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 (more…)
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.
Ethan Fox never slept more than two hours at a time. He did not speak. He ran continuously, day and night, until he would collapse from exhaustion. After a short nap, he would awaken and run again.
At one year of age, Ethan was diagnosed with autism. At 20 months, after being written off by other physicians, he was placed on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet by Dr. Kenneth Bock, autism specialist and author of “What Your Family Needs To Know About Autism Spectrum Disorders.”
According to Ethan’s mother, Tracy Fox, results were seen within three days on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet. Ethan slept through the night, spoke his first words and has never had a problem since.Now age 6, he is at the top of his class at school with a 97% average…and virtually no one knows he was ever diagnosed with autism.
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 (more…)
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 (more…)
[Editor's Note: Kettle Cuisine has since discontinued their line of frozen soups. You can read more about their decision by clicking here.
All gone…we love our job!
Twenty years ago, doctors told Jerry Shafir that his baby daughter, Kate, had celiac disease.
In 2007, when the FDA recommended a standard for gluten free foods, Shafir, who owns Kettle Cuisine, applied his expertise in the soup industry and experience in the celiac disease community to develop gluten-free versions, so Kate and everyone on a gluten-free diet could enjoy the same delicious, hearty and nutritious foods that other people take for granted.
OTTAWA, Feb. 2 /CNW/ - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is being asked to act on the concerns of millions of Canadians with food allergies and celiac disease and listen to the advice of prominent national medical, consumer and health organizations and pass proposed federal food labelling regulations now. The Prime Minister is also encouraged to heed the results of a new public opinion poll showing close to 70% of Canadians want regulations to affect all pre-packaged food and beverages and not grant a special exemption for the beer industry.
According to Angus Reid Public Opinion, 67% of Canadians approve of the proposed rules so they apply to all food and beverage companies, while only 21% believe the government should change the proposed rules to exempt the brewery industry from (more…)
Special limited time offer while supplies last. 50% off remaining inventory of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Eating” ($8.50 plus $4.95 shipping).
“This book was written to help you move as simply and easily as possible from a gluten-full to a gluten-free diet. It is chock full of all the basic information you need to get started on the diet and would make a nice companion book to “The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide.” It is written from a refreshingly unique (and often times funny) perspective as Eve (my co-author) went gluten-free while writing this book.” ~Tricia Thompson, MS, RD
To be eligible for this promotion, thisbook must be purchased directly from (more…)
As most of you have heard by now, Subway began testing out a gluten-free bun and brownie in Dallas-Fort Worth and Tyler/Longview, TX on January 10th. This development at Subway warranted an article on CNN Health where you can see photos of both the bun and the brownie.
According to celiac.com, the gluten-free rolls and brownies made by (more…)
Despite the name, buckwheat is not wheat, it is actually a pseudocereal, in the same category as amaranth and quinoa, and a great way for non-gluten eaters to get fiber and whole grain into our diet.
Buckwheat is commonly used as a staple in the cuisines of Japan (soba noodles), Korea, Northern Italy, Eastern Europe (kasha), and Western France (savory crepes)*.
This recipe is a great alternative to regular buttermilk pancakes and gives it a healthy spin and an earthy flavor. (more…)
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.
There’s a 
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. 
OTTAWA, Feb. 2 /CNW/ - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is being asked to act on the concerns of millions of Canadians with food allergies and celiac disease and listen to the advice of prominent national medical, consumer and health organizations and pass proposed federal food labelling regulations now. The Prime Minister is also encouraged to heed the results of a new public opinion poll showing close to 70% of Canadians want regulations to affect all pre-packaged food and beverages and not grant a special exemption for the beer industry.
Special limited time offer while supplies last. 50% off remaining inventory of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Eating” ($8.50 plus $4.95 shipping).
