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

Dear Group,

I spoke with Patti Murphy from Tom's of Maine yesterday to question the
gluten status of their products. I am very pleased to know that their
products are all gluten free as  I have been searching for a shampoo I can
use. I am forwarding the e-mail Patti sent to me--it answers all the
questions I asked and includes a phone number so that others may contact
her. How nice to know a company that responds so completely to CD
questions!

Priscilla
Orcas Island, WA
USA
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From: Patti Murphy <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Our Telephone Conversation Today
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 1997 12:44 PM

Again, Priscilla, it was a pleasure speaking with you today.  On a whim I
took a look in my hard drive file and lo and behold, the letter was pretty
much shouting out at me.  So, without further ado...here it is!  Best of
health to you,

Patti Murphy
Consumer Dialogue Coordinator

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address the concern about the
gluten content of our natural personal care products.  I apologize for the
misinformation given to Janet in Maine in response to her request for
information on this subject, and I have met with our customer service
representatives to ensure that everyone is current on product information.

All of our personal care products are gluten free.  The glycerin we use is
always corn derived and is not contaminated with any other grains.  Our
natural flavor oils are steam distilled and not grain distilled.  Our
products are alcohol-free, and they do not contain soy, casein or
caseinate,
MSG, wheat, oats, barley, rye, malt, spelt, kamut, HPP, or HVP.  We do not
use flour of any kind in our manufacturing process for conveyor belts or
for
any other purpose.  Our containers are not dusted with flour before
filling.

We feel that it is important that our customers know exactly what is (and
isn't) in our products, and we list all the ingredients on the packaging and
in most cases identify its source and purpose in the product (in some cases,
the label space is not large enough for the source/purpose information, but
we encourage our consumers to call with any questions they may have).

Although individual body chemistry is such that we cannot make a blanket
statement to the effect that all celiac sufferers can use our products, I
hope this information helps you and your health care professional to make
healthy choices for your personal care products.  I also wanted to commend
you on your support system; the gathering and sharing of information is
invaluable to those with health concerns and it is obvious that this group
is committed to each otherÉs well-being.

At TomÉs of Maine we believe in building relationships with our customers
that extend beyond product usage to include full and honest dialogue.  We
ivite you to call us at 1-800-775-2388 if we can be of any further
assistance to you.

Sincerely,

Patti Murphy
Consumer Relations Coordinator

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