wolff)
T>Date: 06/12/97 09:22:54 AM EDT
T>Subject: Re: barley in xantham gum

T>Sorry for the delay but if you want to make sure that you have safe
T>products it is better to go into detailed checking. I was only able to
T>check 3 of the manufacturers and could not yet determine who is the
T>supplier for the NOW company's xanthan gum.

T>I am happy to confirm that our xanthan gum and all other gums that we use
T>are indeed glutenfree and will stay so in the future.No barley wheat,tyr or
T>oats are used in the manufacturing process. Now the companies that we deal
T>with also said that they would be really surprised if any xanthan gum
T>producer would use barley as a source as it is not common practise.

<snip>

T>Kinnikinnick Xantahn Gum is available to anybody via regular mail in small
T>or larger quantities.

Bill Elkus
Los Angeles