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My Trip to General Mills, a.k.a. Betty Crocker Central
It was written by one of eleven women that have GF web sites who were invited to attend General Mills Gluten Free Bloggers Summit earlier this month. Shirley Braden is the author and she has the web site Gluten Free Easily.
I suggest you read the whole article that begins almost half way down the page after the 27 small pictures of food. First she talks about meeting the other women but after the pizza picture she tells about what took place at General Mills. VERY INTERESTING!
I copied just three paragraphs from the article as a teaser.
http://glutenfreeeasily.com/category/out-and-about/
The rolling pins, wooden spoons, and spatulas had previously been used to make gluten-full items. One General Mills spokesperson told us that the products had been cleaned and heated to 200 degrees. When she was told that heating didn’t remove gluten, she looked at us like were looney tunes. That was yet another educational piece of the gluten-free pie for General Mills. It was an unsettling moment for sure because if that information is not known or understood, to me it raises doubts about the status of their gluten-free products.
So what happened in the sessions? Well, first and foremost, we spoke our minds. There was not a timid person in our group; that’s for sure. We were asked what we expected from the summit and, initially, in our responses, we talked about what we wanted in the products. I stated that their gluten-free products which contained grains, the Chex cereals and baking mixes, have caused a gluten reaction for me each time I’ve tried them. I added that I was not alone and I highly recommended that General Mills obtain certification from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) under the Gluten Intolerance Group. I said that gluten-free consumers want better quality in their products—more nutritious flours and ingredients that provided more fiber than the typical ingredient of inexpensive, white rice flour. Along those lines, I said that we felt the prices of the gluten-free baking products were outrageous, considering the inexpensive ingredients. I added that the very expensive gluten-free Bisquick (over $6 in my area) doesn’t even contain shortening. I also talked about undesirable ingredients in products, like high maltose corn syrup. Others spoke passionately about such concerns as price, availability, and current General Mills products that should be made gluten free. Shortly thereafter, each of us was asked to tell about ourselves. We each told our personal story or those of our family members (as often it was the family member who was diagnosed with celiac/non-celiac gluten issues versus the attendee). I’ve heard a lot of stories since being diagnosed myself and leading my celiac/gluten intolerance support group and the stories shared at this event were as heartwrenching and compelling as any. The miraculous endings—yes, they are all miracle stories—made these stories bearable.
Later sessions brought more questions from General Mills and their contractors on what we want and need, why we need it, etc. These are simple questions that all of us who live the gluten-free lifestyle know do not always have simple answers. I teach my gluten free easily (gfe) approach all the time, but not everyone is quick to buy into the mostly non-processed foods approach. And, yes, I did point out that folks going gluten free often forget about real food being gluten free. But, I know that of the folks who follow a real food approach, even they occasionally like the convenience of a safe, processed gluten-free food (e.g., on the road, at a friend’s home). These sessions were rather intense as I indicated earlier. We tried to pack a lot into small blocks of time. The sessions were also encouraging and inspiring. There was a true dialogue and we felt like we were being heard. Being heard is paramount in getting our gluten-free needs answered.
Please read the entire article. I am eager to read your comments.
