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

First, my recommendation:

I was in Boulder Colorado this past weekend to visit a friend and discovered a lovely little coffee house called Folsom Street Coffee Company.  Their web address is http://www.folsomstreetcoffee.com/.  Not only do they make great coffees and teas and are an eco-friendly coffee house, which appeals to me, but they carry delicious gluten-free muffins/cupcakes and cookies from a local company called Amazing Grains.  I checked their website - http://www.amazinggrainsbakery.com/ - and their gluten-free products do not appear to be listed on their web site.  However, the staff at Folsom Street Coffee Co is very aware of Celiac Disease (as, it seems, are most dining establishments in Boulder!) and stated that the gluten-free products are definitely identified as gluten-free by Amazing Grains.  The chocolate muffin/cupcake with frosting that I had was moist and absolutely delicious and my friend - who can eat anything - said it rivaled anything made with wheat.  I suspect that there may be a cross-contamination issue, since the company also makes wheat-based products and the gluten-free products are shelved in the same display case in the coffee shop as the wheat-based products.  However, I felt no ill effects (I am not super-sensitive to gluten); in fact, I felt almost euphoric, but that was probably just from the chocolate fix and feeling like a "normal" person.  I highly recommend both the gluten-free Amazing Grains products - they sell them at other locations in Boulder, but it appears they don't sell them outside of Boulder or online - and the Folsom Street Coffee Company.  I have no affiliation with either, I just want to get the word out about some great products and a great coffee house for anyone visiting Boulder or living in the area.

Now, on to my question:

My one concern about Folsom Street Coffee Company is that because they are an eco-friendly coffee shop, they use compostable cups for their cold to-go drinks (hot drinks still go in regular recyclable cups).  These compostable cups are made from corn- or wheat-starch.  When I saw the sign announcing the use of these products I became a bit concerned for those who are intolerant or allergic to wheat and/or corn, so I want to pose this question to all of you and pass the information back to the coffee house... Is the corn- or wheat-starch in the cups a concern for those who are particularly intolerant or allergic to these grains?  If you feel it is a concern, please provide me with actual data - personal experience, documentation of studies, etc - to back up your concern.  According to the web sites of wheat cutlery companies (http://www.earthwarebiodegradables.com/products-w.html and http://www.grassrootsstore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=300), "It is also completely safe for people suffering from gluten allergies and celiac disease" and "Non-GMO wheat-based tableware + gluten free."  Does anyone know of any studies that can back up this claim?  I would like to let the coffee house know either way, whether they should warn people that there could be a problem if they are sensitive to these grains or whether they can assure people that studies have proven that these products are "completely safe" and "gluten-free".  I can not locate any information online, so I thought someone on this list might have such information available to them.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

~Tamara in Sacramento, CA

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