Gluten Free Farmer's Market

[Ennis-TX]

Should people be allowed to make and sell "Gluten Free" breads at a market when made in a shared kitchen with gluten? Met vendor doing this, they are selling them along side gluten breads. They claim the flour is gluten free but they make them along with their non gluten free goods in the same kitchen same equipment.......this scares me that the health department does nothing.   And as a dedicated gluten free baker this really hurts the reputation of me and the way people perceive the Celiac community.     

[cyclinglady]

I agree!  It is one thing to prepare a meal in a shared kitchen (following safe practices), but to be in a shared bakery?  No way!  I ran into the same issue.  A new bakery/coffee house opened in my town.  The gluten-free baked goods were in the same case as the gluten baked goods.  

I suppose it could be done, but chances are no one wants to follow all those procedures:

Open Original Shared Link

You could report them to the FDA or email the gluten-free Watchdog.  The bakery is probably complying with local health department regulations (I think). 

 

[kareng]

the FDA has, so far, not  been too concerned about Farmers markets.  There are plenty of bakeries that sell gluten-free along with gluten.  Most know to tell you that they may be CC'd.  I think a Celiac needs to know to ask those questions.  I think that Ennis might want to have large signage about this.  Perhaps someone can help him come up with a clever and brief way to say that his bread is made in a gluten-free kitchen and to ask others if there gluten-free is made that way. That it isn't really gluten-free if you make stuff with flour in the same space.

 

[Ennis-TX]

36 minutes ago, kareng said:

the FDA has, so far, not  been too concerned about Farmers markets.  There are plenty of bakeries that sell gluten-free along with gluten.  Most know to tell you that they may be CC'd.  I think a Celiac needs to know to ask those questions.  I think that Ennis might want to have large signage about this.  Perhaps someone can help him come up with a clever and brief way to say that his bread is made in a gluten-free kitchen and to ask others if there gluten-free is made that way. That it isn't really gluten-free if you make stuff with flour in the same space.

 

I get customers that come up all the time a bit questionable til I tell them I have celiac, at which point they seem to become quite happy and start asking questions. It is very pleasant to make these kinds of connections with people. Just today I had someone who bought my Paleo Cinnamon Cake by the slice. They came back asking how I kept it so moist and got another slice. Few days ago I had a lovely young mother who had a child they just  learned had celiac disease, They are trying to deal with it and get safe foods, that taste great so he does not feel so bad about it. I ended up making a few off menu items for them, like my garlic knots, and giving some tips along with introducing them to the forums. Also offer them deals when I can on goods and try to make the transition easier.   

I do tend to care TOO MUCH, and I have talked to that other person at the market, They label it gluten free but have in small print that their kitchen is not gluten free......still worried that someone new to the diet with a new diagnosis might not think too much on this ,    I just keep recalling my first few months gluten-free and think NO ONE should deal with the BS I did and the issues I had dealing with others who knew nothing of the disease and made assumptions or how false information and those ignorant to CC caused me so much pain and confusion.  Really would not wish this on anyone and draws out great sympathy for those who deal with it.