Glutino Raisin Bread Recall

May 10, 2010 - Glutino Food Group Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg Product in Raisin Bread. The Glutino Food Group of Lawrence, Mass. is voluntarily recalling Glutino Raisin Bread because it may contain undeclared egg product as one of the ingredients. Consumers who have an allergy or sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Snyders of Hanover Gluten Free Pretzels

May 10, 2010 - Snyders of Hanover have recently introduced gluten free pretzels to their line of products.  Some concern has been raised, however, as to whether or not they are taking the term "gluten free" seriously enough for those with celiac disease.  Their new products are being made with gluten free ingredients, however on the same lines as their other products.
 
To address these concerns, Snyders has decided to seek certification with the Gluten Free Certification Organization (part of the G.I.G. of North America). It will take a few months to work through this process to assure products are in fact safe for celiacs, but they are taking big steps in the right direction. Stay on the look out for the new Snyders gluten free products on store shelves!

Food Facts

January 6, 2010 - Want to know what’s really in your food? The website www.foodfacts.com has a database of over 50,000 products and includes information on ingredients, nutrition, chemical substances and additives. You can learn what the additives actually are and compare products to find out best choice before you go to the store. It will even allow you to create a shopping list based on ingredients from recipes you find on the site. After logging in, you can set up a profile and mark all of the ingredients you want to avoid and the site will highlight them as you look up products. All of the information is also dated so you know how current it is.

Betty Crocker Cake Mixes

August 8, 2009 - The gluten free mixes from Betty Crocker have reached the shelves at the Stauffer's on Roherstown Road as well as the Weis in Elizabethtown.  At Stauffers they are $3.99 each. The mixes are made at a gluten-free facility and have been developed after people on the Betty Crocker development team were diagnosed with Celiac.  We've tried the brownies and they turned out pretty well. At a recent party a lot of people actually liked the yellow cake better than regular cake. If you've tried them, let us know what you think!

Kretschmar Deli Meats

February 19, 2009 - Kretschmar Deli Meats and Cheeses are all gluten free. If you would like to try them and save money at the same time, click here for a free $1 off coupon.

Tonya’s Gluten Free Soft Pretzels

February 19, 2009 - If you had the chance to try Gluten Free Soft Pretzels from Tonya's Gluten Free Kitchen at the January meeting, you'll be glad to hear that Stauffer's of Kissel Hill's Lititz and Rohrerstown locations will carry them starting on February 13, 2009.  If you didn't have a chance to try some at the meeting, be sure to give them a try, they are excellent!
 

Gluten Free food at Gaint

January 05, 2009 - Sandy Stine had a great experience ordering pretzels at the Giant on Fruitville Pike (in the former Redner’s Store). Marjorie is the person who orders their organic/special foods and she said she would be happy to order anything and is also interested in suggestions on food items to carry.

McCormick Spices

August 3, 2008 - All McCormick single ingredient spices and herbs are glutenfree and 100% pure, with nothing added to them. All McCormick extracts, including Pure Vanilla, are also gluten-free. Some products do contain gluten, and this will be clearly listed in BOLD type within the ingredient statement. Further the website states: ""Old Bay does not contain gluten" and "All of our food color products are gluten-free."  Some McCormick spices are processed in facilities that also process wheat products.  However, employees are trained in the importance of correct labeling and the necessity of performing thorough equipment wash-downs to eliminate cross-contact of ingredients.

Finally...
A Mainstream Cereal is Gluten-Free!

April 9, 2008 - General Mills' Rice Chex is now gluten free. General Mills partnered with the Celiac Disease Foundation to make this product gluten free. Finally, one less cereal to buy from the high-priced specialty food section of the grocery store! The new package specifically states "Gluten-Free." However, make sure to check the ingredients and wording carefully to make sure you're not buying an old version of this cereal, which might contain gluten.

Esskay Meats

July 3, 2008 - Esskay Meats company has confirmed to one of our members that all of their products are gluten-free.  Again, as a general rule, be sure to always check ingredients.
 

Zatarain’s Dirty Rice Mix Recall

May 10, 2010 - Zatarain's Recalls Original Dirty Rice Mix Package Due to Unlabeled Wheat and Barley Ingredients Zatarain's has announced a voluntary recall of Zatarain's Original Dirty Rice Mix, 8 oz. package with UPC Code 7142909535 and a "BEST BY" date of JAN 19 12H.  Zatarain's Original Dirty Rice Mix packages with this date code contain undeclared wheat and barley ingredients.

McCormick’s Fajita Seasoning Recall

May 10, 2010 - McCormick & Company Recalls Mccormick Fajitas Seasoning Mix Due To Unlabeled Wheat And Milk Ingredients McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) has announced a voluntary recall of McCormick Fajitas Seasoning Mix, with UPC Code 5210002121 and “BEST BY” dates of JAN 16 12 AH and JAN 16 12 CH.  McCormick Fajitas Seasoning Mix packages with these date codes contain undeclared wheat and milk ingredients.

The Rise of Gluten Free Snack Food

January 6, 2010 - We spoke and they listened. Over 1,000 gluten free products were introduced in 2008 and 552 more were introduced between January and July of 2009. Snack foods were one of the biggest areas of growth from cereal bars, snacks, and sweets. The company Natural Snacks’
gluten free business grew 78% last year and is expanding their line even further to include 100 calorie single serve packs which will retail for 99 cents.

Gluten Free Bread Options

August 8, 2009 - Gluten Free Prarie Bread made by Whole Foods, is now being sold at the Darrenkamps in Mt. Joy.  If you haven't tried this before, it is excellent.  Whole Foods even has a dedicated gluten free bake house to avoid cross contamination

Warning: Wellshire Kids Brand Products

February 19, 2009 - The Chicago Tribune reported that it tested three Wellshire Kids brand "gluten-free" products sold exclusively at Whole Foods — Dinosaur Shapes Chicken Bites, Chicken Corn Dogs and Beef Corn Dogs — and they contained 116 to 2,200 parts per million (PPM) of gluten. 20 PPM is generally accepted as a safe level of gluten in food for celiacs.  Whole Foods subsequently pulled those items from their shelves.

Gluten Free Soft Pretzels

January 05, 2009 - Dutch Country Soft Pretzels on Rt. 322 between Hinkletown & Blue Ball is now offering gluten free soft pretzels. They are sold frozen and are available in 3 different pack sizes: 1($1.75), 3($5.00 ), and 6 ($9.00). Our member Joy Dickson has tried them and says they are wonderful! In addition, the company has shared their lab results with us, which showed that at 19.6 parts per million, they are within the threshold of 20 parts per million which the FDA is considering as a standard for calling something “gluten free.” Website: http://ww.dutchcountrysoftpretzels.com/

Health and Beauty Items

August 3, 2008 - According to the book Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic by Dr.Peter H. R. Green, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, gluten cannot be absorbed by the skin. He states that gluten can only get into the digestive tract by swallowing it, not by applying it to your skin, unless that product somehow gets into your mouth. Therefore, the products that
you should be the most careful of are lipsticks, lip glosses, chapstick, etc, especially long-lasting brands, which often contain wheat. Cosmetics are not regulated by the FDA, and therefore don’t have to include ingredients like most food products do.

Hershey's Products

July 3, 2008 - One of our members, Jack Miller, has been dilligently uncovering some information about gluten content in Hershey's products. Between his conversations with Hershey's and ours, we've found out that Hershey's recommends that celiacs not eat any of their products that contain natural flavors. Hersheys' suppliers only have to indicate if their products contain one of the top eight allergens, so Hershey's won't guarantee that the natural flavors are gluten free. The company did indicate to us that they are dilligent about listing wheat when it is an ingredient or when there might be cross contamination, and listed the following products as typically gluten free:
 
Hershey’s Chocolate Bar
Hershey’s Chocolate Bar with Almonds
Milk chocolate powder
Baking bar
Hershey’s Cocoa
Kisses
Jolly Ranchers
 
Of course, you do have to be careful about continuing to check ingredients in your favorite products, as formulas can change at any time. Thanks, Jack, for your hard work to keep us safe!