GFCO warns the gluten-free community about oat supply issues: Recommendations from Gluten Free Watchdog

The Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) is alerting the gluten-free community to supply chain issues that have made oats, including oats destined for gluten-free foods, more difficult to find. According to GFCO, farmers are planting less oats and droughts have led to grasshopper infestations and fires, further leading to crop shortages. GFCO is recommending that consumers who must eat gluten-free, choose only GFCO certified oat products during this time to help ensure a safe oat product.

GFCO reached out to […]

Oats are complicated! Updated Position Statement on Oats from Gluten Free Watchdog

This statement may not be reposted without the express written permission of Gluten Free Watchdog, LLC

***Note: What follows is the opinion of Gluten Free Watchdog. Whether you choose to eat sorted oats or only purity protocol oats is your decision. You do not owe anyone an explanation. Please make decisions based on all available information.***

BOTTOM LINE

Gluten Free Watchdog…

Is supportive of purity protocol gluten-free oats supplied by Avena Foods, GF Harvest, Montana Gluten-Free Processors, Glanbia, and MGM Seed & Grain.Is […]

Oats Revisited: Quaker Gluten-Free Oats

UPDATE: In light of the supply issues with oats, Gluten Free Watchdog reached out to Quaker Oats.

Question from GFWD:

“As you undoubtedly know, there are supply chain issues with oats, including oats designated for gluten-free products. Can you please let me know if Quaker is able to maintain the standards for gluten-free oats as illustrated in this graphic?”

Response from Quaker:

“I’ve talked with the plant and can confirm:

We are still milling to our original specifications and following […]

Gluten Free Watchdog Statement on Purity Protocol Oat Suppliers

UPDATED OCTOBER 24, 2019. There is no standardized definition for purity protocol oats*. As a result, not all oats promoted by suppliers as purity protocol are the same. At this time, Gluten Free Watchdog includes five companies in our listing of suppliers providing purity protocol oats to manufacturers, namely Avena Foods, GF Harvest, Montana Gluten-Free Processors, MGM Seed & Grain, and Glanbia Nutritionals. You can read about their protocols at https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/oats-produced-under-a-gluten-free-purity-protocol-listing-of-suppliers-and-manufacturers/

*GFCO along with representatives from Avena Foods, GF Harvest, […]

Why mechanically and optically sorted “gluten-free” oats continue to keep me up at night

If you are new to the gluten-free diet and are unfamiliar with the cross contact issues associated with oats and the differences between purity protocol and mechanically/optically sorted oats, please see the following articles before reading this post https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/oats-and-the-gluten-free-diet-qa-part-1/ and https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/oats-and-the-gluten-free-diet-qa-part-2/

Many labeled gluten-free foods contain oats supplied by providers of mechanically and optically sorted oats. Recently a consumer reached out to me regarding the labeling on a gluten-free snack bar containing oats. The label read, “”Contains … wheat** **Trace […]

Updated Testing Protocol from General Mills for Labeled Gluten-Free Cheerios

General Mills uses standard oats that have been mechanically and optically sorted to remove wheat, barley, and rye in their labeled gluten-free Cheerios.

Finished product testing

(As reported to Gluten Free Watchdog and confirmed October 12, 2018)

General Mills is producing gluten-free Cheerios using what they term “validated gluten-free flour.”

General Mills determines gluten-free status of a “lot” of oat flour via a lot mean.

Further, General Mills determines gluten-free status of a “lot” of gluten-free Cheerios via a lot mean.
In both […]