Company letters for legal products

[Guest guest]

Dear Ms. Conrad,

As a member of the BTVC yahoo group listserve, which contains members of the old LI listserve as well, I am trying to gather as many letters from companies about the legality of their products. We as a group, are trying to offer some convenience to our members after they have been on SCD and have been symptom free for a year or more.

It was mentioned by a member that you may possibly have one or two letters. One possibly for Trader Joe's light coconut milk and one possibly for Pacific vegetable stock. If you could find the time to scan and forward those letters ( or any others) to our moderator, Ms. Marilyn Alm, Wizop Marilyn L. Alm I would be very grateful.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Terry Rumas, DMD

[Guest guest]

Hi Terry,

I think this is great but again.. this stuff needs to be periodically checked.

When was her book published?

Anyway, if years have gone by that's a bit much.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Terry,

I think this is great but again.. this stuff needs to be periodically checked.

When was her book published?

Anyway, if years have gone by that's a bit much.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Terry,

I think this is great but again.. this stuff needs to be periodically checked.

When was her book published?

Anyway, if years have gone by that's a bit much.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Mara,

I am not even talking about Elaine's products. I have a problem with them.. I

think the info is completely dated and I have been flamed for bringing this up..

I think 3 years is way too much.

Things need to be checked yearly!

Companies bought, manufacturing locations change to over seas etc..

3 years is a massive amount of time.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Alyssa..

You may be totally right! Good point!

But I wonder what Elaine would think of this process that just any numb nut rep

could reverify. I guess we would need a protocol like a new letterhead..

Jodi

> Good point, but if we got the original letters, we could just send

> them to the company along with another letter asking them to re-verify

> their previous letter. It might be a little easier than starting from

> scratch..

[Guest guest]

At 09:17 PM 9/19/2009, you wrote:

Things need to be checked

yearly!

Jodi,

Maybe so... but who's going to be in charge of seeing that it gets

done?

And, more importantly perhaps, will all the diverse SCD groups accept

that analysis?

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

[Guest guest]

Marilyn,

> >Things need to be checked yearly!

>

> Jodi,

>

> Maybe so... but who's going to be in charge of seeing that it gets done?

I think if there was a system where SCD'ers shared responsibility it would be

possible.

It makes no sense to me that products that SCD'ers checked are deemed illegal

but Elaine's antiquated list is ok. This could explain why *some* don't feel

well since labels are different around the country sometimes and formulations

have changed. It needs to be more organized.

> And, more importantly perhaps, will all the

> diverse SCD groups accept that analysis?

Possibly not. And I am ok with that.. but lets talk about it and not deny the

existence of this issue.

There is an SCD Committee now over at PecanBread. The decision makers should

have consensus how to proceed with this.. Then have some SCD volunteers do the

work. I would be willing to help out for sure.

This is far too important!!

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Marilyn,

> >Things need to be checked yearly!

>

> Jodi,

>

> Maybe so... but who's going to be in charge of seeing that it gets done?

I think if there was a system where SCD'ers shared responsibility it would be

possible.

It makes no sense to me that products that SCD'ers checked are deemed illegal

but Elaine's antiquated list is ok. This could explain why *some* don't feel

well since labels are different around the country sometimes and formulations

have changed. It needs to be more organized.

> And, more importantly perhaps, will all the

> diverse SCD groups accept that analysis?

Possibly not. And I am ok with that.. but lets talk about it and not deny the

existence of this issue.

There is an SCD Committee now over at PecanBread. The decision makers should

have consensus how to proceed with this.. Then have some SCD volunteers do the

work. I would be willing to help out for sure.

This is far too important!!

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Jodi,

I agree--but Mara had mentioned her ( I just ordered her book) and I thought it would be a great starting point if she does have letters. If she doesn't--this opens up some more dialogue about 'verbal' assurances of legality.

Terry

Re: Company letters for legal products

Hi Terry,I think this is great but again.. this stuff needs to be periodically checked. When was her book published?Anyway, if years have gone by that's a bit much.Jodi

[Guest guest]

At 11:19 AM 9/20/2009, you wrote:

The list of approved commercial

items that Elaine allowed deeming them legal. I wonder who has the

original letterheads today?

Is this listed on PB?

Or is it in an email floating around.

If the original letterheads still exist, probably one of Elaine's

daughters have them. <g> BTVC was around LONG before it had an

Internet presence -- I think the Long Island List was started in 1998 or

thereabouts. I came to it in late summer of 2001. Pecanbread (Elaine's

Children was the original list) came a couple of years later.

>> I think if each one of us takes a product and shares the work

this is something we can do. This is a big job as it is no fun calling

companies. We need to work on a protocol and compile a list of questions

as the standard process that SCD'ers can go through when calling

companies. We need to work on this together! <<

One of the best ways to get them to take use seriously is to write

PHYSICAL letters requesting the information. At smaller companies, you

may get someone who knows their product if you telephone or email, or you

might not. At large companies, as I have discovered, you are more likely

to get some minimum wage flunky who will tell you whatever they think you

want to hear in order to get rid of your call and get on to the next one.

If we develop a standard form letter (and I can develop a letterhead for

us to use) to send out, that can work in our favor, too.

>> You are right this is ambitious. Let's start at what we have now

and recheck Elaine's list. I would dedeciate doing a product every month

or so, so I don't have burn out. <<

What products do you see on Elaine's list?

Welch's grape juice

Tropicana no-pulp OJ

Knudsen Just Juice line

Hunt's and 's tomato juices

Friendship Dairy DCCC

Western Dairy DCCC (in Canada)

Dole Pineapple in its own juice (this one I would check first, as they've

changed the label to " in pineapple juice " )

She mentions a lactose free sour cream, but no brand name, and I've never

seen one.

And that's about it.

>> Is that [other SCD groups accepting our list] so important? This

is our group and our analysis and guidelines, and each of the other

groups is welcome to agree or disagree and chose not to accept our

guidelines. OR they can chime in and help with the guidelines and the

work of compiling this library/list. If people question the veracity or

legality of things, they are welcome to pursue it on their own and make a

decision for themselves. Basically, that's what people ARE doing now. I

think that if we stick to the original purpose of compiling a convenience

list/library for reference purposes that can be offered after someone is

symptom free we may not get caught up in having to please everybody.

After all, if I understand it correctly, GAPS people allow things we

don't? <<

Valid point. And yes, GAPs allows things we do not. Conversely, SCD

allows some things which GAPs does not.

>> I would love to see the whole SCD community work together.. But

if they don't want to.. I think we with IBD doing the SCD should. <<

I'd like to see it done.

>> It's up to Marilyn if she wants to choose about something like

this herself. I do not envy Marilyn's position at all as she might wake

up in a $h & $ storm over this. The cocoa butter could of just been a

taste of whats to come.. This community is extremely rigid when it comes

to any type of change. I understand it too, since they hold the torch of

Elaine's work.. but in this instance about this issue Elaine's list is

dated and she delineated the protocol about getting letterheads. It was

Elaine's way.. We are just following through with what she taught us.

Unless going through the steps of obtaining a letterhead was so difficult

that this was an indirect way to discourage us from buying commercial

products although I don't feel that was what Elaine was about at all

since she herself approved a couple of products. She volunteered her time

from the goodness of her heart.. <<

I'm not keen about h-llstorms. At the same time, I recognize the need to

have an organized body of knowledge which reflects the issues we face --

food manufacturing changes to follow the profits, and it's very difficult

to keep up.

I don't think it's a matter of this community being resistant to change.

I think it is a matter of people having the time to do what needs to be

done. Moreover, as has been noted multiple times, people get well, and

then, for the most part, they bail out of the " newbie "

community. They get ON with their lives, lives in which IBD is no longer

the ruling event. Some of us, myself included, are just nuts enough to

stick around and try to help others carry on, and learn about the miracle

we've been handed, to keep it from disappearing, the way Dr. Haas' legacy

would have disappeared had Elaine not picked up the list.

I've tried my best to maintain a balance between rigid adherence to what

Elaine wrote and practicality. Trust me: practical is high on my list

these last few years, between Hurricane Katrina, cancer surgery, and now

my Mom's dementia.

>> I would also love to have Digestive Wellness's letterheads. I

would love to use bagged tea. <<

Well, then, getting scanned copies of their letters to post in our

library would be a great place to start.

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

[Guest guest]

At 11:19 AM 9/20/2009, you wrote:

The list of approved commercial

items that Elaine allowed deeming them legal. I wonder who has the

original letterheads today?

Is this listed on PB?

Or is it in an email floating around.

If the original letterheads still exist, probably one of Elaine's

daughters have them. <g> BTVC was around LONG before it had an

Internet presence -- I think the Long Island List was started in 1998 or

thereabouts. I came to it in late summer of 2001. Pecanbread (Elaine's

Children was the original list) came a couple of years later.

>> I think if each one of us takes a product and shares the work

this is something we can do. This is a big job as it is no fun calling

companies. We need to work on a protocol and compile a list of questions

as the standard process that SCD'ers can go through when calling

companies. We need to work on this together! <<

One of the best ways to get them to take use seriously is to write

PHYSICAL letters requesting the information. At smaller companies, you

may get someone who knows their product if you telephone or email, or you

might not. At large companies, as I have discovered, you are more likely

to get some minimum wage flunky who will tell you whatever they think you

want to hear in order to get rid of your call and get on to the next one.

If we develop a standard form letter (and I can develop a letterhead for

us to use) to send out, that can work in our favor, too.

>> You are right this is ambitious. Let's start at what we have now

and recheck Elaine's list. I would dedeciate doing a product every month

or so, so I don't have burn out. <<

What products do you see on Elaine's list?

Welch's grape juice

Tropicana no-pulp OJ

Knudsen Just Juice line

Hunt's and 's tomato juices

Friendship Dairy DCCC

Western Dairy DCCC (in Canada)

Dole Pineapple in its own juice (this one I would check first, as they've

changed the label to " in pineapple juice " )

She mentions a lactose free sour cream, but no brand name, and I've never

seen one.

And that's about it.

>> Is that [other SCD groups accepting our list] so important? This

is our group and our analysis and guidelines, and each of the other

groups is welcome to agree or disagree and chose not to accept our

guidelines. OR they can chime in and help with the guidelines and the

work of compiling this library/list. If people question the veracity or

legality of things, they are welcome to pursue it on their own and make a

decision for themselves. Basically, that's what people ARE doing now. I

think that if we stick to the original purpose of compiling a convenience

list/library for reference purposes that can be offered after someone is

symptom free we may not get caught up in having to please everybody.

After all, if I understand it correctly, GAPS people allow things we

don't? <<

Valid point. And yes, GAPs allows things we do not. Conversely, SCD

allows some things which GAPs does not.

>> I would love to see the whole SCD community work together.. But

if they don't want to.. I think we with IBD doing the SCD should. <<

I'd like to see it done.

>> It's up to Marilyn if she wants to choose about something like

this herself. I do not envy Marilyn's position at all as she might wake

up in a $h & $ storm over this. The cocoa butter could of just been a

taste of whats to come.. This community is extremely rigid when it comes

to any type of change. I understand it too, since they hold the torch of

Elaine's work.. but in this instance about this issue Elaine's list is

dated and she delineated the protocol about getting letterheads. It was

Elaine's way.. We are just following through with what she taught us.

Unless going through the steps of obtaining a letterhead was so difficult

that this was an indirect way to discourage us from buying commercial

products although I don't feel that was what Elaine was about at all

since she herself approved a couple of products. She volunteered her time

from the goodness of her heart.. <<

I'm not keen about h-llstorms. At the same time, I recognize the need to

have an organized body of knowledge which reflects the issues we face --

food manufacturing changes to follow the profits, and it's very difficult

to keep up.

I don't think it's a matter of this community being resistant to change.

I think it is a matter of people having the time to do what needs to be

done. Moreover, as has been noted multiple times, people get well, and

then, for the most part, they bail out of the " newbie "

community. They get ON with their lives, lives in which IBD is no longer

the ruling event. Some of us, myself included, are just nuts enough to

stick around and try to help others carry on, and learn about the miracle

we've been handed, to keep it from disappearing, the way Dr. Haas' legacy

would have disappeared had Elaine not picked up the list.

I've tried my best to maintain a balance between rigid adherence to what

Elaine wrote and practicality. Trust me: practical is high on my list

these last few years, between Hurricane Katrina, cancer surgery, and now

my Mom's dementia.

>> I would also love to have Digestive Wellness's letterheads. I

would love to use bagged tea. <<

Well, then, getting scanned copies of their letters to post in our

library would be a great place to start.

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

[Guest guest]

My 2 cents here- I agree that it is important to update Elaine's lists since

products do change over the years.

Right now I have several cans of Dole pineapple that I haven't eaten yet. I

assumed they were legal. Do I need to get another letter?

Thanks,

PJ

>

>

> And, more importantly perhaps, will all the

> > diverse SCD groups accept that analysis?

>

> Is that so important? This is our group and our analysis and guidelines, and

each of the other groups is welcome to agree or disagree and chose not to accept

our guidelines. OR they can chime in and help with the guidelines and the work

of compiling this library/list. If people question the veracity or legality of

things, they are welcome to pursue it on their own and make a decision for

themselves. Basically, that's what people ARE doing now. I think that if we

stick to the original purpose of compiling a convenience list/library for

reference purposes that can be offered after someone is symptom free we may not

get caught up in having to please everybody. After all, if I understand it

correctly, GAPS people allow things we don't?

>

>

> I am willing to volunteer my time. I feel that as moderator, Marilyn should

have final say. I'm sorry to admit this, but I don't even know if there are

other moderators and who they are. Perhaps the moderators can have final say

after hearing all suggestions. It's wonderful that this dialogue has been opened

up. It may take us all some time to come up with a plan and implement it, but we

are on the right track. It was great that you opened up this important dialogue,

Jodi.

>

> Terry

>

[Guest guest]

My 2 cents here- I agree that it is important to update Elaine's lists since

products do change over the years.

Right now I have several cans of Dole pineapple that I haven't eaten yet. I

assumed they were legal. Do I need to get another letter?

Thanks,

PJ

>

>

> And, more importantly perhaps, will all the

> > diverse SCD groups accept that analysis?

>

> Is that so important? This is our group and our analysis and guidelines, and

each of the other groups is welcome to agree or disagree and chose not to accept

our guidelines. OR they can chime in and help with the guidelines and the work

of compiling this library/list. If people question the veracity or legality of

things, they are welcome to pursue it on their own and make a decision for

themselves. Basically, that's what people ARE doing now. I think that if we

stick to the original purpose of compiling a convenience list/library for

reference purposes that can be offered after someone is symptom free we may not

get caught up in having to please everybody. After all, if I understand it

correctly, GAPS people allow things we don't?

>

>

> I am willing to volunteer my time. I feel that as moderator, Marilyn should

have final say. I'm sorry to admit this, but I don't even know if there are

other moderators and who they are. Perhaps the moderators can have final say

after hearing all suggestions. It's wonderful that this dialogue has been opened

up. It may take us all some time to come up with a plan and implement it, but we

are on the right track. It was great that you opened up this important dialogue,

Jodi.

>

> Terry

>

[Guest guest]

Jodi wrote:

I would also love to have Digestive Wellness's letterheads. I would love to use bagged tea. <<

May I ask why do we need to do twice the work? Do we assume that Esther wouldn't put anything in her store that wasn't legal? Isn't there an assumption that all her products contain no legal additives?

>> You are right this is ambitious. Let's start at what we have now and recheck Elaine's list. I would dedeciate doing a product every month or so, so I don't have burn out. <<

Agreed. I am also very busy in my life. I have no problem writing a letter, but I find I do well talking to people --as long as the final result is the same and there is a physical letter from the company, it shouldn't matter. It's easy to ignore a letter, but not so easy to ignore an insistent and persistent phone caller.

Consensus is impossible to reach with too many people that is why the SCD decision makers should come up with a direction for this!

Who ARE the SCD decision makers?

Marilyn wrote:

My personal preference is that the letter confirmno illegal sugars, no starches, no natural or artificial flavors, no soy, and no illegal "manufacturing aids."

I agree, and then this should be the basis for any letter or phone call. We need to keep it very simple. In addition, how anal are we going to be, because the letter from Penzey's does not satisfy your preference; it states that the granulated garlic is 100% garlic and the granulated onion is 100% onion. Personally that's good enough for me, but in reality, and I know I'm reaching ( just to make a point) how do we know they didn't put starch on the tray or sprayed it with canola oil that they used to dry the garlic to keep it from sticking? In their mind, they used only 100% garlic, no additives, but the lack of processing or manufacturing aids was not addressed in their letter to us. Perhaps someone (Cheryl, to whom the letter is addressed) spoke to them and straightened this out verbally, but that should be noted by the SCD'er who did the contacting.

So, these things need to be ironed out.

Terry

[Guest guest]

-I haven't tried them yet, but I will let you know !

PJ

-- In BTVC-SCD , " Wizop Marilyn L. Alm "

wrote:

>

> At 07:33 PM 9/20/2009, you wrote:

> >Right now I have several cans of Dole pineapple

> >that I haven't eaten yet. I assumed they were

> >legal. Do I need to get another letter?

>

> Have you tried them yet? Do you tolerate them? If

> so, it's kind of a moot point.

>

>

> — Marilyn

> New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

> Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

> Darn Good SCD Cook

> No Human Children

> Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

>

[Guest guest]

-I haven't tried them yet, but I will let you know !

PJ

-- In BTVC-SCD , " Wizop Marilyn L. Alm "

wrote:

>

> At 07:33 PM 9/20/2009, you wrote:

> >Right now I have several cans of Dole pineapple

> >that I haven't eaten yet. I assumed they were

> >legal. Do I need to get another letter?

>

> Have you tried them yet? Do you tolerate them? If

> so, it's kind of a moot point.

>

>

> — Marilyn

> New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

> Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

> Darn Good SCD Cook

> No Human Children

> Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

>

[Guest guest]

> Right now I have several cans of Dole pineapple that I haven't eaten yet. I

assumed they were legal. Do I need to get another letter?

In my area I can buy Dole pineaple juice in a six pack container (6 0z cans)and

the ingredients are pineapple juice, ascorbic acid, vitamin E and vitamin A.

The label says Pineaple Juice, Not From Concentrate. I have assumed this is

legal. Hope so.

Phyllis

[Guest guest]

> Right now I have several cans of Dole pineapple that I haven't eaten yet. I

assumed they were legal. Do I need to get another letter?

In my area I can buy Dole pineaple juice in a six pack container (6 0z cans)and

the ingredients are pineapple juice, ascorbic acid, vitamin E and vitamin A.

The label says Pineaple Juice, Not From Concentrate. I have assumed this is

legal. Hope so.

Phyllis

[Guest guest]

Re: DigestiveWellness.com letterheads: As all of their products are strictly Kosher, the manufacturers must publicly post the Kosher certification... so you can google the products for those letterheads.

For example this product http://www.digestivewellness.com/itempage-1852-24-2-1727.html is a Nut Bar by a company "sweet valley". A search on Google for "Sweet valley kosher" gave me this contact: Sweet Valley Foods

Digestive's site says the product is MK Certified Kosher and sure enough, it's listed here: http://www.mk.ca/companies.html

MK would *never* give a product kosher PARVE certification if there was cross contamination of milk, meat, etc. Also, the product must be labeled with anything, even if it's less than 2% of say, nut flours.

Hope this takes a load of worry off your shoulders, at least for the kosher products found in many retailers.

[Guest guest]

Mara..

> LOL!

>

> Jodi is clearly feeling better - you can tell by the

> oodles of energy she suddenly has.

>

> Good for you, Jodi.

OMG, feeling so much better..

Between the diet, surgery and alternative Lyme treatment-

It's a miracle really.

I consider myself close to death for a couple of years before all of this.

YAY for me!

It's time to pay it forward to the community and to give back everything it has

given me!

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Mara..

> LOL!

>

> Jodi is clearly feeling better - you can tell by the

> oodles of energy she suddenly has.

>

> Good for you, Jodi.

OMG, feeling so much better..

Between the diet, surgery and alternative Lyme treatment-

It's a miracle really.

I consider myself close to death for a couple of years before all of this.

YAY for me!

It's time to pay it forward to the community and to give back everything it has

given me!

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

> If the original letterheads still exist, probably

> one of Elaine's daughters have them. BTVC was

> around LONG before it had an Internet presence --

> I think the Long Island List was started in 1998

> or thereabouts. I came to it in late summer of

> 2001. Pecanbread (Elaine's Children was the

> original list) came a couple of years later.

Ok, so we need to start from scratch on this one.

> One of the best ways to get them to take use

> seriously is to write PHYSICAL letters requesting

> the information. At smaller companies, you may

> get someone who knows their product if you

> telephone or email, or you might not. At large

> companies, as I have discovered, you are more

> likely to get some minimum wage flunky who will

> tell you whatever they think you want to hear in

> order to get rid of your call and get on to the next one.

This makes total sense.

I would call a company ask to speak to someone that could help my situation and

I would either send directly or fax to that rep to help me with the standard

letter.

> If we develop a standard form letter (and I can

> develop a letterhead for us to use) to send out,

> that can work in our favor, too.

Awesome. I think this will cut out a huge amount of time.

I have wasted quite a bit of time with companies. It would be nice to work

together, because many of us have experience with this to make this process more

efficient and less painful.

> What products do you see on Elaine's list?

Marilyn, when were these products originally spoken about?

Like when did Elaine actually choose to legalize these staple commercial

products?

> Welch's grape juice

> Tropicana no-pulp OJ

> Knudsen Just Juice line

> Hunt's and 's tomato juices

> Friendship Dairy DCCC

> Western Dairy DCCC (in Canada)

> Dole Pineapple in its own juice (this one I would

> check first, as they've changed the label to " in pineapple juice " )

I think there should also be some kind of method to scan labels and maybe list

varying labels so that people won't get confused. I bought illegal Welch's when

I first started.

Anyway, we could all pick a product and go from there!

> She mentions a lactose free sour cream, but no

> brand name, and I've never seen one.

You know someone in my doc's office just mentioned it the other day. He ate it

and got really sick. I should ask him what brand he used. just outta

curiosity..

> >> I would love to see the whole SCD community

> work together.. But if they don't want to.. I

> think we with IBD doing the SCD should. <<

>

> I'd like to see it done.

You rock!

> I'm not keen about h-llstorms. At the same time,

> I recognize the need to have an organized body of

> knowledge which reflects the issues we face --

> food manufacturing changes to follow the profits,

> and it's very difficult to keep up.

I agree %110!!

> I've tried my best to maintain a balance between

> rigid adherence to what Elaine wrote and

> practicality. Trust me: practical is high on my

> list these last few years, between Hurricane

> Katrina, cancer surgery, and now my Mom's dementia.

Well because of this your group is my favorite SCD group.

It is very open to discussion while mostly staying on Topic but you allow OT

things too which I think is important.

You also let people express themselves and you will correct them graciously

without a flaring attitude.

I think you run an awesome ship Marilyn!!

> >> I would also love to have Digestive

> Wellness's letterheads. I would love to use bagged tea. <<

>

> Well, then, getting scanned copies of their

> letters to post in our library would be a great place to start.

From what I understand DW is not very cooperative about this.

I have gotten a couple of off list inquiries about this and why DW doesn't

provide letterheads. I have not encountered this myself as when I started the

diet Carol F was here and she taught me basically not to use the commercial

products from DW (it worked for me! Boy would I of loved a fruit roll up! LOL)

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

> If the original letterheads still exist, probably

> one of Elaine's daughters have them. BTVC was

> around LONG before it had an Internet presence --

> I think the Long Island List was started in 1998

> or thereabouts. I came to it in late summer of

> 2001. Pecanbread (Elaine's Children was the

> original list) came a couple of years later.

Ok, so we need to start from scratch on this one.

> One of the best ways to get them to take use

> seriously is to write PHYSICAL letters requesting

> the information. At smaller companies, you may

> get someone who knows their product if you

> telephone or email, or you might not. At large

> companies, as I have discovered, you are more

> likely to get some minimum wage flunky who will

> tell you whatever they think you want to hear in

> order to get rid of your call and get on to the next one.

This makes total sense.

I would call a company ask to speak to someone that could help my situation and

I would either send directly or fax to that rep to help me with the standard

letter.

> If we develop a standard form letter (and I can

> develop a letterhead for us to use) to send out,

> that can work in our favor, too.

Awesome. I think this will cut out a huge amount of time.

I have wasted quite a bit of time with companies. It would be nice to work

together, because many of us have experience with this to make this process more

efficient and less painful.

> What products do you see on Elaine's list?

Marilyn, when were these products originally spoken about?

Like when did Elaine actually choose to legalize these staple commercial

products?

> Welch's grape juice

> Tropicana no-pulp OJ

> Knudsen Just Juice line

> Hunt's and 's tomato juices

> Friendship Dairy DCCC

> Western Dairy DCCC (in Canada)

> Dole Pineapple in its own juice (this one I would

> check first, as they've changed the label to " in pineapple juice " )

I think there should also be some kind of method to scan labels and maybe list

varying labels so that people won't get confused. I bought illegal Welch's when

I first started.

Anyway, we could all pick a product and go from there!

> She mentions a lactose free sour cream, but no

> brand name, and I've never seen one.

You know someone in my doc's office just mentioned it the other day. He ate it

and got really sick. I should ask him what brand he used. just outta

curiosity..

> >> I would love to see the whole SCD community

> work together.. But if they don't want to.. I

> think we with IBD doing the SCD should. <<

>

> I'd like to see it done.

You rock!

> I'm not keen about h-llstorms. At the same time,

> I recognize the need to have an organized body of

> knowledge which reflects the issues we face --

> food manufacturing changes to follow the profits,

> and it's very difficult to keep up.

I agree %110!!

> I've tried my best to maintain a balance between

> rigid adherence to what Elaine wrote and

> practicality. Trust me: practical is high on my

> list these last few years, between Hurricane

> Katrina, cancer surgery, and now my Mom's dementia.

Well because of this your group is my favorite SCD group.

It is very open to discussion while mostly staying on Topic but you allow OT

things too which I think is important.

You also let people express themselves and you will correct them graciously

without a flaring attitude.

I think you run an awesome ship Marilyn!!

> >> I would also love to have Digestive

> Wellness's letterheads. I would love to use bagged tea. <<

>

> Well, then, getting scanned copies of their

> letters to post in our library would be a great place to start.

From what I understand DW is not very cooperative about this.

I have gotten a couple of off list inquiries about this and why DW doesn't

provide letterheads. I have not encountered this myself as when I started the

diet Carol F was here and she taught me basically not to use the commercial

products from DW (it worked for me! Boy would I of loved a fruit roll up! LOL)

Jodi