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

Hi all. I am writing this post in response to a question directed to me
from Sara Barnett, but if any of you buy products originating in Israel
(where I can check them for you) this post may be of interest to you as
well.

First, thank you Sara. It makes me feel good that you could need my
services in terms of checking things out for the celiac population on this
list. I'm glad you asked.

A VERY IMPORTANT RULE: DO *NOT* ASSUME THAT KOSHER - PARVE or any other
Kosher connotation of Kosher means "no wheat". There is no connection to
wheat here. Kosher means that it has been approved for consumption by the
Rabbinate and contains no animal product that is forbidden by Torah
(Jewish Law), like pork, shell fish, etc. and that even if it does contain
a product of a kosher animal, it is not combined in any way with a milk
product - Beef Stroganoff, for instance would not be kosher.
Parve only means that the item has neither milk nor meat in it.
THERE IS NO CONNECTION TO WHEAT HERE. Please be aware of this. This would
apply if you order a kosher meal on an airline. Do NOT assume it's GF just
because it's kosher or even "Glatt kosher."

As to Telma products in general, I have a list dated in 1994, which they
sent me late last year, listing their GF products. As for soups, they only
commit to the KOSHER FOR PASSOVER veggie, mushroom, chicken, onion and
clear varieties being GF. I want to repeat what I said a few weeks ago on
this list concerning Kosher for Passover items. Kosher for Passover only
means that there is no unsupervised flour (wheat or otherwise) that went
into the making of the product. By unsupervised, I mean that moisture did
not get into the food item so as to cause it to rise, ferment, etc. This
does not mean that the product contains no wheat. The kosher for Passover
item may have matza flour in it which, itself is made from wheat flour,
only the production being supervised. However, many Kosher for Passover
items are indeed GF because in the "starches", they don't use wheat flour
(unless matza flour is stated), they use potato flour - a favorite
substitute. So what I do, is stock up on these kosher for passover soups
and use them all year round. (I still read labels carefully.)
In short, if the box of boullion cubes you asked about doesn't say Kosher
for Passover, even if it is one of the flavors I mentioned, stay away from
it.

If you can't wait until Passover, may I suggest Osem brand boullion cubes
and soups. Certain ones are indeed GF and I have a full-colored brochure
from their company to prove it. I don't know what they market in the US,
but they have chicken and mock chicken boullion cubes, as well as instant
broths in mock chicken, real chicken, onion, mock beef and tomato that are
GF. Their "Ba'it Cham" line offers GF rich veggie and rich onion.

Anyone interested in the full lists from the Telma, Osem, Vered HaGalil,
Elite and Mata companies can e-mail me privately. If there is sufficient
interest, I will post the list for all to read. I have no personal
interest in any of these companies.

Hope this helps. I can be much more specific, but I don't know what the
interest level is here.

My motto is "if in doubt, leave it out."

Sharon Marcus
Haifa, Israel