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I don't know about you, but back when I was recovering, I tried a lot of supposedly GF, DF, SF, etc., (according to their label), foods, and still got sick from them. My solution was to simply make everything from scratch, and that worked quite well, of course. I always wondered why those products made me sick, though. I kept wondering if I was sensitive to something else in them, or if they were simply dishonest with their labeling. After a lot of water under the bridge, I've decided that the latter possibility is likely the correct one. From a post written by someone on the Celiac Listserv:
IOW, the GF certification is nothing more than a hopeful guess. They don't add any gluten, so they assume that it is GF. Incidentally, the FDA is currently pushing a regulation that would make mandatory, a GF certification on any naturally GF product. IOW, if the item is normally GF, then the manufacturer would be required to label it as GF, (without any testing, of course).GF labeling in the US means nothing at this time. Until the FDA acts and issues mandated guidelines for labeling an item GF, any manufacturer can label their food GF. Per the manufacturer, it is labeled GF as it has no gluten containing ingredients. However, it is produced in a shared facility, with no special handling, and no testing.
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, (FALCPA), required the FDA to implement labeling regulations for gluten-free foods, by August 2008. Obviously that deadline has long-since passed, and the regulations are now three years overdue!
While FDA talks about the importance of food safety, people with food-sensitivity issues have to deal with a minefield, each time they visit their grocery store, and they have to wonder whether a product labeled gluten-free, (or whatever), is truly free of harmful ingredients.
Sales of gluten-free foods are skyrocketing, and without having the proper regulations in place, the risk is increasing for each of us, every day. In some cases, manufacturers have been known to add a little wheat to a product, simply because it helps the taste and texture of the product. Soy food additives, as we all know, are ubiquitous, whether they are essential to a product, or not.
The American Celiac Disease Alliance has launched a letter writing campaign to tell the FDA, HHS, (the department of the government that oversees the FDA), and Congress, to urge the FDA to fulfill it's obligations, and complete the gluten-free labeling rules required by FALCPA. If you would like to participate in their campaign to help persuade the FDA to get off their butts and do their job, you can find a form to facilitate sending in your 2 cents worth at this site:
http://www.capwiz.com/celiac/home/.
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