Jai Shree Krishna Vicki,

With regards to Sabudana, it is true that the majority of Vaishnavs eat sabudana but some do not.  I think the reason for this is because many vaishnavs do not realise how sabudana is made. As my parents have a mill in India I know about the process of making sabudana and so I personally do not eat it.

Saboodana (tapioca) is made from raw shakkarkand which are like potato roots.  These tapioca roots  are crushed in a tank and stored for many days and  starch/ flour is added to the paste, dried and finally made in to small balls of sabudana.  Of course the addition of flour and starch and the general unnatural process of making sabudana mean that sabudana is unsuitable for ekadasi which is why those vaishnav’s who know of the production process do not eat sabudana.  Also with the artificial production of sabudana it is unavoidable that the sabudana becomes contaminated by other non-permitted ingredients.  Members of the Jain dharma also do not eat Sabudana for the same reason.