Gluten Free Journey

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DJ
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Gluten Free Journey

Post by DJ »

I am trying to develop a gluten free, soy free, dairy free eye when reading labels and it's not easy.
I just came upon the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (revised 2006) http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/_private/_a ... tSheet.pdf

Food manufacturers must comply with the law by identifying in plain English on their product labels the
food source of any ingredient that is or contains protein from one of the eight foods or food groups
mentioned on the fact sheet; milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soybeans.

Unfortunately, barley and rye are not on the list.


Caramel coloring is something I've been looking out for. From what I'm reading, food items (other than meats) containing caramel coloring made from wheat would have wheat listed on the label.

A traditional box of Rice Krispies does not contain wheat but contains malt, which I think comes from barley. Barley contains gluten. Only wheat must be labeled, not gluten containing items.

So, I wonder why the USDA elected to require wheat labeling and not gluten labeling???
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tex
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Post by tex »

DJ wrote:So, I wonder why the USDA elected to require wheat labeling and not gluten labeling???
That was our legislature's mistake. In their ignorance, they wrote the law without including labeling requirements for barley, rye, and oats, so that's the way that all regulatory agencies interpret it and that's the way they apply it.

Incidentally, the USDA is in charge of inspection and labeling of all raw/whole farm products (such as meat, milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables, etc. The FDA is in charge of inspection and labeling of all processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and anything that does not fall under USDA authority.

Tex
:cowboy:

It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
maestraz
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Post by maestraz »

I see you are in upstate NY. If you have an Aldi Market nearby, check out their Millville brand cereals. They have a Cheerios type cereal that does not contain wheat, while regular Cheerios do. Their Rice Chex equivalent is also GF. Their Rice Krispies do contain barley malt. Their regular oatmeal is GF, but I haven't looked at the quick oats. The nice thing is, the prices are MUCH lower than for the "name" brands.

They do, however, have a disclaimer on some packages about the processing.

Their snack items, such as nuts, are much less expensive as well.
Suze
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tex
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Post by tex »

Speaking of Rice Krispies, Kellogg makes a gluten-free version (no barley malt) using brown rice instead of white rice. Therefore it contains more fiber, but it should be safe, otherwise.

Tex
:cowboy:

It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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DJ
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Post by DJ »

Thank you Tex. Thank you Suze. I bought GF Rice Krispies last night and I do live near Aldi's. I'll take another look at their cereal. With all the support, I'm headed in the right direction one step at a time. :bear:
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