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By Fred, January 21, 2010 10:16 pm

Find Zach Becker at Gluten Free Raleigh’s coverage of today’s hearing against Great Specialty Products [dot] com here.

NBC News 17 in Raleigh covered the story as well.

Here is a longer article by the Raleigh News and Observer from this morning, published after the State Attorney General’s office made their initial filings public.  We appreciate the reference.

And again, note our original post on GSP’s products, our subsequent post, and this post at the GFCF Cookbook.

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By Fred, January 11, 2010 10:41 pm

Would you like a gluten-shaker? Answer = No.

No, we don’t want a gluten shaker on your table.  That would be a bad, unused, item.  However, in reading two articles today from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal on efforts to curb the use of salt in foods, we see a template that could be applied to the food industry’s use of gluten.

Per Ilan Brat and Maurice Tamman’s well-researched article, “Food Makers Quietly Cut Back on Salt: Companies Find Consumers Respond Better When Sodium-Reduction Isn’t Emphasized on Labels”, “Salt is an inexpensive ingredient that enhances sweetness and diminishes bitterness in flavors. It keeps packaged foods fresh longer, plumps up canned vegetables and helps hold together hot dogs.” For anyone with CD or who pursues the GFD, these words sound familiar. Salt is an inexpensive ingredient, like gluten. Salt enhances the product, in the same way gluten enhances the chewiness and texture of foods. Salt is important in extending shelf-life, and we are all well familiar with the challenges of keeping GF food products edible without the assistance of refrigeration.

Salt is a mineral.  Gluten is plant derived.  Salt has merited its own book and has arguably driven the course of world history. Grains, the wheat, rye and barley, which produce gluten, made the fertile crescent and agriculture changed humanity’s course.

The articles make great points; (i) consumers expect low-salt products to taste worse, but are okay with it if phased in, (ii) general health improves by reducing salt to minimal levels, (iii) everyone wins with salt added only where necessary, (iv) there is increasing awareness at the policy level about the negative impacts of too much salt being used for the general population.

For the gluten-avoidance community to catch up with the salt-avoidance community we need better quantification of the negative impacts of gluten.  We see the beginnings of that for those with CD in insurance-related studies, but we will benefit from other studies of other specialty diet populations.

In closing, we highlight an excerpt from the WSJ article with salt modified to [gluten] - think about what it would mean:

Consumers’ prejudices about reduced-salt [gluten] products and taste are also complicating food-makers’ efforts.

In one 2007 test in Holland, Unilever found that consumers expected to like one powdered-soup mix purported to be lower in salt [gluten] less than another, even though they were actually identical, says Mr. Balentine, of Unilever.

“Once you start saying you’ve taken salt down [gluten out], it’s basically equal to, ‘It’s not going to taste good,”‘ he says.

New technology is driving many salt [gluten] reductions by helping maintain the saltiness [texture] of products with less sodium [no gluten]. Some companies are deploying new meaty-tasting compounds that boost saltiness flavor without sodium [gluten] or cooling agents that make the tongue taste salt [texture] better. Others are using materials that smell salty [have the same texture] without having any sodium [gluten], says Mr. Eilerman, of Givaudan.

It makes for a nice read, doesn’t it?

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By Fred, December 13, 2009 10:08 pm

[UPDATE 12/15/2009 4:30 PM: We received feedback from the EZ Gluten manufacturer. We were informed that the EZ Gluten reading of high is not a clear indicator of > 200 ppm. A 'High' reading is simply a relative indicator, and the only clear ppm reading from the test is the < 10 ppm of a low reading. 'High' may indicate higher or lower than 200 ppm.  Further, the 3rd party test that was used was not the 'AOAC approved' test; rather it was a modification of the AOAC OMA 991.19 that has been modified to go down to 5 ppm.  As a point of transparency, our errors are left in with strikethrough.]

Five (5) different products which had a ‘Gluten Free’ product claim from Great Specialty Products, a physical and online seller of GF products, show high levels of gluten based on seven (7) different gluten tests.  Six were over the counter test kits, one was sent off to a 3rd party lab for independent confirmation.  We purchased two products, a white-bread loaf, and a sourdough loaf from Great Specialty Products - a website (greatspecialtyproducts [dot] com), and formerly a physical store, based in North Carolina.  Both samples, when evaluated with an EZ Gluten Kit, showed ‘High Gluten’ (photos and details below).  We were present for two other samples (a dinner roll and another white-bread loaf) when other EZ-Gluten Kits were run and showed ‘High Gluten’.  Two others shared results which were not run in our presence, which both showed high gluten.  For an EZ-Gluten kit, a reading of ‘High Gluten‘ indicates 200 ppm or more.

One of these six samples was sent to a 3rd party lab for independent testing, it too found ‘High’ levels of gluten.  For the [3rd party] AOAC approved test, High levels of gluten meant 80 ppm or more.  As of this writing, seven (7) different tests show products from Great Specialty Products to be high in gluten as defined by the relevant test.

EZ Gluten has shown 'High Gluten' on 6 Great Specialty Products breads.

A summary of the results are listed below:

• White Loaf / Delivered 12.7 / Tested 12.10 / EZGluten EZG90529-9 / Result = High Gluten, >200 ppm (JN)
• Sourdough Loaf / Delivered 12.7 / Tested 12.10 / EZGluten EZG90529-9 / Result = High Gluten, >200 ppm (JN)
• French Dinner Rolls / Delivered 12.3 / Tested 12.5 / EZGluten EZG90529-9 / Result = High Gluten, >200 ppm (JN)
• Sourdough Loaf / Delivered 11.25 / Tested 12.3 / EZGluten EZG90529-9 / Result = High Gluten, >200 ppm
• Flour Tortilla / Delivered 11.25 / Tested 12.3 / EZGluten EZG90529-9 / Result = High Gluten, >200 ppm
• Multi-Grain Bread / Delivered 11.25 / Tested 12.3 / EZGluten EZG90529-9 / Result = High Gluten, >200 ppm
• French Dinner Rolls / Delivered 12.3 / Tested 12.10 / 3rd Party AOAC Quantitative Gluten ELISA / Result = High Gluten, >80 ppm (JN)

We believe the likelihood of contamination of these samples since delivery is very low; they were handled by individuals with CD or by establishments that are well-versed in GF food preparation.  Chain-of-custody for each of these samples has been recorded.  For the four samples marked (JN), we have retained frozen representatives.  All users of the EZ Gluten kits were experienced in their use and photos of their use have been retained.

Product Delivery

The products were delivered door-to-door, but had no labeling, nor an ingredient list. We called a Food Compliance Officer at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (”NCDA&CS”), who stated that if such a delivery had occurred, it would be a violation of North Carolina State Law.  NCDA&CS further stated that the same laws would be applied to an online retailer as would those that applied to a physical store.  North Carolina law also supports Federal law in relation to following GMP and allergen labeling.

Re-Packaged Desserts

In past weeks, Great Specialty Products had an area on their site titled, “Gluten Free Specialty Desserts.”  Two desserts from this area had been delivered to a customer with the original wrappers from the primary manufacturer, an un-associated private-label food manufacturer.  When the original manufacturer was called, they stated that their products were not gluten free.  Website photos from the non-gluten free photos were being used to promote the Great Specialty Products desserts, again the Great Specialty Products were represented with a Gluten Free product claim.  The original manufacturer immediately set about correcting the situation.  It appears that this portion of the site has now been removed, an archive of the page can be found here.

Notification

Prior to this post Great Specialty Products was informed that based on the results we had received that their products contain gluten.  We attempted to ask questions about ingredients and the source of their product claims.

Final Comments

Several products from Great Specialty Products have been to have high levels of gluten in contrast to their product claims of 'Gluten Free.'

As someone with CD on the GFD, I am immensely grateful to any group that makes GF products.  We recognize that kits have their weaknesses, that suppliers may provide ingredients that are out of spec, and that accidents do happen.  We routinely run EZ Gluten kits when it is difficult to tell if ingredients have gluten or not.  The kits were run in this instance after the products were delivered unlabeled without an ingredient list.

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By Fred, October 20, 2009 8:10 am

Unite for GFD Education!

Just when we thought Zach at Gluten Free Raleigh couldn’t do anymore to help those with recent CD diagnosis or those who pursue the GFD, he has topped himself.  Today he’ll be presenting this petition to the City Council to increase awareness of the big eight food allergens and gluten.

Please take the time to sign up to the petition here.

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By Fred, October 18, 2009 1:51 pm

Scary Halloween Costume for CD / GFD (This product contains wheat and gluten)

There is no shortage of postings on the reactions caused by wheat and gluten to those with CD; at yesterday’s Whole Foods vendor fair we saw many who were recently diagnosed and as is common they all spoke about how much better they now felt being on the gluten free diet (”GFD”). I was first diagnosed in 2006 and am frequently surprised at my reaction to seeing wheat; my wife notes that I recoil like a shiver, seeing a snake, or like I’ve touched something hot. This has clearly been a learned reaction.

Because of that I had to stop watching Saturday Night Live off of my DVR this afternoon; the entire show was sponsored by Bud Light’s new Golden Wheat variety. I’ve got nothing against Anheuser-Busch Inbev; I’m on record that Redbridge is one of my favorite GF beers. I respect GE and NBC’s creativity in looking into novel methods of sponsorship. It was just too much everytime they through the logo up on screen.

We frequently hear from those on the GFD or with CD about dreams, sometimes even nightmares, that involve accidental gluten ingestion. The challenge of having to avoid this pesky protein works its way deeply into the psyche and becomes a significant part in one’s personality. The best way to address problems like avoiding gluten is to be meticulous, enumerate the variables and take a quantitative approach.

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By Fred, October 16, 2009 7:05 am

Thank you, Whole Foods

We’re looking forward to the Gluten Free Vendor Fair this Saturady, October 17, from 11 AM - 3 PM at the Whole Foods in Raleigh, address below.  There’s a longer description from Gluten Free Raleigh available here. The event should have plenty of information, products to sample and local experts on all things GF.

3540 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 27607
Phone: 919.828.5805
Fax: 919.828.5825

map & directions| Store web page

We’ll be there with our usual demo materials and coupons for a one month free trial.  Let us know if you have any questions!

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By Fred, October 12, 2009 7:35 am

Nothing like a little butter and milk to go with the muffins.

I grew up in Oklahoma where we didn’t have many high end grocery stores; Oklahoma City still lacks a Whole Foods even though they are headquartered a mere five hours away in Austin, TX.  My first trip to a Harris Teeter was in Charlottesville, VA, and I thought it was one of the nicest grocery stores in the world.  Living now in Chapel Hill, where we have every flavor of high end grocery store, Harris Teeter is solidly in the middle; nicer than a Food Lion, but still not as high end as Whole Foods or as hipster-friendly as Trader Joe’s.

Nonetheless, these are some great blueberry muffins.  As you can see in the photos, the lead ingredient is a teff flour. Based on what we are seeing out of the major ingredient manufacturers, teff is here to stay, not just for those of us with CD and/or pursuing the GFD, but for mainstream food products as well.

What other GF products are you seeing from groups that don’t normally stock a wide range of GF products?

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By Fred, October 11, 2009 1:16 pm

Woodchuck Makes Good Cider

This is the kind of gluten labeling every product should have.

Of all the products you must go without once following the gluten free diet (”GFD”), beer is often mentioned as one of the toughest.  Beer is an essential social lubricant; it facilitates post-work business interactions, weekend football games and a simple treat after working out.  Zach’s postings at Gluten Free Raleigh echo our sentiments here at Juno Nutrition. I think the world of the producers of GF Beer, with a strong affinity for Redbridge.

That being said, there’s an alcoholic beverage that is very widely available that has long been labeled GF: Woodchuck Cider. From Woodchuck’s own website (as of 10/11/2009):

Q. Are Woodchuck Draft Ciders gluten free?

A. Green Mountain Beverage has received numerous inquiries asking if Woodchuck Draft Ciders contain gluten. Due to these requests Green Mountain Beverage had each of the Woodchuck Draft Cider styles tested by ABC Research Corp., Gainesville, FL. We have received the analytical results confirming that all Woodchuck Draft Cider styles are naturally gluten free! (Amber, Dark & Dry 802, Granny Smith, Pear, and Raspberry).

Just like anybody else with CD or pursuing the GFD, the opportunity to have a beer when out for a drink is a wonderful thing; let’s not overlook businesses like Woodchuck that make naturally GF products that are widely available (now in every state except for Hawaii).

There's the gluten status, up in the top left corner.

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By Fred, October 7, 2009 7:30 am

There are lots of ways to be GF friendly - Aloft hotels has done a good job of making life easy with a really quick and simple plan.  They use microwave meals.  The hotels have small cafeterias with a microwave with nearby stocked freezers.  Many of those microwave meals are from Amy’s Kitchen. Tonight I ate the Palak Paneer, a personal favorite.

Aloft Hotels; Simple eating on the GFD

I love the elaborate GF preparations of a restaurant or hotel as much as the next traveling Celiac, however, what I really care about is having reliably safe and convenient food to eat. Sure, you could recreate this product offering by driving to a grocery store, and I’m not even sure if Aloft recognizes how helpful this is to those of us on the GFD, but every now and then the simple solution is just good enough.

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By Fred, July 16, 2009 7:17 am

Thank you, Ms. Betty Croker

Great to see these in a regular grocer

If you are gluten free, it’s hard not to love the Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix. It tastes good, which we all expected. More importantly, it is a top tier food manufacturer bringing a GF product to mass market grocery stores around the world. We thought we’d add our review to the mix, although there are plenty of good ones out there, including this one from Gluten Free Chapel Hill.

In the past year, there were 613,000 Google citations of Betty Crocker, when you add “Gluten Free” to that, the total shrinks to 15,700, for 2.5% of the total. In total Google hits for Betty Crocker are just over 2 million, with only 1.5% of those in total including the phrases “Gluten Free” or “GF”. That’s a pretty big search in just the past year. It’s great to see General Mills embracing our dietary concerns, and it is great to see that we’ve reacted with appropriate enthusiasm.

So how did they taste? They were great. They were good hot, but as we all know with GF baked goods, the real test is how they work the next day. They held up great. In fact, they disappeared in less than 3 days. The only item that was noticeable was the sandy sound of the mix in the bag - but you know you’re being hypercritical when your major issue about a baked good is the auditory performance of the mix in the bag!