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I have noticed that a few of us pester companies about the gluten content of
food and other products until they take stands such as we see from Kraft.
Then, once we force them to take these tough stands we find that we are in a
worse position than we were before.  Before we put on all this unreasonable
pestering we got reasonable lists of gluten-free products and 'some' contact
with customer service representatives.  I am using Kraft as an example
because I can see that various companies are trying different tactics to
counter our unreasonable pestering and I personally feel that Kraft's
position is the best one for companies to take.  They put out a list of a
few products that couldn't possibly contain gluten and then they simply
state that all their other products may or may not contain gluten.  There is
absolutely no way for us to counter a position like that other than forcing
changes in food labeling.

I think that Proctor and Gamble have made a gross blunder with their new
policy and I'm positive that we will see them switch to something more like
the Kraft position because it works.  I notice that no one is suggesting
punitive measures against Kraft.  We've simply written them off and they've
apparently written us off.  We lose in a situation like that because we are
such a tiny minority it doesn't matter to corporations whether we buy their
products or not.

These companies simply have to find policies that can't be nit-picked and
I'm sure they will.  Kraft seems to be on the right track.

All this said, I personally feel that the people who pester customer service
representatives do all celiacs a disservice because they force companies to
take intractable positions to counter us.  When we pester people and
threaten them with retaliation from our tiny, badly disorganized minority
I'm sure they laugh at us.  Celiacs are being labeled as petty complainers
and whiners.  Nobody ever responds positively to people that act that way.
I don't like people that act that way.  Sometimes I'm ashamed to be a celiac
when I read some of the posts to the list.

I think we should immediately begin an effort to change labeling and that
all of our efforts should be channeled into that.  I think the rest of this
is useless.  Even if you badger a company into saying a particular product
is gluten-free we have absolutely no assurance that the formula won't be
changed the very next day to something that contains gluten.

Think labeling changes and forget the petty bickering, threatening and
PESTERING!


Joe Clemens
Port Angeles, Washington
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