Gluten Friendly vs. Gluten Free

[cyclinglady]

Does anyone know the difference?  

[Corinne D.]

I don't know if this is valid for the US. In France, if a place is gluten friendly, it means that it does not use gluten in specified menu items, but cross-contamination is possible. If it is specialized in gluten free, it means it does not use gluten at all.

[cyclinglady]

I just posted this question because the Gluten Free Watch Dog issued  a press release in her “News” section, about General Mills.  They are a giant food company here in the US and are considering a Gluten Friendly line not for retail but for food service.  This would impact hospital food, nursing homes, schools, and restaurants, etc.    This food would not be suitable for celiacs and General Mills knows that.  

So if you were elderly and in a nursing home, how safe would you be?  

This seems outrageous. General Mills is trying to get around the Gluten Free rules established by the FDA with input from celiac disease experts.  

It is ONLY a consideration.  These gluten friendly products are just in the product development stage.  

Learn for yourself:

https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/general-mills-proposed-gluten-friendly-line/

To all reading this. Please consider subscribing to the Gluten Free Watchdog.  You can actually request her to test a product for gluten!  She has tested many products.  All funded by celiacs.  She takes no money from advertisers or sponsors, like Consumer Reports,  so that she can offer an unbiased opinion!  I am no way linked with her.  Someday, I would like to meet her.  She deserves a lot of thanks.  

Hey if you want to complain to General Mills send a email to Trisha and she will include your comments to them.  Make a fuss!

“I am more than happy to compile comments and send them to General Mills. My proposal is for anyone with concerns to post your comments here on Gluten Free Watchdog. If you don’t want to write something publicly, please send an email (info@glutenfreewatchdog.org). I will cut and paste comments into one document and send them on their way.”

 

Edited February 8, 2020 by cyclinglady

[RMJ]

My father lives in a facility for seniors.  The menu used to have gluten free items, now they have gluten friendly.  If I have to eat there I order the plainest “gluten friendly” things I can find on the menu because I don’t trust them.

[cyclinglady]

My friend lives in very nice Senior Living Home.  She told me that a celiac resident has to order food in!  And she pays the big bucks to live there.  

You know there is a craze for the Nomadic life that I follow since I have a little RV.  Instead of trying to live off the grid, I am going to have to go from gluten-free dedicated restaurant to gluten-free dedicated restaurant in my RV.  Hopefully, some young celiac will open a dedicated nursing home.  

[PuffleFuzz]

Most restaurants I've gone to in the past few years are Gluten Friendly. They still have "normal" meals. I still haven't gotten formally tested for celiac disease. I just know the symptoms, which I only get with certain foods. 

[cyclinglady]

1 hour ago, PuffleFuzz said:

Most restaurants I've gone to in the past few years are Gluten Friendly. They still have "normal" meals. I still haven't gotten formally tested for celiac disease. I just know the symptoms, which I only get with certain foods. 

Just know that you have to be on a full gluten diet in order for celiac disease testing to work.  It is a simple blood test.  Ask your doctor to test you, especially if you have some risk factors:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20352220

[Fenrir]

I've started seeing "Gluten Sensative" & "Gluten Friendly" at a lot of places lately. 

In restaurants I believe the use is because they cannot guarantee things won't get cross contamination due to shared space, grill...ect.  Essentially it means that the recipe includes nothing with gluten in it but it could be cross contaminated.  

 

[PuffleFuzz]

On 2/10/2020 at 11:07 AM, cyclinglady said:

Just know that you have to be on a full gluten diet in order for celiac disease testing to work.  It is a simple blood test.  Ask your doctor to test you, especially if you have some risk factors:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20352220

alright