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In a recent post I mentioned that I was diagnosed as intolerant to casein
and was having to change my diet.
switching to totally none dairy  products to substitute. My husband is a
classic celiac and I am now diagnosed as gluten sensitive,I often do
searches on the internet inclucing the FDA under a search word 'celiac'.

I should also say that on my new diet I was experiencing some real bouts of
digestive trouble which I couldn't understand. I was double checking
ingredients over and over. When I stumbled on something.-------I had
been searching for updates on celiac on the FDA CFSAN site and came to a
petition which was marked January 17, 2001. It was written by Ruth
Armstrong of Jonesville Michigan. The Docket number is 01P-0034.  I also
found it later under
 under methylcellulose and also under the author's name, Mrs. Armstrong.
Mrs  Armstrong was finding methylcellulose in foods in restaurants which
had appeared to be a plain food. Like a plain omlet. She included material
from the Dow on METHOCEl its Methylcellulose describing its properties. She
also avoids gluten which why the document was picked up in the search.

It has many uses in the food industry but, as her petition describes, it
also
can cause digestive problems.

After I read her petition I started to look at the ingredients in some of
the products that I  was taking to substitute for regular products to avoid
 gluten and casein. I was amazed at how many included, not one gum, but
several
including methylcellulose, guar gum, xanthan gum, carregeenin, locust been
gum etc. as ingredients. Methylcellulose is also in many of my vitamins.I
 also found out they could be used to produce the product and not be stated
on the label.

 I did some searches on the additive page in FDA and found that
research was done on a number of  single gums, in particular on the effects
on infants on
formulas.The research studies mentioned limits on the amount of single gums
But none seemed
done on multiple gums. Including the what would happen if one used mutiple
products in one day.

Celiac have long been told that guar gum might cause some problems. I was
really surprised at the amount of gums I had been taking in all the diary
substitutes, in addition to some in the  replacements for  gluten
containing bread.

I called the Federal Office after I had searched for the effects of
multiple gums to noavail. The gentleman who helped me told me that he also
couldn't
find any articles in his searches either. I think an important factor has
been
raised. Many parents are putting their children on dairyfree and glutenfree
diets. If multiple gums have effects on me it might on them too.

My primary concern is not with the foods in restaurants as isMrs
Armstrongs, although I know
will never eat an omelet at a restaurant again. My concern is with the need
to assess the effects of multiple gums in foods when consuming many such
foods on a daily basis.

The title of the Petition by Ms. Armstrong is--
To require more information on restaurant menus where Methylcellulose  or
Carrageenin are incorporated in the food

She hadn't had any response from the FDA after 2 years, when I first spoke
to her on the phone, after reading her petition. She is a professional
writer so the petition is very clearly written.

For any one who is avoiding gluten and dairy and still having trouble and
especially for those who have children on a gfcg diet consider looking at
the number of gums they are ingesting.

I will be sending a copy of this letter to a local FDA field officer who
had spoken to the Healthy Vili a local celiac group. I have already sent a
more formal letter to him.I will also be sending a snail mail copy to Mrs.
Armstrong who is delighted to get the information to others.

Irma in MA

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