Gluten Free FAD Food Trend

[Ennis-TX]

There is an issue sweeping the stores, it has always been there but as of late is really picking up steam. It is detrimental to the learning curve and healing of new celiacs and those who do not know better, and it degrading the standards for gluten free food to the point of really questioning what is safe. There a a bunch of products now being labeled gluten-free or Gluten Free with even the gluten free logo, then you look on the back and they say oh well it might contain wheat.....like safe for the fad dieters but not those who need it medically.....this kind of BS is pissing me off. GFWD is doing a petition with the FDA about regulating and fining companies for falsely labeling foods gluten free. I can not wait for this to have some kind of effect on regulation. But for now just to prove a point I have found 2 products just yesterday with these issues while browsing.....found another 2 last week.  I will post the pictures in a link if I can. But you will see what I mean.

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Anyone else finding this labeling trend....how shall I say it scary? I mean its like playing Russian roulette.  IF anyone else finds these kind of label things free free to post your finds.

[TexasJen]

I'm curious if you contacted the company on this one?  I always assumed that if it was certified gluten-free  then it was probably OK.....

If they are certified, isn't an outside agency coming in and doing the testing?

[kareng]

58 minutes ago, TexasJen said:

I'm curious if you contacted the company on this one?  I always assumed that if it was certified gluten-free  then it was probably OK.....

If they are certified, isn't an outside agency coming in and doing the testing?

No.  That isn't how "certification" works. Companies agree to a certain set of rules/ standards from the certifying agency.  Usually they agree to test for gluten, and the test must be below 20 or 10 ppm depending on the organization they use.  Many companies do not want to pay some company   when  they already do at least as much as the certifying organization requires.  

Occassionally, I have seen foods certified/ tested for gluten that also have a " shared facility" , even shared machinery, disclaimer.  I feel safe if they have tested the foods for gluten.  I also realize that " shared facility" is not as scary in big companies as some think.  Many times it is completely separate " rooms" or buildings. Even shared machinery, in a company that tests for gluten, is fine.  We just need to use a little common sense - a  shared mixer in a large bread factory, no matter how clean, is probably wrong - but you don think usually see big companies doing that.  Just small local bakeries.  

[kareng]

The stuff pictured is likely tested for gluten.  What companies and consumers are confusing is the allergen labeling versus gluten labeling.  For allergen labeling, they will list that peanuts are in the facility, for example.  Some companies have taken that to the extreme and mention any allergen that might be in the facility.  To be certain, you could call the company and ask what they mean.  

 

Unfortunately, the FDA has not been as helpful issuing more specific instructions to the companies, so they are sort of winging it here. Some go overboard on the warnings, some leave that warning out.