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

Thank you very much to everyone  who has responded to my query.

The following replies confirmed that ENSUREis gluten-free.


1.   The maltodextrin in Ensure is corn derived. Ensure is a gluten free
     product.

     ** Cynthia Kupper, RD
        CEO, Gluten Intolerance Group of North America


2.   My wife, a celiac,  has been taking ensure and ensure plus for
     several months, after the dietician at Kaplan Cancer center, St Marys
     hospital, West Palm Beach checked with the manufacturer. She had
     throat radiation and required its use.

     ** JSSprung


3.   I use Ensure supplement as a valuable part of my Celiac diet.  I am a
     recently diagnosed celiac and now struggling to maintain weight with
     a 2000 calories per day diet.  The Ensure I buy is the Vanilla or
     Banana Ensure powder to make up yourself with water.  There is no
     maltodextrin in these two.....and the tin clearly states Free of
     Lactose and Gluten on the outside.  Now I buy my supplies in Hong
     Kong - and from the label on the tin they are made by Abbott Labs in
     Denmark.  I must admit I have assumed Ensure is the same ingredients
     the whole world over.  I hope this helps you - there are other
     flavours of Ensure that do contain gluten - my dietitian has warned
     me to stick to the ones which clearly state No gluten!


     ** Chris Hawkins


4.   Yes, maltodextrin is made from starch (most likely corn starch in the
     U.S.).  It is hydrolyzed from starch by acid and/or starch degrading
     enzymes. It is a very common bulking agent/filler in processed foods.
     When maltodextrin (or corn starch) is further hydrolyzed into smaller
     fragments, it becomes corn syrup or glucose.  Glucose is the building
     block of starch.

     ** C. Ronnie Yuan



H.T. Toh