I Am Blind...

[Georgia-guy]

As a bat. I went grocery shopping at Kroger today, and was getting very frustrated trying to find gluten-free products, and not because they don't exist. I am still new to the whole reading the label deal, so I'm being extra careful. I downloaded an app that tells me when I scan a barcode if it contains gluten or wheat, then if it says the item is safe, I study the label like I'm studying to an exam. I spent about 45 minutes, and only had enough groceries for 3 days (was shopping for 2 weeks worth). Then I'm going down the aisle looking for my Ronzoni pasta, find it, check the price compared to other places, and see this brown box an inch wide and half and in tall the clearly reads "gluten free" on the shelf label... I thought to myself "oh, that's cool," then realized that the same brown box is on a ton of stuff in the store...even things I had studied the ingredients on for 10 minutes triple and quadruple checking for gluten. Right there in front of my face right by the price it's clearly listed. Why I didn't see that to start, I have no clue! But I must also add, I did find some things that did not say gluten free on the shelf tag, but are gluten free (Chex corn flavored for example). But the shelf tags are a monstrous help! Way to go Kroger for making gluten-free shopping a bit easier!

(Note: do not trust shelf tags, always check for yourself on any product you are not familiar with, especially if you are a newbie)

[LauraTX]

In my area we have Kroger and HEB (a TX chain), and they both have the brown gluten-free shelf tags.  It is helpful to attract your eyes to the right thing whenever there are thousands of things on the shelf.  I still sometimes pour over a label and then 5 minutes later see "gluten-free" written on it, LOL

[kareng]

(Note: do not trust shelf tags, always check for yourself on any product you are not familiar with, especially if you are a newbie)

 

So true!  Products get moved in front of or away from those tags.  But they are helpful.  

 

Be careful with those apps.  Some of them will tell you something isn't gluten-free because they don't have it in their data base.  It would be nice if  another Celiac could shop with you a time or two.  

 

You are in the US, and wheat has to be clearly labelled.  You might have to get reading glasses to read the ingredients....  

[Georgia-guy]

  Be careful with those apps.  Some of them will tell you something isn't gluten-free because they don't have it in their data base.

I use ipiit, and when it's not in the database, it asks if you want to add it, if you say yes, them you take pictures of it (front, nutrition label, and ingredient label) and in a week or so it gets added. But I still also double check if it says it is gluten free. :-)