<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I wrote this to Jessie in rely to her comments shown below. At here request I am posting it for the entire list. Bev Lieven In a message dated 2/28/02 6:35:46 PM Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: << I am alarmed and amazed that celiacs would purchase bread made in a bakery that also bakes with wheat flour. No, I don't think we can absorb gluten through our skin, but I also don't believe that a I posI wrtot eh'normal' bakery provides a safe environment for making gf bread. Talk about contamination !! Wow !! >> The bakery which I mentioned is not a normal bakery. It a small commercial bakery that markets natural breads. Bread is made is relatively small batches & with relatively simple technology, the same way they have always made bread. There is no retail store & no crumbs on surfaces. Bread is baked and then bagged for wholesale distribution. Cybros Bakery has been baking g.f. for celiacs in the Milwaukee area nearly 20 years. At that time, the only g.f. bread available to us was from Ener-G foods, half a continent away. Ordering it from them took time and often items were unavailable and shipping made up most of the cost on small orders. The local food co-op carried it, but its distributors insisted on putting it through their freezers/frigs, even though it was supposed to be shelf stable. This resulted in a lot of moldy bread that wasn't always evident at the time of purchased. (Moisture leaves the bread during cooling & puddles inside the packaging--The wet spots molded.) The plight of local celiacs came to the attention of this local bakery when the State of Wisconsin, Dept of Weight & Measure threated to shut down the food co-op for selling illegal bread--Ener-G bread came in 20 oz. packages and did not meet the weight packaging requirements for bread in Wisconsin--16 oz & multiple of 8 oz. thereof so comsumers could comparision shop. (Imagine having to sell bread in brown paper wrappers under the counter...True...They sold it if you asked for it, but kept it in the back!) Local celiacs took action and set out to get the state bread laws amended to exempt bread for special health needs from the weight requirement. When the item appeared on the legislative agenda, several bakers showed up to see what was happeing to the bread law. Members of the Cybros family were on hand. They offered to attempt to make bread for us. (We also got the bread law changed!) As promised, they did their research on g.f. ingredients and quality control. They now produce 4 kinds of g.f. breads--rice bread, rolls, & nuggets, rice'n' raisin (makes wonderful french toast & bread pudding), tapioca almond, and mock rye (tapioca) bread & rolls--colored w/ carob & made tasty with caraway. All are milk & egg free. They also make g.f. cookies. It does tend to crumble (its sweetened w/ honey, which crystalizes when cold) and needed to be toasted or heated in the microwave for better texture--like most g.f. breads. Prior to meeting us, their claim to fame was their 7 Grain Loaf. Unfortunately, that has had to take a back seat as demand for g.f. bread has grown. It's now baked 3 days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, after a weekend of inactivity and in time for the deliveries of freshly made, preservative free bread to be completed before the weekend. It's shipped 3-day around the country. They don't have a website & they don't really advertise. I guess they keep busy enough without it. Cybos Bakery Waukesha, WI 1-800-876-2253 I have no financial interest in Cybros. I am just spoiled by the convenience of presliced bread. We order it in bulk through the support group every two months or so. Because its in our area, I get to pick the bread up for the group. Not only does that save shipping costs but the bread goes from their freezer to mine. When you consider the 3 C's of Gluten-Free--Content, Contact, and Contamination, it all can be summed up in one question 'Who do you trust?' After nearly 20 years of premade, presliced, affordable g.f. for myself and 12 years of school lunches for two boys, I'd have to say I trust them with my life. (And, all my test results, & those of other Cybros bread eaters, from the CFCR screening were normal!) Bev