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

Hello mates,
  I just got off the phone to Hidden Valley Ranch Co. to confirm the gf
status.  (I thought the bottled dressing was ok but the package of mixes
were not).  So, the woman with whom I spoke said that NONE of their
products are gluten free, that they ALL have trace elements of gluten.  She
wouldn't tell me if it was from base ingredients delivered from suppliers,
line contamination, or which ingredients were from wheat until I asked if
they were using that as a blanket statement to avoid lawsuits in case
someone got sick.  I mentioned that a growing and significant part of the
population is being diagnosed w/ Celiac disease and that we will turn to
other companies like Hormel that are eliminating gluten from their products
and companies like Kraft,etc., that declare on the label if there is an
allergen present.  I asked that they consider using something other than
glutinous ingredients to make their products. After some prodding she
finally stated that it is the Modified Food Starch
 that could be from wheat or corn.
  I thanked her for her help and then mentioned that I would inform my
fellow Celiacs on the Celiac support site, and that there were several
thousand members, and they in turn would then inform their families and
friends which dressings are and are not safe for their consumption.  At
that point she asked if she could have my name and address to document the
call and if it were alright for a marketing person to call me.
  So, my 10 y.o. daughter sat w/ a lovely salad she made, ready to consume
with the delicious goo poured onto it...now she is salivating and sad...but
we'll whip something up real quick that will hopefully serve as an
acceptable substitute!!  She's pretty well equipped to deal w/ these little
inconveniences.  Any recipes for GOOOOOD homemade ranch would be gratefully
accepted!  Have a great day!
  Kate, Salmon, ID


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