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

I've never summarized anything for this list before, but I'll try this.  I
received 8 emails in response to my query regarding what we could do about
Customs and the FDA holding up our food orders out of Canada.   The comments in
parens at the end of some of the responses are mine.

One person suggested that I see if I could find the email address of the
Homeland Security office and write them.

One said she had had a problem with receiving moldy food from Glutino, they
wouldn't do anything about it, so she has not ordered from them again.

Two said they order from Glutino and have had this happen a couple of times.
One of them wondered why Kinnikinnick products don't seem to be held up.
Consensus was that some orders are held up and some not.  (She and I both have
ordered several times - since 9/11 - from Kinnikinnick and never had an order
held up.)

One person said she thought the dollar value of an order might have some
influence on whether an order is held up or not - suggesting that something over
perhaps $200 would be more likely to be held up.  (My order was only $40.00).

Three suggested I contact my congressman.  And one said that complaining to
Customs would probably be a moot point, and that I probably shouldn't get my
hopes up that my Congressman would do anything, since it seems that anytime
anyone mentions terrorism, bio or not, everyone seems to fall into the party line.
 He said that even large food importers are experiencing this problem and
stand to lose thousands of dollars per shipment.    One suggested that I mention
to my Congressman that if the US would require companies to label what is in
their food, we wouldn't have to order from Canada - he said that wasn't exactly
true, of course, but it couldn't hurt.

One person suggested that I order Glutino products from the Gluten Free
Pantry, but on accessing their web site, I couldn't find any Glutino products
except their pretzels.

Anyhow, that's all I got.  I have written to Senator Kit Bond and complained,
but have yet to get anything back from him or his office.  I think I'll write
to Congressman Jim Talent next.  Will let you all know if I get anything.

Karen from Missouri

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