November 7, 2010
Gluten-Free Summit at General Mills
Shirley, Lynn, Vanessa, Maureen, and Jill You might be wondering, as we were before attending, how they fed us. Tuesday evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano. That’s right, an Italian restaurant! With all the excitement I forgot to take pictures until dessert, but we were served gluten-free bread and had a full menu of gluten-free choices, including gluten-free pasta dishes and pizza. Because of being dairy-free I went with filet mignon and vegetables which were delicious. Here are a couple of the desserts (I had the sorbet on the left):
For breakfast on Wednesday, we had delicious baked goods from French Meadow Bakery, many of which were dairy free. For lunch we had a terrific selection of Pad Thai dishes from Big Bowl.
Wednesday we met as a combined group and in smaller groups for lots of discussion. One really big concern that both Shirley of Gluten Free Easily and I raised was the issue of cross contamination with General Mills’ gluten-free products. It was interesting to learn that although some of their products say “Made in a gluten free processing facility,” it is actually not a separate building but what was described as a dedicated environment (we did not see any of the processing facilities). While they do test to 20 ppm, the proposed FDA standard, many people, including Shirley and my son, do react to their products. Our suggestion, which was echoed by Carol McCarthy Shilson, was to enroll in the Gluten-Free Certification Organization program. We tried to impress on them the fact that it is a matter of trust. We need to feel safe about eating their products, and if we can’t do that, then their involvement in the gluten-free community will be hindered. While nothing could be promised by the people there, we were at least encouraged by their willingness to listen and their openness to criticism.
We ended the day by doing a little baking in the Betty Crocker kitchens. We broke into groups of two or three and prepared desserts from recipes they gave us using their gluten-free dessert mixes or the gf Bisquick and other ingredients. I got to work with Cinde of Gluten-Free Taste of Home. It was a fun experience, though those of us who are gluten free (some of the bloggers are not gluten free themselves but have a gf child or spouse) did not feel safe eating the products because of the wooden spoons, rolling pins, and spatula handles that could easily harbor gluten. It was a learning experience for General Mills!
Me & Cinde - Shirley of Gluten Free Easily
- Cinde of Gluten Free Taste of Home
- Maureen of Hold the Gluten
- Jill of Hey, that tastes good!
- Lynn of Lynn’s Recipe Adventures
- Amanda of A Few Shortcuts
- Rachel of The Crispy Cook
- Amy of The Savvy Celiac
- Vanessa of Celiac Princess
Labels: General Mills, gluten-free news
January 7, 2010
Burger King’s New Gluten Sensitive List
While I prefer not to eat fast food, there are times when it beats eating nothing. When I’m traveling, I find it helpful to know where I can quickly and easily find a gluten free meal.
This week Burger King released a gluten sensitive list. You can read more about it at chainleader.com, and you can view the list at Burger King's web site. I have updated the link in my side bar.
Have a great day!
Labels: gluten-free news
July 17, 2009
Starbucks: Bring Back the Gluten-Free Cake
If you would like to see Starbucks continue to sell the gluten-free Orange Valencia Cake, consider signing this petition which Triumph Dining has put together. Simply click on the link below, enter your name and email address, then click on “sign the petition.” You will receive an email with a link that you have to click on to confirm your signature.
Petition to Starbucks: Bring back the gluten-free cake!
Labels: gluten-free news
July 16, 2009
Starbucks Stops Production of Valencia Orange Cake
I haven’t seen an official statement, but word is out that Starbucks has stopped producing its gluten-free Valencia orange cake. On Twitter, @Starbucks said, “We heard that it was too much of a treat, and not a nutritious snack. The @KindSnacks bar is replacing it.” That would be these Kind bars.
I agree, it was a treat for me. I suppose they need something that people will buy frequently, not occasionally. I am not someone who frequents Starbucks, but I did stop in on occasion for the gluten-free cake. I don’t think I’ll be making any special stops for a Kind bar. I’ve never tried one. They are probably good, but fruit and nuts are easy for me to find. In fact, I often carry mixed nuts with me when I’ll be out for a while.
I, as well as others, would like to see Starbucks offer some other type of gluten-free baked item. A sandwich on gluten-free bread would be great, but a muffin or scone would be nice also.
What do you think?
Labels: gluten-free news
June 25, 2009
Kinnikinnick Major Store Announcement
Kinnikinnick announced that 14 of thier frozen products are now or will shortly be available in 375 Stop & Shop & 180 Giant Food stores. These stores are located throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, DC, Virginia, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Visit their official blog, The Gluten Free Insider for more details.
This is more good news for all of us. I don’t buy a lot of prepackaged gluten-free food, but many people depend on it. While I prefer to make my own delicious gluten-free hamburger buns, the truth is that I don’t always take the time to do it. Kinnikinnick hamburger buns are my second choice and I like to keep some in the freezer during the summer months. Having them available at Giant will make life easier, especially if an unexpected cookout invitation arises. Thanks Kinnikinnick!
My thanks to The Gluten Free Optimist for the heads up on this announcement.
Labels: gluten-free news
May 11, 2009
Uno Chicago Grill Now Offers Gluten-Free Veggie Pizza
For Mother’s Day we had a late lunch at Uno Chicago Grill. Even though I wasn’t thrilled with their gluten-free pizza the last time I tried it, I decided to give it a second chance. I was surprised when I saw a third option on their menu—veggie pizza. The first time I got plain cheese and thought I would try the pepperoni this time, but the veggie option sounded better.
The gluten-free veggie pizza comes with onions, mushrooms, and peppers. When I asked the waitress about the peppers, she said they use red and green peppers. I asked her to hold the green peppers, however, my pizza arrived without any peppers. It also arrived barely warm. I think they heated it and then it sat for a while while the other meals were still cooking. Being incredibly hungry, though, I didn’t bother sending the pizza back.
I found the veggies gave the pizza more flavor, making it more likeable than the cheese pizza. Unfortunately, I was more disappointed in the crust than the first time. It completely fell apart. Not only did it break vertically, but it came apart in layers horizontally (if that makes sense). It’s a good thing I was so hungry, because I didn’t really care. I just enjoyed the veggie flavors, my family, and the ease of eating out.
Happy Mother’s Day (belated) to all you wonderful moms!
Labels: gluten-free news
May 5, 2009
Starbucks Gluten-Free Cake is Here!
Today is the day Starbucks begins offering their gluten-free Valencia Orange Cake. The kind people at Starbucks sent me a gift card so I could try it out, and I did. The verdict: It is very good!
As the name implies, the cake has a nice orange flavor. It was very moist and had a pleasant texture. There was no gritty feel to it. Two of my kids had a taste and liked it. One particularly liked the orange flavor, but thought the cake was a bit too moist and felt mushy in his mouth. Being that the first ingredient is eggs, I did notice a slight eggy taste, but I didn’t mind. While it does have plenty of calories and sugar to go along with its great flavor, I’m glad it at least has 9 grams of protein.
The cake is a terrific tasty treat, and I (along with the gluten-free community) am grateful to Starbucks for making it available. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. Not only will you enjoy eating it, but you will be letting Starbucks know they made a good move.
| Nutrition Facts: | Ingredients: |
| Calories – 290 | Whole eggs |
| Total Fat – 16 g | Valencia Orange Pulp |
| Saturated Fat – 2 g | Almonds |
| Trans Fat – 0 g | Sugar |
| Sodium – 40 mg | Orange Peel |
| Carbohydrate – 32 g Dietary Fiber – 4 g Sugars – 23 g | GF Baking Powder (sodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, rice flour) |
| Protein – 9 g |
Labels: gluten-free news
March 17, 2009
Gluten-Free Chex Cereals - Available June 1st
This is a follow-up to my post, Corn Chex are NOT Gluten-Free.
After seeing pictures of Corn Chex and Strawberry Chex with “gluten-free” printed boldly on the front, I decided to call General Mills for the second time today.
This lady informed me that they received an email today stating that the following products are being reformulated to be gluten-free and will be widely available June 1st.
- Corn Chex
- Honey Nut Chex
- Chocolate Chex
- Strawberry Chex
- Cinnamon Chex
She said the boxes that have been seen in the stores already are probably part of a test market. When the gluten-free cereals are available, they will be clearly labeled gluten-free.
Yeah!!!! Thank you General Mills!
If you don’t know, Rice Chex are already gluten-free. In regards to cross-contamination, their web site says,
“General Mills has prevented cross contamination and has tested the formula based on the proposed FDA standards.”
I assume the same will be true of the above listed cereals. Now we just have to patiently wait until June 1st!
Labels: gluten-free news
Corn Chex Are NOT Gluten-Free
Please read my Chex update here.
When General Mills reformulated Rice Chex to make it gluten-free, we all rejoiced. Now, word has been passed on Twitter that Corn Chex, as well as other Chex varieties, are now gluten-free. I even retweeted the information. Then I read a blog post saying that the author spoke with General Mills and confirmed the reformulations.
I thought it was odd that I had not seen a press release about this and that the General Mills web site still only claimed Rice Chex to be gluten-free. Therefore, I called the number given at the Chex website. I was told that only Rice Chex are gluten-free, that any gluten-free products will be labeled, and that there are currently no Chex cereals other than Rice Chex which are labeled as gluten-free.
The person I spoke to was aware of the information being passed around on the Internet and told me the information was incorrect. When I asked if the company was working on reformulating other Chex cereals, she said she was not privy to that information.
Now, I admit it is possible, though unlikely, that the person I spoke to had not yet been informed of a change. The point is to be careful and always read labels. If I read an official statement from General Mills or see information on their web site contrary to what I have stated here, I’ll definitely pass it on. I would certainly be happy to have more gluten-free options available in the cereal isle of regular grocery stores.
You can read follow-up information to this post here.
Labels: gluten-free news
February 9, 2009
Gluten-Free City Guide – A Great Resource
If you travel in the U.S. and often wish you had more gluten-free information about the cities you travel to, you now have some extra help. Gluten-Free City Guide provides a map with links to gluten-free information for over 100 cities. The author, Zach says,
“Placemarks have been added to cities where Celiac Disease Support Group Web sites and/or Gluten Free Blogs specifically about those cities exist.”
Although the site itself does not give you gluten-free information about those cities, it does give you links to sites where you can find information. Support group sites and city related blogs often have information about restaurants in that particular area as well as other information that may be useful. I’m sure this map will be a time saver for many. Thanks Zach!
Labels: gluten-free diet, gluten-free news
January 27, 2009
Starbucks Considers Gluten-Free Options
According to their Ideas in Action Blog, Starbucks is offering gluten-free food options in a few select stores as a test. Before moving forward, they are asking for feedback and have some specific questions they would like answered. You must sign in to leave a comment, but if you frequent Starbucks it might be worth your time to let them know your opinion. Personally, I rarely visit Starbucks, but some gluten-free food items might lure me in a little more often. Regardless, I’m glad they’re doing this. If they offer gluten-free food nationwide, it will be a great benefit to the growing gluten-free community.
Labels: gluten-free news
January 26, 2009
Carrabba’s Dal Cuore Nights
If you’re like me, you’re wondering what dal cuore means. Thankfully, Carrabba’s doesn’t leave us hanging. It means “from the heart,” and their Dal Cuore Nights are February 11th and 12th.
Before I get to what’s special about those nights, I want to remind you that Carrabba’s has a gluten-free menu with some very good choices. So instead of going out to dinner with your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day when restaurants will be packed, why not go a couple of nights early? Carrabba’s is giving you some incentive.
On February 11th and 12th you can get $10 off any bottle of wine, and you’ll get a chance to win a romantic Italian cruise for two. It sounds good to me. My husband and I might just be visiting Carrabba’s on one of those nights.
Labels: gluten-free news
January 23, 2009
Hy Vee Pulls Some Gluten-Free Products
Labels: gluten-free news
January 21, 2009
Peanut Butter Recalls
Labels: gluten-free news
January 19, 2009
Uno's Offers Gluten-Free Pizza Nationwide
Labels: gluten-free news
Celiac News Article with Dr. Fasano
"Treatment is more than saying, "You have to avoid the food that contains the material that offends you. But if you by any chance are exposed to it, it's not a big deal because you will pay the price on the spot. You will feel bad, and it will go away."An autoimmune disease will have a cumulative effect over time. You can end up in a very unpleasant situation [with] possible co-morbidities [such as rheumatoid arthritis].
The article includes a nice picture of Dr. Fasano and some personal information in the sidebar.
Take a look and let me know what you think.
Labels: celiac disease, gluten-free news
January 10, 2009
Biscottea Launches a Line of Gluten-Free Shortbread
Biscottea is launching a new line of gluten-free tea flavored shortbread cookies in three flavors. The thing that impresses me about this announcement is that each batch of gluten-free shortbread is tested for gluten by an independent testing agency. To read more see this press release.
Labels: gluten-free news
January 2, 2009
Pamela’s Bread Mix Name Change
I do almost all my baking from scratch. The one exception is using Pamela’s Bread Mix. I make some bread from scratch, but I haven’t made any that is as good as Pamela’s. The mix makes a beautiful, well rounded, soft and moist loaf of gluten-free bread, and it stays soft for days. For those of you who also enjoy using Pamela’s Bread Mix, I thought you might be interested in this announcement.
Pamela’s has changed the name of their popular bread mix from Pamela’s Wheat-Free Bread Mix to Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix. Nothing has changed about the ingredients. Wheat-free was originally used because the term gluten-free was not well known. Now that it is well known, and many more people are on a gluten-free diet, the name change will be helpful. For more information visit Pamela's Products. On the left side of the page click on Announcements & PR, then click on Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix Name Change – 2008.
Labels: gluten-free news
December 30, 2008
Whole Foods Pulls Some Gluten-Free Products
This article explains that the Chicago Tribune investigation I mentioned in a post earlier today revealed that several Wellshire Kids brand products labeled “gluten-free” were not in fact gluten-free. The Dinosaur Shapes Chicken Bites, Chicken Corn Dogs and Beef Corn Dogs sold only at Whole Foods contained between 116 and 2,200 parts per million of gluten. The widely accepted level for a food to be labeled gluten-free is 20 parts per million. If you have any of those products on hand, they should not be consumed by anyone on a gluten-free diet. For more information click on the article link above.
Labels: gluten-free news
Problems with Food Labeling
- Label errors abound
- Technically, some labels confuse
- Oats are often tainted with wheat
- Beware of imports
- Skip unlabeled food
The article is a good reminder that despite food labeling laws, food is not always labeled as it should be. It's our responsibility to be diligent about reading labels, knowing terms, and using both caution and common sense.
Labels: celiac disease, gluten-free news
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