kenlove

The first link is to an article about the definition of "natural flavor" that is more than ten years old. The second is about natural versus artificial flavor. The third is the legal definition of flavor from the USDA.

So, again, can anyone provide an actual, verifiable example of a product where gluten was hidden in flavor, whether natural or artificial?

http://www.celiac.co...ents/Page1.html

 

is Scotts listing showing it may or may not contain gluten along with:

6) According to 21 C.F.R. S 101,22(a)(3): [t]he terns natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentationproducts thereof. Whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.

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I think its obvious some have more problems with this than others.  Also some  have more faith in labeling and adherence to laws than many others.  In my job I see almost daily abuse of a wide variety of labeling laws in Hawaii, including USDA organic and country of origin labeling laws. I would always err on the side of caution when it comes to recommendations regarding what new celiacs might ingest. 

ken

Look, guys, if some of you don't quit with the misinfo on the USDA "natural flavors" loophole, which allows gluten in barley and rye byproducts, and from processed starches and other grain byproducts which may not be gluten free, to be applied or used as flavoring or seasonings,  you are going to inadvertently make somebody sick.   USDA does not care at all about gluten free labeling according to a statement I have read from the current Secretary Vilsack, he says companies following VOLUNTARY food labeling for the top 8 allergens is enough and does not think the USA needs stricter standards.  Never assume. We do not have gluten free labeling standards here at this time, April 2013, in the United States. 

where's the like button for this? ()

SO true Lisa-- just real food would be nice..

Well said Takala, Hell I blame gmo and the additives for our diseases and my food allergies, including celiac.

We need to stop them from putting this GMO garbage "modified sorta kinda like don't look too closely not toxic to celiacs gluten" wheat genetic material into RICE, to create what they pretend is a safe, drought - tolerant version of it.  Talk about nightmare scenarios, and that is certainly where this could be heading, because of the vicious fight they waged against GMO labeling in California during the last election, a rice growing state.   I am certainly amazed at the deliberate, ongoing, organized misinformation campaign against gluten free food safety the usual Forces of Evil are waging in the social media over this.

I really enjoyed the book for a number of reasons, primarily because it justifies what I've been telling people for a number of years.
It also touches on the dangers of GMO as it gets into how the wheat was modified in the late 60s  which is the root of a lot of problems  besides the dramatic increase in celiac and other problems many of us face, not just obesity.  

In my case the celiac lead to heart problems. Two years ago I went vegan and it was the best decision I ever made. Besides feeling 20 years younger I was able to stop taking pills for diabetes, chloestorol and blood pressure. No more meds!
I think the book should be required reading for all of us as well as chefs
ken

I have downloaded recently an audio e-book entitled: Wheat Belly. Is informs me that Wheat, in our day and age, is unhealthy for many reasons. I need more feed back in this specific area.
I want to know if anyone who is in this forum has read the book Wheat Belly and what their feelings are about the book and the subject in the book in regard to America's consumption of wheat and the health results have been over recent years.

great pickled mango recipe

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/1902613/sam-choys-kitchen-recipe-pickled-mango

As of this morning, I still had three qt. sized bags of sliced mangos from last season in the freezer.  I have three mangos on the kitchen counter in a paper bag with an apple in there because my sister showed up with them this weekend.  I have a neighbor who has promised me more mangos than I can possibly use, it's a bumper crop this year and she has two mature trees.  There's another neighbor who has a tree and is always happy to share because she's allergic to the sap.

I decided to try making a mango cream pie with a meringue crust, thinking it was about time I fired that KitchenAide up!

After perusing several recipes, I found the one!   It called for unflavored gelatin.  I know I used to have that but after a search of the kitchen cupboards, had none.  I probably gave it away when I went gluten-free, so figured maybe that was all good.  How long can gelatin be good for?  DP said he was pretty sure it doesn't go bad, and did a double search.  

We walked to our nearby grocery store and they don't carry gelatin at all!!  Fresh Market.   (I wish it was still an IGA store.)  So I walked another block to a Walgreens.  They had flavored Jello, in both the traditional brand, their brand, diet, but no unflavored gelatin.  No Knox for me!

I walked home, pulled out an old BH&G cookbook and found a recipe for banana cream pie.    It said to microwave a mixture of 2 cups milk and 1/2 a cup of cornstarch for 5 minutes, then add part of the three egg yolks which you previously beat, then mix it altogether (sugar, salt, vanilla, all the usual stuff found in custard.)  I thought that recipe was a gift for all the crap I'd been through.  (I hate shopping, and we have this horrid little dog that went with us, I love her but she's truly a horrid wench.  (Almost as bad as me, ya'll should be sending my dp sympathy cardds for having to live with her and me.)  

Two hours after cooking and refrigerating the custard, I checked on it.  It was the consistency of a light custard sauce.  I noticed navy bean sized white lumps in it and decided I'd nuked corn balls in my lovely mango (finely chopped and drained through a sieve) pie filling.

I threw the whole mess in the blender, whirled away, and reheated all of it on a low heat, but let it come to a boil, stirring almost constantly.  (I was washing all those dirty dishes in interum.)  I just checked the mango custard.   It's solid.  

My dillema is that if I try to fill the pie with it tomorrow, it won't fit the shell.  (Custard is in a 2 qt. bowl, pie shell is in a 9" pie crust.  I guess I'll make the traditional chocolate pie tomorrow and share mango custard and chocolate meringue pie with the neighbors?    (Pay it forward, right?)

Oh, I substituted orange liquour for the vanilla in both the meringue and custard recipes, just seemed like the right thing to do. I did go on a bit, sorry alot.

The other dilemma is...what the heck am I going to do with all those mangos?

The problem is the grass started from a seed which of course contains our problem. When they're talking about things in terms of  ppm, parts per million, or gliaden or gluten protein molecules, how can you take a chance. Granted some are more sensitive than others but after y years of being celiac there is no chance I would ever try wheat or barley grass juice. I drink green juice many times a week but I make my own with kale and celery.  

Hi folks.  

If anyone is still curious about this topic.  I bought Amazing Grass Organic "Amazing Trio" Barley Grass, Wheat Grass & Alfalfa Whole Food Drink Powder, which is labelled Gluten Free & Raw.

And, right now (2 days after drinking it), after having put it in a juice, I feel very raw on the inside!   I'm not 100% sure that this caused a reaction, but it seems the overwhelmingly likely candidate, as I am very strict and careful with what I eat.  And, I haven't had a reaction like this in years.

I also have post-herpetic (post-shingles) neuralgia, and after two days feel like I was in the ring with Joe Frazier, with a lot of serious diarrhea.  

One spoonful of this gave me a major reaction.  I have no idea how they separate the seed kernel and the roots from the stalk, but something is amiss!

They note on their website:

"Q.Are Amazing Grass products Gluten Free?

Yes, Amazing Grass products are gluten free. Our cereal grasses are harvested prior to jointing, before the grain forms and any gluten is present. We test for gluten and our products are enjoyed by people worldwide with gluten free diets including celiac disease. Please note, our Energy Bars are manufactured in a plant that processes wheat, milk, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts."

I don't know how they are testing for gluten, but I'd say avoid this is you don't want take the chance.

good luck!
Seosamh

Hi Eric,
I'm celiac for 7 years, vegan for 2 and have had a place in Japan for 30 years although I dont live there full time.There are a lot of other things you can eat and some you have to work to make sure of. Nori is one of them. Some nori is imported form Korea and processed with Shoyu aka wheat and water. There might be a few things your eating which cause problems. Onigiri form 7-11 or Family mart all have wheat fillers. They may look like simple rice balls but they are not.

It would unlikely you have a health food store in your resort area but maybe one of your co works can order some real shoyu or sorghum shoyu or even braggs aminos.  Don't trust soy sauce to be made from soy.

You can eat juwari soba and use water with ginger and chopped onions for sauce or make your own. It should be easy to buy juwari soba in most large markets -- It has to be 100%  juwari as others all contain wheat.  If you dont have problems with soy, you can eat yuba -- tofu skin, also fairly easy to make yourself with soy milk. its usually served with different salts like ume shio, yuzu shio and matcha shio  which you can use for other things if you dont have a salt problem. Some salts are  found in groceries too.  Other grains are awa, kibi and hie which are types of millets and  very tasty.  they can be like a hot breakfast cereal or grain instead of rice.  Missys mom mentioned quinoa too, Thats great if you can find it and be cooked in the rice cooker -- 1 cup  to 1.5 cups liquid. I use veggie broth instead of water.

Finally, my doctor in yokohama  Imai sensei  <takashikun.imai@nifty.com> knows celiac and may be able to help or offer some advice by email if you cant get in to see him.

good luck
Ken

I'm a little nervous about this now as I do eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit that could be contaminated. I'll try figuring out whether that is the problem. I hope they will check for this when I see the doctor. I'm not sure how to get iodine supplements yet, but I looked up what foods have iodine in them and Nori seemed to have a bit, so I ate all the Nori seaweed I had and will buy more soon to see if this helps at all, until I find some iodine supplements. Thank you for the links and the advice.

it would be good for you to get an A1C test which is a better indicator than using the strips. Everyone is different and has a different average. It also changes with weight and over time.
good luck

I think I may be experiencing some really low blood sugars in the morning.  I just borrowed a test kit and will use it in the morning.  What is the "norm" for blood sugar testing?  

Some of my symptoms are sleeplessness, dry mouth even though I drink throughout the night, dizziness, nausea, using the bathroom all night long (5-6 times per night), etc....

Can someone help?

Thanks,

Wenmin

Been dealing with kidney stones and looking into options--- so, FYI about a product called Stone Free.
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Hello Ken,

And thank you for contacting Planetary Herbals.

Our Stone Free does not contain wheat/gluten in the formula.

Stone Free is an herbal support formula that includes a unique combination of herbs that have been historically used to support the kidneys, liver and gallbladder. This product contains primary kidney supporting herbs (such as gravel root, parsley root, and marshmallow root) to aid normal fluid elimination and general genitourinary health. These herbs help to ensure the smooth passage of urinary waste through the urinary tract.  Unfortunately, all of our products, including Stone Free, are designed as supplements to the diet and are not intended as a cure, mitigation, or treatment of any medical condition. We cannot provide any type of medical advice, so to address particular medical conditions, you must consult with your physician.

And, please remember that all of our products are 100% guaranteed. If you are not satisfied with one of our products for any reason, you may return the unused portion with your receipt to the health food store where it was purchased for a refund, exchange, or credit.



Brian Joaquin
Technical Researcher
Customer Service Department
Threshold Enterprises, Ltd.
Planetary Herbals
The information herein has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided herein does not constitute a medical opinion. If you believe that you have a medical condition, please seek the advice of a licensed health care professional.

I'll send an email to    my old friend  who is a VP for Kikkoman in Tokyo and see if he can get a us an answer. Personally I think its very dangerous to us for celiacs. The distillation process is not  100% and  the sauce is sometimes "finished" with more wheat extract.  San-J is my favorite although recently I use more  Braggs aminos which is better than soy sauce and has no salt just tastes that way.

I make a vegan version with veggie broth, almond milk instead of cream
and no salt.

Looks delicious and will try this one! But without the cream for now.

Its really a good point about salad dressings with gluten. Most of the chefs dont even know whats in the food service dressings  or what is in the  components they use when they make their own. I just bring my own or ask for  some orange slices and vinegar ( cant do oil)

Two things to add to this conversation:  First, I always ask for a gluten-menu because even if they don't have one, I want them to be aware that having a gluten-free menu might be a good idea in the future; second, unless the "clear" dressings are made from scratch at the restaurant (and oftentimes they're NOT), steer clear of any and all dressings and ask for oil and vinegar instead.  Many restaurants simply use dressings from a jar, and the vast majority contain gluten.

Some do  but many don't -- it depends on the  quality of the restaurant.  I'm spoiled because I trained as a chef in Japan and usually had to prepare fresh anago  You can buy frozen eel in many bigger Asian markets. If soy is in a marinade it would have to be on the label although I feel safer  reading the Japanese than the English translation.  If you can find it, you can try it yourself in the broiler.
take care

thanku so much! i was under the assumption that most places have it already marinated... maybe even shipped that way??? but i'll keep that in mind for sure

I can echo what the others said about getting sick from supposedly gluten-free items. In addition i would get sick from just  walking by the door of working bakery or something like a breadcrumb on the counter-- Because of the  we just don't have any gluten items in the kitchen. My wife may keep a bag of cookies in her junk room but she never brings them out in the open.
cross contamination is a big issue for me

I am beginning to think my dd is super sensitive.  She definitely can't handle living in a gluten house.  We have gone gluten free for everyone, but I really am suspecting she is super sensitive.  How do you define super sensitive and how do you go about figuring out someone's threshold?  (Obviously not exposing her to gluten, but I mean restaurants, processed foods, etc.)