Labeling Quiz #3

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 27, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Pant Tug, Post # 27

Quiz

True or False: A product labeled gluten-free in the U.S. can also include “glucose syrup (wheat)” in the ingredients list.

The answer is below the photo. No peaking!

Answer: True.

Explanation: Glucose syrup (wheat) is considered by the FDA to be an ingredient “processed to remove gluten.” Other such ingredients include […]

Labeling Quiz # 2

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 26, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Pant Tug, Post # 26

Quiz

A can of vegetable soup sold in the U.S. NOT labeled gluten-free includes the word “dextrin” in the ingredients list. The source of dextrin is not named. The label does NOT include a Contains statement.

True or False: The dextrin could contain wheat protein.

The answer is below the photo. […]

Labeling Quiz #1

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 25, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Pant Tug, Post # 25

Quiz

A package of hotdogs NOT labeled gluten-free includes the word “starch” in the ingredients list. The source of the starch is not named. The label does not include a Contains statement.

Question: What is the source of starch in this product?

Wheat
Corn
Wheat or Corn

The answer is below […]

Barley should be added to FALCPA and here’s why

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 24, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Bite, Post # 24

This is a modified post from CDAM 2017.

The information included in this post is not cause for undue alarm. But there is a reason why Canada and the European Union require sources of gluten, including barley to be declared in the ingredients list. It is high time the US […]

Do you know how to report a misbranded gluten-free product to the USDA?

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 23, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Pant Tug, Post # 23

Does USDA have a gluten-free labeling rule? No. However, USDA has stated that if a manufacturer under their jurisdiction wants to include a gluten-free claim on product packaging, the food must be compliant with the FDA rule.

What foods does USDA regulate? This can be a bit tricky to […]

Perseverance is the name of the game when it comes to celiac disease advocacy

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 22, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Tail Wag, Post # 22

Advocate

It won’t be easy to effect change.

Your singular voice will not make much of a difference but together,

in unison with others, it just might.

You will say the same thing again and again and again.

You may grow tired but you will not…

Give up

or ever believe that your efforts are […]

FDA thinks gluten-free means what is says

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 21, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Bite, Post # 21

According to the FDA, “”Gluten-Free’ Means What It Says.” See https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm363069.htm

My response: Really? Then why do we continue to find products labeled gluten-free on store shelves that contain wheat flour, malt vinegar, malted barley, and hydrolyzed wheat protein?

According to FDA:

“”This standard ‘gluten-free’ definition eliminates uncertainty about how food producers […]

Folks are sometimes curious about my diet asking, “What foods do you normally eat?”

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 20, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Tail Wag, Post # 20

Folks frequently reach out asking whether or not I eat a particular food, such as oats, or what I do in certain situations, such as restaurants. Just last week, I was asked, “What foods do you normally eat?”

Consequently, I decided it would be worthwhile to update a post […]

Manufacturers: No more sloppy responses when contacted by gluten-free consumers

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 19, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Bark, Post # 19

In mid-April I was contacted by a member of the Gluten Free Watchdog community about a curious ingredient in a variety of Magnum ice cream–“corn syrup (wheat).” This product is NOT labeled gluten-free.

My response: “This is an FDA-regulated product. There is an FDA CFR for corn syrup: Sec. 184.1865 […]

Plastic in Larabars: If you want this to stop then make some noise

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2018,

A series of bites, barks, tail wags, face licks, and pant tugs from Gluten Free Watchdog

May 18, 2018

Gluten Free Watchdog Bark, Post # 18

Plastic in Larabars

The current problem of plastic in Larabars is not a gluten-free issue per se. But these bars are a go to snack food for many in the celiac disease community. These bars were my breakfast each and every day for years. I first came across plastic in […]