<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> In a recent post I mentioned that I was diagnosed as intolerant to casein and was having to change my diet. switching to totally none dairy products to substitute. My husband is a classic celiac and I am now diagnosed as gluten sensitive,I often do searches on the internet inclucing the FDA under a search word 'celiac'. I should also say that on my new diet I was experiencing some real bouts of digestive trouble which I couldn't understand. I was double checking ingredients over and over. When I stumbled on something.-------I had been searching for updates on celiac on the FDA CFSAN site and came to a petition which was marked January 17, 2001. It was written by Ruth Armstrong of Jonesville Michigan. The Docket number is 01P-0034. I also found it later under under methylcellulose and also under the author's name, Mrs. Armstrong. Mrs Armstrong was finding methylcellulose in foods in restaurants which had appeared to be a plain food. Like a plain omlet. She included material from the Dow on METHOCEl its Methylcellulose describing its properties. She also avoids gluten which why the document was picked up in the search. It has many uses in the food industry but, as her petition describes, it also can cause digestive problems. After I read her petition I started to look at the ingredients in some of the products that I was taking to substitute for regular products to avoid gluten and casein. I was amazed at how many included, not one gum, but several including methylcellulose, guar gum, xanthan gum, carregeenin, locust been gum etc. as ingredients. Methylcellulose is also in many of my vitamins.I also found out they could be used to produce the product and not be stated on the label. I did some searches on the additive page in FDA and found that research was done on a number of single gums, in particular on the effects on infants on formulas.The research studies mentioned limits on the amount of single gums But none seemed done on multiple gums. Including the what would happen if one used mutiple products in one day. Celiac have long been told that guar gum might cause some problems. I was really surprised at the amount of gums I had been taking in all the diary substitutes, in addition to some in the replacements for gluten containing bread. I called the Federal Office after I had searched for the effects of multiple gums to noavail. The gentleman who helped me told me that he also couldn't find any articles in his searches either. I think an important factor has been raised. Many parents are putting their children on dairyfree and glutenfree diets. If multiple gums have effects on me it might on them too. My primary concern is not with the foods in restaurants as isMrs Armstrongs, although I know will never eat an omelet at a restaurant again. My concern is with the need to assess the effects of multiple gums in foods when consuming many such foods on a daily basis. The title of the Petition by Ms. Armstrong is-- To require more information on restaurant menus where Methylcellulose or Carrageenin are incorporated in the food She hadn't had any response from the FDA after 2 years, when I first spoke to her on the phone, after reading her petition. She is a professional writer so the petition is very clearly written. For any one who is avoiding gluten and dairy and still having trouble and especially for those who have children on a gfcg diet consider looking at the number of gums they are ingesting. I will be sending a copy of this letter to a local FDA field officer who had spoken to the Healthy Vili a local celiac group. I have already sent a more formal letter to him.I will also be sending a snail mail copy to Mrs. Armstrong who is delighted to get the information to others. Irma in MA * Send administrative questions to [log in to unmask] *