Gluten Contamination of Food |

23 Apr

KoJa Kitchen Restaurant Says Wheat-Based Soy Sauce is Gluten-Free: Is it?

April 23, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog has been informed of yet another restaurant chain representing wheat-based soy sauce as gluten-free. The restaurant is KoJa Kitchen and they have an online schematic explaining how their soy sauce marinade is gluten-free. See http://www.kojakitchen.com/gluten-free. The trouble is, according to the Food and Drug Administration restaurants should NOT be representing their wheat-based soy sauce as gluten-free.

What follows are a few reminders about soy sauce. Please take the time to read this information carefully. […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food, Gluten-Free Labeling 1 Comment Read more...

14 Nov

More Foreign Grain Found in Edison Grainery Lentils

November 14, 2017

We have received yet another complaint from a subscriber to Gluten Free Watchdog about Edison Grainery lentils containing foreign grain. This consumer found two grains in a two-cup random pour from a 5 pound bag of lentils labeled “verified gluten free”. She has not picked through the entire bag of lentils. More grain may be present.

A photo of the grains was sent to Seaton Smith of GF Harvest who is very well versed in identifying wheat, barley, […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food, Product Alerts 1 Comment Read more...

10 Apr

Fermentation Growth Media for Yeast and Concerns about Residual Gluten

Gluten Free Watchdog recently received a question about the yeast used in a Crispin (Miller-Coors) hard cider certified gluten-free by GFCO. Neither GFCO nor Miller-Coors would disclose the growth medium used for the yeast.

Yeast testing: In an attempt to learn more about residual gluten protein in yeast grown on gluten-containing growth media Gluten Free Watchdog tested White Labs Pilsner Yeast cultured in a solution containing barley malt for gluten. This yeast is NOT labeled gluten-free. But, according to the […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food, Testing for Gluten Contamination 5 Comments Read more...

16 Jan

Grocery stores: please do not place gluten-free flour below wheat flour on store shelves

NOTE: A pdf of the letter is available at this link GFWDStoreLetter

Thank you to the Gluten Free Watchdog subscriber for sharing the attached photo.

Dear manager,

It has recently come to our attention at Gluten Free Watchdog, LLC that gluten-free foods are being placed below wheat-based foods on store shelves. This may not seem like much of an issue. However, when wheat-based food “leaks” as is often the case with bags of flour it is a health hazard. Wheat flour ends up […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food 4 Comments Read more...

03 Jan

Mystery Grain in Edison Grainery Lentils Tests “Low Gluten” Using Nima

This post is an update to the blog posted on December 13th entitled “General Product Warning: Check Your Lentils (including certified gluten-free lentils) for Foreign Grain” available at https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/general-product-warning-check-your-lentils-including-certified-gluten-free-lentils-for-foreign-grain/

Long story short: A consumer found a single errant grain in each of two bags of Edison Grainery certified gluten-free lentils. Photos of the grain were sent to Edison Grainery. The consumer was advised that the grain was likely wild oat, oat, or rice. Gluten Free Watchdog sent one of the […]

By Tricia Thompson Barley Contamination, Gluten Contamination of Food, Nima Sensor, Testing for Gluten Contamination 0 Comments Read more...

13 Dec

Gluten levels in products NOT labeled gluten-free but appearing to be free of gluten ingredients

Testing data from Gluten Free Watchdog was recently published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The focus of the article is allergen advisory statements for wheat but the article also includes data on gluten levels of products not labeled gluten-free but appearing to be free of gluten ingredients. It was recently brought to my attention that these levels should be highlighted (thanks, Al!).

Summary findings for products NOT labeled gluten-free:

101 total products tested

87 products tested below 5 parts per million […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food 0 Comments Read more...

13 Dec

General Product Warning: Check Your Lentils (including certified gluten-free lentils) for Foreign Grain

Bottom Line: Gluten Free Watchdog has received a number of consumer complaints about foreign grain in packages of lentils. The most recent complaints are for Edison Grainery French Green Lentils and Beluga Lentils (both certified gluten-free) and Simply Nature Organic Green Lentils distributed by Aldi and labeled “naturally gluten-free food.” Please carefully inspect and wash all lentils that you purchase (see specific recommendations below).

Edison Grainery: The three most recent consumer complaints for this manufacturer involve a single errant grain […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food 4 Comments Read more...

02 Dec

Testing Oat Products Using the Nima

Please watch the video Using Nima to test heterogeneous samples such as oats before watching this video. It is available at https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/using-nima-test-heterogeneous-samples-oats/. In the current video I test a box of “gluten-free” Cheerios from the 2015 recall and a carton of regular Quaker oats using Nima. Both of these products are highly likely to be contaminated with gluten and are not recommended for persons with gluten-related disorders regardless of test results using the Nima. My intention in testing these two […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food, Nima Sensor, Video Library Q&A 4 Comments Read more...

01 Nov

“He gave my son veal dredged in flour and a side of gluten free pasta cooked in the same water as regular pasta” Are restaurants taking gluten-free requests less seriously?

This week I received an email from a member of the Gluten Free Watchdog community about a recent restaurant experience. It is printed here with permission:

“I want to share with you some restaurant trends I am noticing. It seems like the gluten-free diet fad has created some real issues for those of us with Celiac or real gluten intolerance. We took my son out to dinner last weekend and he got terribly glutened. I just called the restaurant and […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food 18 Comments Read more...

27 Oct

Product alert for Simply Nature Organic Green Lentils distributed by Aldi and labeled “Naturally Gluten Free Food”

Bottom Line: A consumer contacted Gluten Free Watchdog about foreign grain found in a bag of lentils. The consumer sent both the foreign grain and empty bag to Gluten Free Watchdog and we in turn sent the grain to the lab to be tested for identification purposes. The lab was able to test three extractions. The results are 78 ppm, > 84 ppm, > 84 ppm gluten indicating that at least some of the grain is wheat and/or barley.

Background […]

By Tricia Thompson Gluten Contamination of Food 11 Comments Read more...