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

I tried Spanish rice from both of these companies back in my days of
desperation.

Never again.

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NEAR EAST

Thank you for contacting us about Near East Rice Pilaf Mix. We do our
best to provide accurate information so that you can make informed
choices about the products you purchase.

Wheat is present within the ingredients of this product.

It's important we let you know that many of our suppliers use the same
equipment to make a variety of ingredients.  Products share production
lines within our plants as well.  Since product formulas are subject to
change and ingredient information may be updated, we recommend that you
continue to review the ingredient statements on the packages.

We appreciate your interest in our products.

Jim

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FANTASTIC FOODS

Dear Megan, Thank you for your recent letter regarding our production
practices and the ever-increasing interest regarding gluten free products.

Below is a list of Fantastic Foods products that do not contain wheat or
gluten ingredients.

At this time we do not have dedicated lines for the production of our
gluten-free products. We do, however, thoroughly clean these lines to
avoid cross contamination. Because most of our ingredients are dry, they
are easily dry cleaned between batches and thoroughly wet cleaned at the
end of each day.

While we take every precaution to assure that there is no cross
contamination between products, we cannot make any guarantee to that
effect.

The sources of our "spices" are spices such as basil, oregano, cinnamon,
pepper, etc.  Our spices do not include grain ingredients.  All of the
natural flavors that we use in our products are vegetable derived.
Grain ingredients, by law, have to be listed on the ingredient panel.

Marianne Fowler
Consumer Services Manager
HomeGrown Natural Foods
Fantastic Foods
Consorzio

FANTASTIC FOODS WHEAT AND GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS

CARTON PRODUCTS
Soup & Dip Recipe Mix:

Onion
Onion Mushroom
Garlic Herb
Vegetable

Elegant Grains:

Arborio Rice
Basmati Rice
Brown Basmati Rice
Jasmine Rice

Side Dishes:

Basmati Rice Pilaf
Jamaican Black Beans
New Orleans Red Beans
International Dishes:

Hummus
Instant Black Beans
Instant Refried Beans
Polenta

CUP PRODUCTS
Chili Ole! Cups:

Black Bean with Corn
Nacho Chili
White Bean Chili with Jalapenos

Creamy Soup Cups:

Broccoli & Cheddar
Potato Leek

Hearty Soup Cups:

Cha Cha Chili
Five Bean
Jumpin' Black Bean
Split Pea

Potato Cups:

Broccoli & Cheddar
White Cheddar Cheese
Garlic & Herbs
Sour Cream & Chives
Sweet Creamery Butter

Rice & Bean Cups:

Bombay Curry
Cajun
Spicy Jamaican
Tex-Mex
Effective 9/00