European Union Codex Standard (eucs) Bread Or Mixes.

[Imanistj]

I am fairly new to the gluten-free diet and still trying various bread recipes and mixes. I just tried Toro Celiac-Safe white bread mix that is made in Norway to European gluten-free standards. At the tasteslikerealfood.com site (the US distributor of this mix)- they say European manufacturers include some wheat gluten in their products to improve the taste and texture. They state these products contain no more than 20 PPM so they meet the European standard and can be called gluten free. They also state that the US is considering adopting the European standard of no more than 20 PPM. I am curious to know if anyone who has eaten both US gluten-free bread, and the products made to EUCS requirements, find that they feel "glutened" by the foreign bread but can tolerate the US products. I don't think the bread I just made contains the wheat gluten because the package says, "Made with naturally gluten free ingredients." I don't feel any different on the gluten-free diet so I can't make this determination myself.

Nancy

[Swimmr]

I am fairly new to the gluten-free diet and still trying various bread recipes and mixes. I just tried Toro Celiac-Safe white bread mix that is made in Norway to European gluten-free standards. At the tasteslikerealfood.com site (the US distributor of this mix)- they say European manufacturers include some wheat gluten in their products to improve the taste and texture. They state these products contain no more than 20 PPM so they meet the European standard and can be called gluten free. They also state that the US is considering adopting the European standard of no more than 20 PPM. I am curious to know if anyone who has eaten both US gluten-free bread, and the products made to EUCS requirements, find that they feel "glutened" by the foreign bread but can tolerate the US products. I don't think the bread I just made contains the wheat gluten because the package says, "Made with naturally gluten free ingredients." I don't feel any different on the gluten-free diet so I can't make this determination myself.

Nancy

I have noted before that I enjoy the brand Schar. It's german. I LOVE the taste, however it gets dry quickly. I have never heard that European brands contain wheat gluten. See that is just scandalous to do that. How evil. I hope not.

I did not recognize any known symptoms that could have come from the Schar bread that I ate.

[Aussie Peg]

Hi Imanistj!

When I went to the UK a few years ago, I was given a gluten free sandwich on the plane with bread which was made with wheat starch (considered gluten-free as all detectable gluten is removed during the refining process). I ate it even though I was wary of the wheat and had to make a mad dash to the plane toilets not long after!

I'm pretty sensitive though and can't have glucose syrup from wheat either (considered fine for coeliacs in Australia and the UK) so i'm not sure if it would affect others.

I guess it just depends how sensitive you are so just be careful and don't eat a tonne when you first try it out

I think I had Schar multigrain bread in Switzerland and it was the nicest gluten-free bread i'd ever had! Even without toasting it first!

[mushroom]

Peggy, I did not know that our glucose syrup from wheat was considered to be safe for celiacs. I can testify that it is not after eating some Pascall mints and I don't consider myself particularly sensitive. There is very little candy that I can eat because it is all wheat-based sweeteners. It is such a pain. Oh well, saves me some added pounds....

[gfp]

First off: Does it taste better is a pointless question as it is subjective.

It is as relevant as Pepsi vs Coca Cola or McDo vs Burger King.

Does it taste more like the bread you used to eat is a more objective question and the answer might be yes.

Far more relevant is is origin of the CODEX standard for gluten-free.

I have posted this before with links and back-up, if you want this then search my old posts.

(This is the reason I no longer post here with any regularity.)

The CODEX Alimentarius is published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The FAO Board however is basically the food and agriculture industries.

20 PPM has no medical relevance, its value is set because of cheap testing instead of expensive quantitative testing.

The CODEX defines gluten-free as only foods where a gluten-free (<20ppm) substitute has been added.

Without going into details this means you cannot label a steak/fish/carrot as gluten-free because it has no substitute. However if you coat the steak/fish/carrot in <20ppm wheat starch then you can label it gluten-free.

What the 20ppm does give manufacturers is a nice get-out.

Instead of the simple: does it contain gluten or not they get a fudged definition with built in leeway.

A prepared gluten-free chilli and rice should contain no gluten .. but can cannot be labeled gluten-free unless they add some fudge factor in terms of <20ppm wheat starch.

Why is this important?

Here in Europe it is normal for celiiacs (coeliacs) to continue to have bowel problems which are then labelled as non specific IBS.

I and many people I know will tell you with absolute certainty that we have become ill eating gluten-free bread with wheat starch. (the same for the wheat derived glucose syrup).

Many will also tell you that when they see a MD and tell them this that they are told categorically that CODEX gluten-free is safe and they must have non-specific IBS. (My mother is one)

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I never ate the ones that were made from the wheat ingredients, but, when I was in Europe I found the gluten-free foods there to be WAY better than the ones here. The ones I ate were all vegan, as well. That's harder to find in the US.

[MaryJones2]

I and many people I know will tell you with absolute certainty that we have become ill eating gluten-free bread with wheat starch. (the same for the wheat derived glucose syrup).

Yep. I know I get ill when I eat wheat starch in Europe. I really don't think they taste any better - especially when they make me sick.

I found the gluten-free foods there to be WAY better than the ones here.

Agreed. I especially like the individually packaged breads.

[gfp]

Yep. I know I get ill when I eat wheat starch in Europe. I really don't think they taste any better - especially when they make me sick.

Agreed. I especially like the individually packaged breads.

Its really a matter of expectations:

Does a gluten-free corn tortilla taste better than one with added wheat?

Personally I like 'real' corn tortillas ... I'm sure some people are accustomed to the 'softer' ones with a high proportion of wheat flour. (Not talking gluten-free specific here)

The same can be said for bread ... of course we remember the 'bread from our childhood', just like the snow was better. Personally I find the majority of gluten-free bread over priced for how good it is. It is of course a convenience but mostly unless something really needs 'bread' (like a sandwich) I tend to for-go the bread. Of course some nice crusty bread is great with a heart soup ... but then some crispy croutons can be just as good ... (and can be made from left over gluten-free bread). If you want to make stuffing then gluten-free bread works fine.. etc. but mostly for sandwiches I try to stick to something less like basic white loaf .. (gluten-free buckwheat bread can be good as Rye bread etc.)

My experience is it is a basic white loaf that adding wheat starch seems to help out and there are lots of other bread-types work as well without. Instead of a sandwich a tortilla wrap or Indian chickpea chapati.

Frankly, why risk the codex stuff for a minutes pleasure when the consequences are nights stuck in the smallest room in the house?

[hipretty]

I am pretty sure Dr Schar products are made in Italy Only the Name is German ...and IMHO Italian Gluten free products blow away American gluten-free products! Just saying!