08
Jul
2014
22
Apr
2014
Product alert: Greens Plus bar contains malt yet labeled gluten-free
Product Alert: Greens Plus Whey Crisp Protein Bar Last week the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) alerted Gluten Free Watchdog that a variety of Greens Plus bar contains barley malt yet is labeled gluten-free. Barley malt is not allowed in gluten-free foods. To read the NFCA alert for this product click here. Note: While manufacturers labeling their foods gluten-free have until August, 2014 to comply with the FDA's gluten-free labeling rule, malt, malt extract, and malt syrup have...
16
Apr
2014
What I Ate Wednesday Registered Dietitian Edition
What I Ate Wednesday Registered Dietitian Edition (#WIAWRD) WIAWRD was not something I had heard of until last week when Debra Riedesel, owner of the websites cyclediet.com and sensitivedietitian.com “tagged” me to write about what I ate Wednesday. To read Debra's post click here. Obviously, the content of this post is different from what you usually find in this space but it is always interesting to learn about what other people actually...
06
Apr
2014
Boulder Canyon Chips & FDA Webinar Statement on Use of Malt Extract in Gluten-Free Foods
Boulder Canyon Chips--Again!! It is hard to believe I'm writing about Boulder Canyon chips---Again! BUT Boulder Canyon chips labeled gluten-free yet containing both malt vinegar powder and malt extract continue to be widely available on store shelves. Based on the emails I continue to receive, there seems to be confusion on the part of many regarding the ingredients contained in this product as well as the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) position on malt extract in labeled gluten-free foods. To help clarify, here...
23
Feb
2014
Gluten Free Watchdog Product Alert: Boulder Canyon Malt Vinegar Chips
At least two (maybe three) varieties of Boulder Canyon malt vinegar and sea salt chips are labeled gluten-free and/or erroneously contain the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) Certified Gluten-Free mark (i.e. they were never certified by GFCO) and include the ingredients malt vinegar and malt extract. To access a pdf of the report click here. Excerpt: Bottom Line: At least two (maybe three) varieties of Boulder Canyon malt vinegar and sea salt chips are labeled gluten-free and/or erroneously contain the Gluten...
29
Jan
2014
Restaurants & Gluten-Free Labeling Claims
Rhonda Kane, MS, RD and I received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to post a statement on restaurants and gluten-free labeling claims. The statement was drafted by Rhonda, a former Consumer Safety Officer with the FDA. Current FDA staff reviewed and slightly revised this statement and granted me permission to post the revision at glutenfreedietitian.com. This process started back in September at the International Celiac Disease Symposium where there was a lot of confusion about whether restaurants were covered under the gluten-free labeling rule. At...
01
Jan
2014
Can Individuals with Celiac Disease Drink Barley-Based “Gluten-Removed” Beers such as Omission? A Gluten Free Watchdog Special Report
To write this report on the safety of of barley-based gluten-removed beers, Gluten Free Watchdog consulted with experts in mass spectrometry, ELISA testing, and amino acid sequencing of gluten proteins. We are very grateful that they generously shared their knowledge so that this information could be passed along to you. To access a pdf of the report please click here.
03
Dec
2013
Gluten Free Watchdog Special Report: Gluten Contamination of Spices
Gluten Free Watchdog tested brands of domestically processed spices that appear to be the most widely used by the gluten-free community based on inquiries made to subscribers of Gluten Free Watchdog. Gluten Free Watchdog focused primarily on testing the spices that tested at or above 20 ppm in the Canadian survey. These spices (all ground) are clove, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mace, sage, thyme, and white pepper. Gluten Free Watchdog also tested leaf basil (dried), garlic powder, curry powder, and Italian seasoning...
01
Dec
2013
Gluten Contamination of Gluten-Free Foods Sold in the US
Thomas Grace and I recently published two years worth of testing data from Gluten Free Watchdog in the journal Practical Gastroenterology. The pdf is available here. Excerpt: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released the long awaited rule on the labeling of food as gluten-free. Labeled gluten-free food regulated by the FDA and sold in the United States must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. The objective of this evaluation is to assess the actual gluten content...
26
Nov
2013