Is Gorgonzola Cheese Gf?

[burdee]

Is gorgonzola cheese gluten free? I know bleu cheese and roquefort are made from molds usually grown on wheat bread, so those are NOT gluten-free. However, is anyone familiar with the ingredients in gorgonzola cheese (which is often used at Italian restaurants)?

OK, this is unrelated to my cheese question, but still a gluten-free product question: What about rice noodles (which I see in Japanese recipes)? Are those gluten-free or made with gluten containing ingredients besides rice? If not all rice noodles are gluten-free, does anyone know which brands of rice noodles are gluten-free?

That's all my ethnic ingredients questions for now. I just wanted to add how much I appreciate this message board, both for celiac symptom 'recovery' information, gluten-free product info and sources, and emotional support for those of us who are still struggling with accidental gluten ingestion slips from mystery ingredients and/or cross contamination. I view the gluten-free diet as the ultimate solution to my longterm painful symptoms, rather than a burden. The pain was the burden--the gluten-free diet released me from that prison of pain and opened me up to a world of new grains I never knew!!

[tarnalberry]

I don't know about the gorgonzola - I stay away from it 'cause I think it got me once.

As far as rice noodles go, your best bet is to always check the label on the package. Most of the thai rice noodles are plain noodles, but don't go by brand - go by label!

[kejohe]

Belagisio (sp?) makes a gorgonzola that is inoculated with an enzyme to produce the "blue" streak, but is supposedly never derived from or exposed to bread, and I have used it in a gluten free class I taught and no one in the class had any negative reactions. I really think that with all blue cheeses you need to check with the manufacturer to see if they make their cheese the old fashioned way (with bread crumbs) or if they rely on science to produce the mold without bread.

Also, regarding the noodles... I buy all my Asian rice noodles at Asian markets and can't read the brand names but the ingredients are always just rice, water and tapioca, so they should be just fine. Sometimes you'll see them labeled as Cellophane noodles and these are okay too.

As with most products... when in doubt leave it out. If you can't read the label or contact the mnufacturer, better to be safe than sorry.

[burdee]

Thanks for the info, Kathleen. After I posted that question, during a trip to my local grocery, I noticed in the Thai foods section some rice noodle brands which were clearly marked 'gluten-free' and listed just rice as ingredients. Coincidentally, those were brands which I recalled were listed in my CSA product listing guide book (but I don't have all the safe products memorized yet).

I'll look for that Belagisio brand of gorgonzola as well as other brands with 'safe' ingredients. Actually I was wondering about the gorgonzola cheese used in a favorite Italian restaurant. However, I agree with with your philosophy about 'better safe than sorry' as far as restaurants. Too many variables.

With grocery store products, I have the time and initiative to read ingredient labels (often with my CSA product listing guide with me to check specific brand names) in grocery stores. One of my friends (whose husband is celiac) carries her cell phone to call food manufacturers right there in the grocery store for questionable brands and/or ingredients. Since I don't have a cell phone, I prefer to come home (after writing down web addresses or phone numbers) and contact the manufacturer and ask questions about their products. I believe the more manufacturers we HOUND about labelling their products as gluten free, the more likely they will respond with better labelling. In the meantime I write VERY complimentary emails to websites with specific gluten free info about their products. With other websites or retailers who don't have information forthcoming, I keep after them until they DO tell me about their product ingredients. A few manufacturers have sent me BIG money off coupons for their products (which are usually already my favorites) just for inquiring about their products. Then I record everything I learn from the manufacturers in my CSA product listing guide, so I have that info handy when I remember to carry that book with me. The initial learning curve for gluten-free products is pretty steep, but pain relief is SOOOO rewarding.