Released on = April 28, 2006, 11:29 am

Press Release Author = Lani K. Thompson/Clan Thompson

Industry = Healthcare

Press Release Summary = One of the questions I\'m often asked is how I research the
products we list in our Celiac Pocket Guides and SmartList software programs.
Researching products is a painstaking process.


Press Release Body = by Lani K. Thompson

BRIDGTON, ME (Clan Thompson) April 28, 2006 -- When people with celiac disease eat
gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, the protein sets off an
immune response that causes damage to their small intestine. Symptoms of celiac
disease vary widely, as do their severity. Some people don't have any symptoms at
all. Others may experience diarrhea, bloating, abdominal cramping, fatigue, pain in
the bones or joints, unexplained weight loss, weakness, depression, mood changes,
and more. There is no cure, but the disease can be treated with a gluten free diet.
Approximately 1 in 133 Americans are believed to be affected by this auto-immune
disorder. I started researching foods and drugs after my husband was diagnosed. A
couple of years later, we published our first celiac pocket guide and a couple of
years after that, our first celiac SmartList software program was released. One of
the questions I\'m often asked is how I research the products we list. It\'s not an
easy question to answer! Researching products is a painstaking process. When I call
a company, the conversation I have depends a lot on the person I\'m talking with.

Sometimes company representatives are very knowledgeable about celiac disease. Not
only do they offer to send me a list of gluten free products, they volunteer
additional information such as the fact that any starches they use are derived from
corn or potato or that they manufacture drugs on a dedicated line.

Other times a company representative will announce that a product must be gluten
free because \"there\'s no gluten listed on the label\" or because \"it\'s Kosher\". These
kinds of comments alert me to the fact that the person I\'m talking to doesn\'t really
understand what \"gluten free\" means. I need to explain that we need to avoid wheat,
rye, oats, barley, and spelt as well as any ingredients derived from them such as
modified food starch or soy sauce.

However, while the conversation I have has to be tailored to each company, there are
some basic things that I always try to do.

I always start out by asking if the company has a list of gluten free products they
can send me. Asking for a list tells me two things: first, that a company is
somewhat familiar with celiac disease and, second, they\'re willing to put
information in writing. Also, companies that can\'t provide a written list and only
read a list of products over the phone are more apt to give you inaccurate
information. I think one of the reasons for this may be because those kinds of lists
are often assembled \"on the spot\" by the person who is quickly reading through
information on different computer screens.

Once I see a written list, I may call a company back and ask specific questions
about certain items, especially if something doesn\'t look \"right\". Cookies and cream
flavoring necessitated one callback, but the manufacturer assured me there were no
actual cookies in the flavoring. Another time, I found minestrone soup on a gluten
free list. When I called back, the manufacturer agreed that it was not gluten free.

If a manufacturer doesn\'t have a written list, I ask him to check products over the
phone. If I\'m aware of specific ingredients, such as modified starch, I\'ll ask what
it\'s derived from.

I also ask about possible cross contamination. Unless a product is made in a
dedicated factory - and most major brands are not - it will probably be manufactured
on the same lines as those that produce gluten-containing products. However, most
manufacturers will state that the lines are thoroughly cleaned between runs. For
many celiacs, this is enough and they\'re willing to use these products. Some
celiacs, however, don\'t consider these items to be \"gluten free\".

How does Clan Thompson define \"gluten free\"?

Clan Thompson does not define gluten free. Since there is no way for us to test
products ourselves, our aim is to let people know what manufacturers say about their
own products. Sometimes products are manufactured in gluten free environments and
they do not contain any gluten-containing ingredients. Sometimes they do not contain
gluten-containing ingredients, but they are manufactured on lines with other
products that do contain gluten. In either of the above cases, if the item is listed
on a company list of gluten free products, it will be listed as \"Gluten Free: Yes\"
in our SmartList. We have an additional field in the SmartList for comments and,
when I have extra information from the manufacturer, I will include it here. Sample
comments might include: \"Manufacturer states that the product contains no gluten
containing ingredients but cross contamination is possible\"; or \"Manufactured on
lines producing gluten containing products, but lines are thoroughly cleaned between
runs\"; or \"Manufacturer states there is no possibility of cross contamination.\"

Sometimes a manufacturer will tell me there are no gluten containing ingredients and
the lines are cleaned, but they can\'t guarantee that a product is gluten free. In
those cases, we list the item as \"Gluten Free: Unknown\" with an appropriate comment
in the comment field. My feeling is that if the manufacturer refuses to say that a
product is gluten free, even if there are no gluten containing ingredients and the
lines are cleaned, then it\'s not my job to make that decision for him. My job is to
report what he says so that our customers can make their own informed decisions.

I think it\'s very important to verify information directly with each manufacturer.
We never depend on \"word of mouth\" assurances from friends, other celiacs or
messageboards. Friends and other celiacs don\'t manufacture foods and drugs, so how
can they know what\'s in them? Only manufacturers know what\'s in the products they
make, but friends and messageboards can serve an important function. For instance,
they can alert you as to when a product may have changed. If you suddenly hear that
Brand X Allergy tablets lists wheat starch on its label now, and it used to list
cornstarch, you\'ll know it\'s time to call the manufacturer and update your
information. Even then you need to carefully check the label. Are you looking at the
4-hour tab or the 8-hour tab? Just because they\'re both Brand X Allergy tablets
doesn\'t mean the information is the same for both of them.

Trying to figure out whether a product is gluten free or not can be difficult,
especially for newly diagnosed celiacs. Some ingredient names don\'t even sound like
part of the English language! We maintain gluten information for an online list of
ingredients on our Resources/Free Info Lists page...or you can write to us at
celiac@clanthompson.com if you\'d like help researching your favorite foods or drugs.

(Copyright 2006 by Clan Thompson)

Web Site = http://www.clanthompson.com

Contact Details = Lani K. Thompson
42 Green St.
Bridgton, ME 04009
Email: lani@clanthompson.com