Loading ...Custom Choice Cereal is excited and happy for everyone on a gluten-free diet that more and more specifically gluten-free products are introduced to the market. We can literally see the gluten-free aisle in the grocery stores increase by the day. And to be honest – it does not bother us at all that some call the gluten-free diet a “fad”; it is definitely not a fad for those suffering from celiac disease! The increase in product variety – no matter what the reason behind it is – makes life easier for them, and that’s what we at Custom Choice Cereal are most concerned with.
A not so great side-effect of the “fad” aspect is that we also see an increase in products labeled “wheat-free”. You need to be really really careful because wheat-free does not equal gluten-free.
Several members of my family like to say that “Every lion is an animal but not every animal is a lion”. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, the exact same principle applies to gluten-free and wheat-free products – “Every gluten-free product is wheat-free but not every wheat-free item is also gluten-free”.
The protein gluten is also present in rye and barley as well as in most oats because they are usually processed in the same facilities. And if you have ever been in a facility that processes grains you know that the dust is everywhere so cross-contamination is the key here! These grains are however not included in the “Big 8″ food allergens and therefore FDA does not require a separate listing on the ingredients label.
Here are some tricky food items that are NOT gluten-free and that you should avoid on a gluten-free diet:
- Beer
- Blue Cheese
- Bouillon and bouillon cubes
- Brewer’s yeast (but regular yeast should be fine)
- Caramel flavoring (double-check with the manufacturer)
- Carob-soy flour (used in bread, can contain 80% wheat flour!)
- Couscous
- Curry
- Durham
- Instant flavored coffee
- Kamut
- Malt (extract, syrup, flavoring: watch for it in candy!)
- Potato chips
- Processed meats (again: read the label very carefully)
- Salad dressings
- Spelt
- Spices and spice mixes
- Triticale (a wheat-rye hybrid)
In composing this list we focused on the not-so-obvious items. Hopefully it helps you to be well and stay healthy though nothing replaces a careful reading of the label. If in doubt always call the manufacturer, and if the doubts remain - don’t purchase the product! Better safe than sorry!
