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

Due in large part to data published in the
public domain by Quaker, the celiac disease community continues to learn about
the nature of gluten grain cross contact in oats, including that:

Grains of wheat, barley, and rye are unevenly distributed within a given amount of oats. Despite what may be the best efforts of suppliers, gluten-containing grains have been found in both final product purity protocol oats and final product mechanically and optically sorted oats.See https://www.somatopublications.com/oat-consumption-by-celiac-disease-patients-outcomes-range-from-harmful-to-beneficial-depending-on-the-purity-of-the-oats.pdf

Based on Gluten Free Watchdog’s social […]

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 […]

Oats and the Gluten-Free Diet: Q&A Part 2

Two weeks ago I posted on social media asking you to send me your questions on oats—anything that was on your mind. I did this because the situation with oats and the gluten-free diet is one of the most complicated issues I write about–something I’ve been doing for about 21 years.

Because you sent in so many questions, they are being answered in groups. This is the second Q&A post on oats. Some of your questions may have been slightly […]