Kachava

[Ltllizzie]

Please do not consume this if you have celiac disease. One of the ingredients is barley. 
 

 

[trents]

Did you purchase it thinking it was gluten free? The company doesn't advertise it as such do they? Barley is not one of the eight main allergens that the FDA requires to be posted in the allergen info. Wheat is but not barley. But good catch. We don't see many products with barley and rye as ingredients and it is easy to get lazy, not really read the detailed ingredient list and to just go straight for the allergen list.

[rio]

Thanks so much for this post. I was actually thinking of purchasing it as they do advertise it as gluten-free on their website. But, I clearly had not scrutinized the label closely enough!

[trents]

But here's the thing. As long as the product in question tests out at less than 10ppm of gluten then the company can legitimately advertise it as certified gluten free according to GFCO standards. Here they claim their products have "No Gluten": https://www.kachava.com/ingredients . I suppose you could quibble with them over the verbiage that "No Gluten" is not the same as "Certified Gluten Free". 

Edited September 22 by trents

[RMJ]

In the US if there is less than 20ppm or less than 10 ppm gluten, food containing barley still canNOT be labeled gluten free, or no gluten or any such synonym UNLESS the grain has been processed to remove gluten and that is stated on the labeling. Just using a tiny amount so the overall product meets the 20 ppm standard is not acceptable. 

See questions 4 and 9

 

[RMJ]

12 minutes ago, RMJ said:

In the US if there is less than 20ppm or less than 10 ppm gluten, food containing barley still canNOT be labeled gluten free, or no gluten or any such synonym UNLESS the grain has been processed to remove gluten and that is stated on the labeling. Just using a tiny amount so the overall product meets the 20 ppm standard is not acceptable. 

See questions 4 and 9

 

However, I don’t think the FDA regulation applies to supplements? (At least the original rule didn’t). Perhaps the manufacturer considers Kachava to be a supplement not a food? It looks like their label says “Supplement Facts” not “Nutrition Facts.”

[rio]

I emailed with the company today. In the FAQ's of their website they did in fact say that their product is "certified gluten free".  I asked how they could make such a claim with barley in their ingredient list. They responded explaining that their product contains barley grass which is gluten free and not barley. I proceeded to point out that their product might in fact contain barley grass but that barley is what's listed in the ingredient list on the website. Here is their response: "Thank you for your understanding and for bringing this to our attention. I completely agree that clarity in our ingredient list is essential, and I apologize for any confusion this may have caused. I’ll make sure to pass your feedback along to our team to ensure that the distinction between "barley" and "barley grass" is communicated on our website. Your input is invaluable in helping us improve."

I just went back to the website to try and copy and paste their language around being "certified gluten free" but it looks like that has already been taken off the site- I can't find it anymore.

[trents]

3 hours ago, RMJ said:

In the US if there is less than 20ppm or less than 10 ppm gluten, food containing barley still canNOT be labeled gluten free, or no gluten or any such synonym UNLESS the grain has been processed to remove gluten and that is stated on the labeling. Just using a tiny amount so the overall product meets the 20 ppm standard is not acceptable. 

See questions 4 and 9

 

Very interesting! I did not realize that. But it does seem to be a trite point whether or not the presence of gluten in a food item results from whether or not a gluten containing grain is an intentional ingredient or merely an artifact of processing. Gluten is gluten. 

But to add some additional information to this discussion on Ka' Chava, I emailed them and pointed out that their ingredient list included "organic barley", a gluten-containing grain. I got a reply almost right away from someone named Jah:

"Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns regarding our ingredients. I genuinely apologize for the confusion.
 
We’re extra cautious about food allergies, especially gluten intolerance. So while it might be confusing to see barley grass in our ingredient list, we assure you there’s no gluten involved. Here’s the nitty-gritty.
 
Barley starts as grass. As the plant matures, it develops barley grain, which contains gluten. But when barley grass is harvested as a young plant—before the grain appears—it’s gluten-free. This young version of barley is what’s included in our blends, which means it’s gluten-free.
 
The Food and Drug Administration allows barley grass as an ingredient in gluten-free products as long as the final product contains <20 parts per million of gluten, including any gluten due to cross-contact with gluten-containing grains. Ka'Chava meets these requirements and therefore is certified gluten-free."

I replied to Jah and also pointed out that they actually made the advertising on their website that their products are Certified Gluten Free" which required there be less than 10ppm according to the GFCO. I sent her a link to the GFCO handbook. She seemed not to be aware that "Gluten Free" and "Certified Gluten Free" were different standards from two different organizations and she expressed appreciation for the new information. 

So, I'm wondering if the GFCO, unlike the FDA, does not prohibit the use of small amounts of actual gluten containing grains in order to grant certification as long as the concentration does not attain to or exceed 10ppm.

I also suggested to Jah that the company update their ingredient list to say "organic barley grass" instead of "organic barley". So, if in fact barley grass is used instead of the barley grain head in their product, they would seem to be in compliance with either the FDA regs or the GFCO regs.

Edited September 23 by trents

[RMJ]

What organization certifies them? I didn’t see a logo.

[trents]

Received this follow up today from Jah at Ka'Chava:

Hi Harry,
 
Thank you for reaching out and for your detailed insights. I appreciate you sharing the links and information from the celiac.com forum. It’s clear that you’re very knowledgeable about gluten regulations and the concerns within the celiac community.
 
I’d like to clarify that the ingredient we use is the young version of barley grass, which is gluten-free. However, since you mentioned celiac disease, we strongly recommend consulting your doctor to review our ingredients for your peace of mind.
 
Regarding GFCO certification, I appreciate your recommendation. We recognize the value that certification brings to our products for those in the gluten-sensitive community, and we are actively considering this as we move forward.
 
Thank you again for your thoughtful feedback and for your advocacy for safe food options. If you have any more insights or questions, please feel free to share.
 
Best regards,

 
Jah

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I replied saying I appreciated the company's openness to feedback from the consumer and invited them to consider becoming a sponsor.