News

04 Jan 2021

Chef Myron’s sauces containing wheat-based soy sauce FINALLY recalled

Recalls for eight Chef Myron’s sauces posted to the FDA’s enforcement report page the week of December 16th. The reason given for all recalls: “Product utilized a gluten-free claim but has as an ingredient a fermented soy sauce that is produced from wheat which was not processed to remove the gluten prior to fermentation.”

It is huge that these recalls are happening. Finally, the FDA appears willing to recall foods labeled gluten-free containing wheat-based soy sauce as an ingredient. This […]

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29 Dec 2020

Folks with gluten-related disorders: Please don’t eat products from Deland Bakery if they are not labeled gluten-free

Deland Bakery (along with Sami’s Bakery) has used some “creative” labeling over the years. If you are new to a gluten-free diet, please know that folks with a gluten-related disorder should not eat products from either of these bakeries that are NOT labeled gluten-free.

Background information: A couple weeks ago, Gluten Free Watchdog contacted Deland Bakery and asked them to please explain why the Contains statement on products in their natural line includes the verbiage “Wheat, Gluten or Yeast”? This […]

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14 Dec 2020

Troubling statement by the Prolamin Working Group on the determination of gluten in fermented foods containing partially hydrolyzed gluten

Gluten Free Watchdog is very troubled by a statement recently released by the Prolamin Working Group “on the determination of gluten in fermented foods containing partially hydrolyzed gluten.” While we have a great deal of respect for each of the authors, the insinuation that the FDA did not lead with science in determining that “the R5 Competitive ELISA method is not suitable for the detection and quantification of gluten in any fermented or hydrolyzed food” comes across as exceedingly […]

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09 Dec 2020

Grading the Canyon Bakehouse Recall

UPDATE: The recall has been amended to include expanded distribution for the Canyon Bakehouse Everything Bagels and now includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island.

See: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/amended-flowers-foods-issues-voluntary-recall-two-canyon-bakehouse-products-due-possible-presence

Bottom line: Canyon Bakehouse handled this recall very well. What happened should serve as a lesson for all manufacturers of gluten-free foods. Testing at risk raw ingredients for gluten before they enter the facility should be de rigueur. A dedicated gluten-free facility doesn’t matter if “dirty” ingredients are allowed inside.

My biggest concern at this point is […]

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21 Nov 2020

Lessons Learned from 16 Years of Testing Food for Gluten

This video presentation with audio is about 30 minutes long. The focus is on lessons learned from 16 years of testing food for gluten. The positive news is that the vast majority of the hundreds of foods tested through GFWD have tested below 20 parts per million of gluten. There have been a few unwelcome surprises over the years, including the level of cross contact in lentils and the number of products impacted by facial misbranding. We’ve also learned […]

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29 Oct 2020

TTB Updated Ruling: Gluten Content Statements in the Labeling and Advertising of Wine, Distilled Spirits, and Malt Beverages

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax, and Trade Bureau recently updated its policy on gluten content statements on labels of wines, distilled spirits, and malt beverages (e.g., beers) in response to FDA’s 2020 rule on gluten-free labeling of fermented and hydrolyzed foods. To read the ruling in full see https://www.ttb.gov/rulings/r2020-2.

In brief:

1. TTB will allow gluten-free claims on spirits distilled from gluten-containing grains.

Details: “TTB will permit “gluten-free” claims on distilled spirits products distilled from gluten-containing grains as long as good manufacturing practices are […]

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26 Oct 2020

Gluten Cross Contact in a Shared Fryer: Poster Presented at AOAC International Meeting

View full size poster at HERE.

Abstract: Celiac disease patients are dissuaded from eating fried foods cooked in shared fryers at restaurants based on presumed gluten exposure versus evidence-based research that gluten cross contact occurs. Twenty orders of fries cooked in shared fryers with wheat were purchased from 10 different restaurants. Fries and oil were free of gluten-containing ingredients. Fries were sent to Bia Diagnostics and tested in 1-gram duplicates using the Ridascreen Gliadin R7001 sandwich R5 ELISA and the […]

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13 Oct 2020

Is beer made using malted barley and crafted to remove gluten safe for folks with celiac disease? FDA says it is not possible to know based on current testing methods

This post is part of a series covering the FDA’s Final Rule on Gluten-Free Labeling of Fermented or Hydrolyzed Foods. 

The rule is available at: 

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/08/13/2020-17088/food-labeling-gluten-free-labeling-of-fermented-or-hydrolyzed-foods

Background (Important):

FDA regulates the following:Beer made without malted barley but with hopsBeer made without hops but with malted barleyBeer made without either malted barley or hopsTTB regulates malt beverages including traditional beers made with both malted barley and hops.

Bottom Line:

Beer under the labeling jurisdiction of FDA that is made from gluten-containing grains (including malted barley) cannot […]

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13 Oct 2020

Gluten Content of Distilled Alcohol: Gluten Free Watchdog Summary Report

October 13, 2020: This report was published in 2018. It is being released publicly due to discussion around FDA’s 2020 rule on gluten-free labeling of fermented and hydrolyzed foods and ingredients. Please address any questions to Tricia Thompson at info@glutenfreewatchdog.org.

The report is available at https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/AlcoholReportGFWD2.pdf

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