Gluten free

Gluten Free Certification – What Does It Mean to You?

Currently we have a proposed government definition of the term “gluten-free” for food labeling purposes but no final rule. Under the proposed rule, a labeled gluten-free food has to contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. When the final rule is released this number could stay the same, go up, or go down—a little or a lot.

The amount of gluten a labeled gluten-free food is allowed to contain is only part of the story. Another part is testing. The FDA stated in its proposed rule that it is tentatively considering using the standard sandwich R5 ELISA and the Morinaga wheat protein ELISA to test food products for gluten when necessary to assess misbranding. In contrast, FDA did not include the omega-gliadin (Skerritt) ELISA among the methods it was considering. One of the limitations discussed in the scientific literature regarding this ELISA is its underestimation of barley protein.

At the present time the R5 ELISA (Ridascreen Gliadin R7001) is widely regarded as the best available validated ELISA for assessing final food product for gluten. In my opinion, all labeled gluten-free foods should be periodically tested using Read More »

Agave Nectar Pros and Cons

Agave Americana

We have been asked about the safety of using agave syrup as low glycemic substitute for cane sugar.  Here is some useful information.

Of the several hundreds species of agave, commercial agave syrup is produced from Agave Americana, a desert succulent plant. The syrup, or nectar, is obtained from the sap.  The sweet sticky sap is extracted from the base of the plant then boiled to produce the “syrup.” Cooking converts the sap’s natural Read More »

3rd Annual Greater Phoenix Gluten-free Expo – April 16, 2011

The Celiac Disease Foundation: Greater Phoenix Chapter will host its 3rd Annual Greater Phoenix Gluten-Free Expo on Saturday, April 16, 2011.  

This event is open to the public and gives people challenged with Celiac Disease, or those interested in transitioning to a gluten-free lifestyle, an opportunity to learn more about gluten-free products and where to purchase those products, as well as learning about local restaurants offering gluten-free menus.  In 2010, over 600 attendees and 37 vendors participated in the expo. This year promises to be even bigger, with an expected 800 guests and 50 vendors.

The expo will be held between 10 am and 2 pm at the following location:

Sheraton Crescent Hotel
2620 West Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85021

In keeping with the intent of sharing information on a wide array of products now available to the gluten-free community, a variety Read More »

Have a Gluten-Free Valentine’s Day!

Have you checked out Gluten Free Works yet?  You really should.  Founded by Cleo and John Libonati, it is  dedicated to “helping people get well, look good and stay healthy living gluten free.”  And right now, they’ve got some very sweet Valentine’s info posted.

There’s a gluten-free brownie recipegluten-free strawberry heart rice crispie bar recipe and even a heart-shaped pizza recipe from Terri Gruss, MS, one of their regular contributors.  Jen Cafferty, founder of The Gluten Free Cooking Expo, shares a starter list of Read More »

Gluten-Free Valentine’s Day Brownie Hearts

Photo 2010 © Teri Lee Gruss

Use this delicious recipe for homemade gluten-free brownies to make special heart-shaped brownies for a Valentine’s Day treat. If you’re short on time, use one of the great gluten-free brownie mixes on the market, like Gluten-Free Pantry® Chocolate Truffle Brownies.

 Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes Read More »

Knoxville Gluten Free Vendor Fair: March 12, 2011

Knoxville support group for children and adults with celiac disease to host 3rd annual Gluten Free Vendor Fair 

Celi-ACT, a support group for families with one or more members affected by gluten intolerance, is hosting its 3rd annual Gluten Free Vendor Fair on Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m at a new location in the Jacobs Building at Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center in Knoxville.

The event has grown substantially since it was first held in 2009 and is now one of the largest gluten-free events in North America.  More than Read More »

Gluten-Free Strawberry Heart Rice Crispie Bar Recipe

Heart-shaped gluten-free strawberry rice crispie bars make a lovable Valentine’s Day treat!

I used freeze-dried unsweetened strawberries (purchased at Costco) but if you can’t locate this ingredient, substitute with your favorite dried fruit. Dried cherries or cranberries would look equally great in this Valentine’s Day-inspired recipe.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes Read More »

Gluten Free Valentine’s Day Candy List

Here is a starter list of the gluten free Valentine’s Day candy you and your loved ones can share this year: (As always, check all ingredient labels.)

Necco Valentine Conversation Hearts
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
 M&Ms (plain and peanut)
 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate (NOT crisp or cookie flavored)
Read More »

Gluten Free Valentine’s Day Recipe Round Up

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching.  It is a day of flowers, candy, chocolate desserts, sugar cookies and of course dinner.  If you are on the gluten-free diet it can seem daunting to bake a gluten-free dessert that is a crowd pleaser, purchase a pre-made dessert, or determine which chocolates are gluten free, so read on and revel in the amount of gluten-free Valentine’s Day information that is out there to assist you in these tasks.      

In our family, we love to dip strawberries and pretzels in chocolate, but since this Examiner is dairy/soy free, we use Enjoy Life’s chocolate chips.  We have also used Erewhon Cocoa Crispy cereal to make rice krispy treats and cut them into heart shapes.  Our favorite cookies to make are roll-and-cut sugar cookies and then top them with Read More »

Update on FDA’s Gluten-Free Food Labeling Rule

Rhonda Kane, MS, RD, Consumer Safety Officer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), provided us with the following status report on FDA’s gluten-free food labeling rulemaking:

The headquarters of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seen in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“FDA published a proposed rule to define the food labeling term “gluten-free” on January 23, 2007, which had a 90-day public comment period that closed on April 23, 2007.  As discussed on page 2803 of the proposed rule (posted under the subheading “Gluten-Free”), FDA committed to conducting a safety assessment on gluten exposure in individuals with celiac disease.  FDA conducted this safety assessment in accordance with the data quality criteria discussed in Read More »