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

Abigail Neuman was kind enough to post Imagine Food's email about Rice Dream
yesterday:

> Date:    Tue, 7 Jul 1998 12:46:42 -0700
> From:    Ellen Weiser <[log in to unmask]
>
> In order to avoid further confusion, I'd like to clarify a few points in
> Explorer's statement about Rice Dream. RICE DREAM BEVERAGE is made
> primarily from rice, it does not contain whole wheat or barley
> ingredients.  However, our patented enzymatic process uses enzymes,
> which are derived from various grains including barley, to convert the
> complex carbohydrates in brown rice to naturally occurring sugars.  The
> actual grains used to grow the enzymes are discarded after the enzymes
> are extracted. The barley protein in the final RICE DREAM BEVERAGE
> product, if present at all, would occur in parts per million amounts
> (less than 5 mg barley protein  per 8 oz serving). In addition, the
> enzymes are essentially used up in the process, (broken down to peptides
> and amino acids).  It is therefore possible, that gluten may exist in
> minute amounts in the final product...

Comments:

1.  Anyone wishing to read a long discussion by the CEL-PRO experts on how much
gluten a typical celiac can tolerate per day can download the MXGLUTEN file at
our website, or at www.celiac.com.  You will see that many experts talk about
levels below 10 milligrams per day being probably acceptable.  For me,
consuming 5 mg of barley protein (wheat protein is about 80% gluten) per glass
is risky, particularly since there are other brands of rice beverages with no
gluten at all.  Why use up half of your gluten "allowance" in one drink?  You
never know how much accidental gluten has already seeped into your daily diet
via cross-contamination outside your home.  And many celiac support groups have
a 'zero tolerance' policy, with no gluten allowance at all.

2.  In my personal opinion, Imagine Foods has not shown great corporate
responsibility towards Celiacs.  The quantification of possible gluten in Rice
Dream was first announced to the world right here on our Celiac list, in
February 1996, so it will have taken them 2.5 years to add a warning on their
labels.  In addition, it was difficult to get them to even agree to quantify
the gluten at that time (I'll spare you the details).

I have to admit that I really like Rice Dream, and prefer its flavor to all
other rice beverages I have tried.  My son is the only Celiac in our family,
and while he cannot drink Rice Dream, I can, and I do so daily.

Bill Elkus
Los Angeles