Inaugural Gluten-Free Food Update 2014

This product update is long overdue and it is just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to new gluten-free product launches in 2014. Expo West is just a few weeks away and I can’t wait to be overwhelmed by gluten-free products. Gluten free is slated once again to be one of the top diet trends in 2014 and that means more gluten-free products are being developed. Hopefully, these new products will trend towards health food and won’t be loaded with fillers, sugar, salt, and artificial color/flavors.

Alternative Baking Company – has added a gluten-free line of cookies in five flavors: Chocolate Explosion, Cinnamon Burst, Fudge Indulgence, Lemon Dream, and Pumpkin Delight. These vegan cookies are not made in a separate facility, but they have instituted thorough safe handling procedures to prevent cross contact. These cookies can be ordered online, but they should be available in local health food stores.

We do not produce our gluten-free cookies on the same day as our other cookies. The night before production, we clean and sanitize all of the equipment in the facility. We have a dedicated mixer and wrapping machine that are used only for the gluten-free cookies. The next morning before we start mixing, we test all of our equipment and bowls for any gluten. If we pass, then we proceed with mixing. If we fail, we clean everything again and retest for gluten.

We keep all of the bowls, measuring devices, utensils, and small equipment in a large enclosed storage bin so there is no cross contamination. We are very careful about buying ingredients from responsible sources for all of our products. We are being diligent to be sure that ingredients are not pre-contaminated with gluten. Several of our ingredients come from Bob’s Red Mill, a supplier well-known for their gluten free integrity. Our gluten free ingredients are stored separately from any item containing gluten.
We have our gluten-free products tested regularly by Great Plains Analytical Laboratories in Missouri. The FDA’s current standard for “gluten-free” is less than 20 ppm (parts per million) gluten. All of our gluten-free flavors have always tested at less than 5 ppm, which is the lowest measurable level. We also sell, pack, and ship our gluten-free cookies separate from our other line of cookies.

Applegate – their Natural Gluten-Free Beef Corn Dogs are now labeled gluten free and bear the GFCO certification symbol. According to the company, the recipe has always been the same, but the label stated “wheat free” per customer’s preference.

Bread SRSLY – produces a line of sourdough bread and rolls out of a shared facility in San Francisco, CA. Their breads are free of dairy, egg, soy, nut, potato, tapioca, and garbanzo and they can be purchased online direct from the company. I heard a lot of buzz about this company that recently attended the GFAF Expo.

Choice Batter – has added baking mixes to its line of gluten-free products: Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, Lemon Poppyseed Mix, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. All three of these mixes are free of the top eight allergens, they are GFCO certified, vegan, and they can be made by adding water and oil.

Dancing Deer Baking Company – has added two gluten-free products to its offerings: Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Brownies. Both of these products are certified gluten free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization. The cookies and brownies contain milk/eggs and they can be ordered online.

Earth Balance – is adding Kettle chips to its vegan/gluten-free snack line in three flavors: Cheddar, Sea Salt, and Sour Cream & Onion. I am most excited to try the Sour Cream & Onion flavor because it was my favorite when I was a kid.

Endangered Species has introduced a new line of chocolate bars called The Filled Bar, which are filled with dairy-free creme. There are six different flavors to choose from: Almond Butter Creme Filled, Blueberry Vanilla Creme Filled, Coconut Creme Filled, Lavender Mint Creme, Raspberry Orange Creme, and Sea Salt & Lime Creme. These non-GMO and vegan bars are available at Kroger and will expand their distribution in March 2014.

Enjoy Life Foods – has added Dark Chocolate Morsels to their line of baking products. As with all of their products, these new morsels are free of the top allergens, are certified gluten free by GFCO, and they are non-GMO verified.

Hail Merry – has expanded its production facility to more than triple its manufacturing capacity for its line of gluten-free and non-GMO desserts and snacks. In other news, their miracle tarts are not available for order from their website anymore, but they are available at more than 3,000 stores nationally.

King Arthur Flour – has added two new mixes to their gluten-free line: Scone Mix and Banana Bread Mix. It should be no shock to my readers that I am a big fan of their gluten-free mixes, so I am excited to get try out these mixes. They aren’t on store shelves just yet, but you can purchase them online from the company.

Lotus Foods – has introduced a line of rice ramen noodles in six varieties: Forbidden Rice Ramen with Miso Soup, Jade Pearl Ramen with Miso Soup, Millet and Brown Rice Ramen with Miso Soup, Organic Forbidden Rice Ramen Cake, Jade Pearl Rice Ramen Cake, and Millet and Brown Rice Ramen Cake. I can’t wait to try the ramen cakes because I hope to be instantly transported back to my college dorm room where I illegally used my hotpot to make numerous batched of ramen. These products can be found at Whole Foods, but they can also be ordered online.

Luce’s Gluten-Free Artisan Bread – has released a new bread mix,Really Rye. This mix, like the others in his line, is free of gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, eggs, vegan, and it is has no added fats. This mix is a blend of sorghum and teff flours, brightened with spices and gluten-free rye flavoring powder. Really “Rye” makes a moderate-rising, open crumb bread, crusty on the outside and moist in the middle. Pair it with soup, pickles, smoked meats, and strong cheeses. Place your order on their website and find out what all the buzz is about.

Moon Rabbit Foods – their line of baking mixes can now be purchased at Ingles Markets and Whole Foods. All of Moon Rabbit’s mixes are certified gluten free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization.

Purely Elizabeth – their Ancient Grain Oatmeal + Hot Cereal are now available exclusively in Whole Foods Markets nationwide. Their oatmeal contains organic superfoods like chia, hemp, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. They are also packed with five grams of fiber, over six grams of protein, vitamins, minerals and omega-3s and there is no added sugar, so you can sweeten it how you like.

Rudi’s Gluten Free – has added new products to its gluten-free line: Cherry Almond Bars, Regular Ciabatta Rolls, and Rosemary Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls. The cherry almond bars are free of dairy and soy and they are made with Non-GMO ingredients. The ciabatta rolls are heat-and-serve and they go from freezer to table in 10 minutes. All of these products should be available at Whole Foods. Save yourself some money and print off a $1 coupon from Rudi’s website.

The Lovely Candy Company – their line of caramels and fruit chews are available at most Target stores. These products are non-GMO and certified gluten-free, and they are free of artificial color/flavors too. Target is carrying Lovely Candy 6-ounce bags of Original Chewy Caramels, Chocolate Swirl Caramels and Superfruit Chews, in Cranberry, Raspberry and Blueberry, in its candy aisles.

Have you tried any of these products? What looks good to you?

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Author Information: Jennifer D. Harris, Atlanta, GA
Jennifer D. Harris, http://www.jenniferglutenfreeingeorgia.blogspot.com
Atlanta Gluten-Free Examiner
Program Chair, Atlanta Metro CeliacsTwitter@jenniferGFinGA