Canadian Question For Moderator/admin

[doodle]

Hi there, I am brand new to the site and I did read the "rules" but wondered if there are exceptions as I noticed in the Canadian thread ('cause that's where I live) with regards to some products vs others?

I read what happened with regards to the "seeds" incident and do not want to be considered non-compliant so I thought I would ask a few questions if that's OK. My apologies ahead of time if this seems lenghty.

I am a member of a number food/cooking sites and it is quite common to "help" someone find something or make others aware of a product that may be better.

I own a (very) small independent specialty food store and we carry quite a few gluten-free products. My customers give me feed back and I would be happy to pass opinions on or about X or W or Z. I am also here to gain continual knowledge about Celiac Disease because my customers are looking to me to know what I am talking about.

While I am not Celic myself I do have a number of life threating alergies so I fully understand the importance dedicated facilities and cross contamination. Again, for me to gain further feedback from the members I need to be able to ask about topics that may involve brand names along with opinions of how food tastes from the said brand names.

For example, here is a very (intentionally vague) question I would love the members opinion about:

It is my understanding here in Canada our (or most of our) cornstarch is considered safely gluten-free while in the U S, Celiacs need to be extremely carefull and only purchase certain brands. So my question would be : are there certain brands of cornstarch that anyone has found to be intolerable vs names of brands that are OK both north and south of "the border". The reason this is an important question for me has nothing to do with me selling cornstarch, but it has everything to do with me making a safe gluten-free dessert to sell in my store that I want to thicken with cornstarch. Then perhaps the members could enlighten me on other thickening products (arrowroot or tapioca or such) that they have found to be better than the good old standby of cornstarch and how to best go about using the other alternatives. That way I could suggest these ideas to my customers as well.

A second issue would be: If a member was to inquire about a product - say bread for example - and I know of (b/c I have it in my store) what I think is a really great bread, can I tell them the name of it? I saw someone, in one of the threads, name a few types of bread and I have tried all of the ones mentioned but IMHO and those of my repeat customers, the one I would tell members about is far superior.

Only some of the many products I carry are available nationwide. Most are made by small dedicated G F shops that supply to a reasonable area in my vacinity. But I have just discovered (thanks to a customer) a great number of items from Australia that are being imported in my area and are going to be available at a number of stores soon. Am I wrong to say that this information could be very helpful to the members who have become tired of the same old, same old. Also, what may be new and exciting in my neck of the woods may be mainstream in another area but still not known about.

Again, these questions are not meant in any way to be selfserving. They are truly my attempt to be able to be compliant to your rules. This is the only way I know how confirm if what I MAY FROM TIME TO TIME bring up in my quest for knowledge or my wanting to help other members.

thank you -- I will not in any way designate who I am or where (exactly) I am unless directly asked and then we "talk" via P M?

doodle

[happygirl]

Hi there, I am brand new to the site

Welcome to the board!

For example, here is a very (intentionally vague) question I would love the members opinion about:

It is my understanding here in Canada our (or most of our) cornstarch is considered safely gluten-free while in the U S, Celiacs need to be extremely carefull and only purchase certain brands. So my question would be : are there certain brands of cornstarch that anyone has found to be intolerable vs names of brands that are OK both north and south of "the border". The reason this is an important question for me has nothing to do with me selling cornstarch, but it has everything to do with me making a safe gluten-free dessert to sell in my store that I want to thicken with cornstarch. Then perhaps the members could enlighten me on other thickening products (arrowroot or tapioca or such) that they have found to be better than the good old standby of cornstarch and how to best go about using the other alternatives. That way I could suggest these ideas to my customers as well.

I have not heard that there are any problems with cornstarch in the US.

A second issue would be: If a member was to inquire about a product - say bread for example - and I know of (b/c I have it in my store) what I think is a really great bread, can I tell them the name of it? I saw someone, in one of the threads, name a few types of bread and I have tried all of the ones mentioned but IMHO and those of my repeat customers, the one I would tell members about is far superior.

Only some of the many products I carry are available nationwide. Most are made by small dedicated G F shops that supply to a reasonable area in my vacinity. But I have just discovered (thanks to a customer) a great number of items from Australia that are being imported in my area and are going to be available at a number of stores soon. Am I wrong to say that this information could be very helpful to the members who have become tired of the same old, same old. Also, what may be new and exciting in my neck of the woods may be mainstream in another area but still not known about.

Again, these questions are not meant in any way to be selfserving. They are truly my attempt to be able to be compliant to your rules. This is the only way I know how confirm if what I MAY FROM TIME TO TIME bring up in my quest for knowledge or my wanting to help other members.

It is perfectly fine to say, I really like product X, and share your experience with it.

The time where it wouldn't be okay to say it: I really like product X, and here is where you can purchase it (with a link to your store, for instance.)

Happy to have you here

[Lisa]

Welcome!

You can list your personal website/link on your personal profile page, but not in your signature or post page.

We try to maintain a solicitation free Board for the convenience of the membership as they seek information regarding Celiac Disease and it's associated issues.

If you would like to advertise on this site, you must contact the Administration.

And, I would like to add, THANKS FOR ASKING

[psawyer]

Laura and Lisa, my fellow moderators, have captured the sense well.

You can recommend just about any product, as long as you do not make it. You can suggest a store to buy it at, as long as you don't have an interest in the store.

You can put information about your store in your profile, including a link if you have a web site.

You are moving into the twilight zone if you talk about your store in a post or in your signature. I have talked about my business on a number of occasions, but without naming it. Anybody who wants to know more can contact me through the board facilities. There is a link in my profile, but it is to the chain where we own a franchise, not to our store in particular. Don't put any link in a post or signature, and don't put explicit identifying information there either.

Welcome to the board. I'm in Canada too.

[Scott Adams]

Just a quick correction, you can't recommend your own products (your own brand or products that your company makes) in posts because that is self-promotion. Likewise, you can't put links to your company/products in posts.

Take care,

Scott

Laura and Lisa, my fellow moderators, have captured the sense well.

You can recommend just about any product, as long as you do not make it. You can suggest a store to buy it at, as long as you don't have an interest in the store.

You can put information about your store in your profile, including a link if you have a web site.

You are moving into the twilight zone if you talk about your store in a post or in your signature. I have talked about my business on a number of occasions, but without naming it. Anybody who wants to know more can contact me through the board facilities. There is a link in my profile, but it is to the chain where we own a franchise, not to our store in particular. Don't put any link in a post or signature, and don't put explicit identifying information there either.

Welcome to the board. I'm in Canada too.

[doodle]

Thank you so much for clairifying for me. I may from time to time get it wrong (when I thought I was doing it right !) so please bear with me if that happens.

The items I would speak of would always have been be made by an independant (wholesale) company that I would have no connection to execpt that I purchase from them or their distributors.

I certainly understand why you need to be so vigilant with your regulations. After all you have sponsors and manufacturers that are buying a position (to advertise) on the board and it wouldn't do to allow someone who wasn't to promote themselves in any way plus no one wants to wade through blatant self promotion or be beseiged by salespeople.

I am looking forward to furthering my knowledge of Celiac disease and hopefully I can pass on a a tip or 2 to others along the way.

BTW, happygirl, one of the first issues I will be asking about is the cornstarch one I referred to.

You see, I have many customers who tell me things but I don't know if always THEY know what they are talking about. I was told there are issues with some brands of cornstarch & so many accute celiacs avoid it. ? ?

thanks again

doodle (brenda)

[Lisa]

Brenda,

I am certain that you will find this site invaluable to you. An example of information found here is a Forbidden and Safe List:

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Safe-Glut...3B-Ingredients/

It would be good to print out these lists for your customers to use as a reference. YOU will be in the know and they will marvel at your knowledge.