<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I received twenty-eight responses to my question about Amy's GF frozen foods. Of those twenty-eight responses, twelve people stated that they had DEFINITELY had trouble with Amy's and refused to buy it as a result; conversely, eleven people stated that they had not had any trouble with Amy's and bought it regularly. Five people thought they might have had a reaction to Amy's but weren't entirely sure... Interesting, a bit frustrating, and not altogether surprising, I don't suppose ... even for those of us who are newly diagnosed and trying to make sense of it all. Amy's GF food is labeled as such, but it's made in a facility that also makes food containing gluten. So the discrepancy must lie in the fact that cross contamination does sometimes (but not always) occur. Also, I'm learning, some folks seem to be more sensitive then others. I've included, in this summary, a sampling of the responses I got, along with a letter from the folks at Amy's explaining their process. In the end, Amy's is a problem for some but not all, and the bottom line seems to be this: eat Amy's at your own risk. Sara I've been using Amy's Rice Mac and Cheese, and Rice Pasta Lasagna for a number of years without problems. First, be sure you picked up the gluten free version of what you want; Not all Amy's is gluten free. Mushrooms: I have never reacted to mushrooms. I buy the non-organic kind, and buy the whitest, freshest ones I can find. I cut off the ends of the stems, wipe off dirt and growing soil with a dry paper towel, then work them into my recipes. These are all common sense actions, and I have never reacted to a carefully selected Amy's Kitchen product, or to mushrooms. I have been GF 10 years, and I raised 2 Celiac Children. We definitely had a problem with Amy's. The only thing my 6 year old was missing was her Mac & Cheese, I saw Amy's in the frozen section with "Gluten Free" on the front of the box and snatched it right up. I ignored my common sense and did not read the package until after she had inhaled the entire contents in 3 minutes (she was very excited) and saw the disclaimer that it was processed in a plant which also processes wheat. Within a few hours, we know that she had ingested gluten. I was beyond mad - at myself for not reading the fine print and at Amy's for advertising that it was gluten free. The food itself is gluten free but the process may not be and it is wrong to be able to put gluten free on the package. I eat Amy's most days of the week for lunch. Never had a problem. I eat Amy's about once a month and I have only been glutenated once - it was vegetable lasagna (which I had eaten before with no problem). It was DEFINITELY gluten, and DEFINITELY the lasagna. I called their company to report it, and they said they didn't have any other complaints - but who knows. From Rochelle at Amy's Kitchen: Amy's Kitchen manufactures a number of products that are formulated without gluten containing ingredients. We strive to make these products as delicious as our popular gluten containing products. We currently have over 60 products that are formulated without gluten. Current US food regulations do not define "Gluten Free". By August 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must issue a proposed rule that will define the criteria for "Gluten Free" labeling of foods; the final rule defining "Gluten Free" must be issued no later than August 2008. In the meantime, Amy's Kitchen has decided to label the US products we make without any gluten-containing ingredients as "No Gluten Ingredients". In April 2006, you will start to see "No Gluten Ingredients" on the front of frozen product packages and on the back of canned and jarred product labels manufactured for the US market . Once the criteria for "Gluten Free" are final, Amy's Kitchen will update our packaging according to the FDA criteria. Amy's has always had strict Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) to avoid cross-contact of our non-gluten products with gluten and we continue to strengthen these practices. The GMPs include strict raw material control, sanitation practices and employee training. We are constantly updating these procedures to include more testing and in process checks. At our main processing facility, we have segregated our preparation and cooking areas into distinct "gluten" and "no gluten ingredients" areas to minimize the risk of cross-contact. In addition, we recently designated a completely enclosed area as "No Gluten Ingredients" at a new production facility. These activities support our commitment to ensuring that Amy's Kitchen's "No Gluten Ingredients" products are acceptable for any consumer who wants to avoid gluten. A wide range of activities and cross-checks are completed to ensure that cross-contamination and/or inadvertent use of the wrong ingredient does not occur. Examples include: v Full shift manufacture of products with complete clean-up of all food contact surfaces between products. Pieces of equipment that come in contact with the food are cleaned and sanitized prior to the manufacture of the next product. v Separate item numbers for all ingredients; these are checked by two individuals on receipt of the ingredient and three people on use of the ingredient to confirm the correct item is used. v Use of colored tags, papers and containers in production as an addition visual check to ensure intermediate components are not interchanged. v Designated areas for flour use to control airborne gluten and minimize its spread. v Bar code readers at packaging lines to ensure correct package is used with each product. v Spot screening of ingredients and finished products at University of Nebraska (FARRP - Food Allergy Research and Resource Program) to confirm there are no unlabeled allergens (utilize tests for gluten, soy, milk and peanuts). I hope this helps!" Rochelle Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC