Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Warning! Quinoa Contamination With Barley

squirmingitch

Recommended Posts

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

It seems that the Kosher community has discovered some Quinoa is being dried covered by barley &/or oats.

Read these 2 links for info.

Open Original Shared Link

On this link, scroll down to hwere you see the article post on Feb. 23,2012

Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

I just came across that, too.

Sigh...stuff is everywhere, argh.

Cathey Apprentice
Cathey
Posted

Thank you for that report. I just threw out my Quinoa it wasn't on the list of safe ones. Thanks again.

tom Contributor
tom
Posted

Thank you for that report. I just threw out my Quinoa ....

You shouldn't have.

Even if someone apparently traveled to Peru & reported that they saw possible ways for cc in the field, quinoa seeds have husks. The edible part doesn't touch anything but the inside of the husk.

An article about potential hypothetical cc shouldn't set off a panic.

I'm also kinda skeptical about Peruvian farmers of the "ancient grain" changing how they do it a couple yrs ago.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

An article about potential hypothetical cc shouldn't set off a panic.

Agreed! ;)

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

By the time the quinoa is hulled and the saponin is rinsed off any barley dust would be long gone.

You have to understand when you read this article that the prohibition against eating or even possessing chametz during Passover is absolute. This is from an Orthodox rabbinical council and they are looking for grains that meet certain religious standards. The idea of chametz grains might be used to keep birds off quinoa, even if the finished product is gluten-free by R5 ELISA, is probably enough for them to issue the prohibition.

If you're really worried, the Bob's Red Mill organic quinoa is really nice and it's gluten-free. I am particularly fond of the Bob's quinoa because it's rinsed well enough that it doesn't take any special care to cook.

FernW Rookie
FernW
Posted

I think I will just stay away from Quinoa for a while, especially for passover. Don't want to get sick and ruin my passover.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

You have to understand when you read this article that the prohibition against eating or even possessing chametz during Passover is absolute. This is from an Orthodox Rabbinical Council and they are looking for grains that meet certain religious standards. The idea of chametz grains used to keep birds off quinoa, even if the finished product is gluten-free by R5 ELISA, is probably enough for them to issue the prohibition.

Interesting Skylark! I learn something every day here - I'm intrigued with the history of religion.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

As Skylark said, the dietary rules followed by Orthodox Jews with respect to Passover are inflexible. There must be absolutely no chance of any trace of a prohibited (chametz) grain being in the home during Pesach. Even among Orthodox Rabbis, there is no universal agreement on what the rule means.

I don't think the religious concerns raised by the Chicago Rabbinical Council need worry us. But that is my own opinion. Make your own decision.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Interesting Skylark! I learn something every day from here - I'm intrigued with the history of religion.

I learned about this from a friend who works at a synagogue. Every Passover the rabbi arranges to buy everyone's chametz (leavened bread from prohibited grains) and sell it to a non-Jew for the length of the holiday. I was fascinated by that one! The only way the five grains (wheat, spelt, rye, barley, oats I think?) can be consumed is as matzoh.

This is why Passover is such a bonanza for celiacs. :) Kosher for Passover food is either made with matzoh meal or is naturally gluten-free. They use potato and arrowroot starch a lot. Back when I first figured out I was celiac, one of the easiest ways to get inexpensive gluten-free mixes and treats was after-Passover sales.

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted
  • Author

So you're saying that the drying of the Quinoa that's going on is BEFORE it's hulled & the saponin is rinsed off? I would not be afraid to eat it if this is the case. Now, if the grain is covered AFTER it is hulled & rinsed then I have a problem with it.

Thank you Skylark for the religious info. I too find different religious practices interesting to learn about.

FernW Rookie
FernW
Posted

Not all Matzoh is gluten free

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Not all Matzoh is gluten free

Maybe I didn't explain that clearly. If there isn't matzoh meal in the food, it will be gluten-free. Obviously the ones with matzoh meal contain gluten. Here, try this article.

Open Original Shared Link

Cathey Apprentice
Cathey
Posted

You shouldn't have.

Even if someone apparently traveled to Peru & reported that they saw possible ways for cc in the field, quinoa seeds have husks. The edible part doesn't touch anything but the inside of the husk.

An article about potential hypothetical cc shouldn't set off a panic.

I'm also kinda skeptical about Peruvian farmers of the "ancient grain" changing how they do it a couple yrs ago.

That's ok, Tom it was a small amount left and several months old. I usually use the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta's so I'll just look for that brand of Quinoa which is on the safe list.

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted
  • Author

I have 4 boxes of the ancient Harvest sitting here unopened & not of the lot # that is listed as safe in the articles. So I called Ancient Harvest today. When in doubt, go to the source, so I did. Okay, here's what she told me. She read the article that was by the Rabbinical council just like we did. She says Ancient Harvest is NOT affected by any overlay of Barley or Oats or any gluten grain. Their fields are at 7,000 ft. high & none of those other grains will grow that high. She has been to their fields & seen for herself what happens. She assured me that Ancient Harvest is not now nor will it be affected by such things as we read about. She stated that Ancient Harvest is well aware of their use by the celiac & gluten sensitive community & respects & appreciates their standing as a trusted company. Quinoa is the ONLY thing they produce. The Quinoa is processed by them here & not in S.A.. She said the real story is that the farmers in the low elevations (not Ancient Harvest farms) were supposedly covering the Quinoa SEEDS with Barley or Oats to keep the birds from eating the PLANTED Quinoa seeds until the seeds sprout. She stated that Ancient Harvest is presently seeking the Rabbinical council to rectify the statement to reflect the actual happenings. she further assured me that Ancient Harvest Quinoa was completely safe for me to eat & would always remain so.

I'm going to eat my 4 boxes & ENJOY!

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Thanks for taking the time to do some research and sharing. :D

I love my Ancient Harvest Quinoa. :P

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for taking the time to do some research and sharing. :D

I love my Ancient Harvest Quinoa. :P

Me too! And now I'm sure I can eat it. Yay! Guess what's for breakfast in the morning?biggrin.gif

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Thanks for taking the time to do some research and sharing. :D

Yes, great sleuthing! I suspect the rabbis will stick to their decision but it's good to know the whole story.

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

Thank you for teaching me something new about Passover. I love learning new things about religions!

FernW Rookie
FernW
Posted

Thank you, thank you, thank you Skylark I have been looking for a certain pound cake and other items for passover, so it will be a little late, I have the wine and thats whats important, lol. Yes Passover does make my gluten free life a bit easier for 8 days.

Thanks again. Fern

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining...
    2. SamAlvi
      - SamAlvi replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Thank you for the clarification and for taking the time to explain the terminology so clearly. I really appreciate your insight, especially the distinction between celiac disease and NCGS and how anemia can point more toward celiac. This was very helpful for me.
    3. Jsingh
      - Jsingh replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Son's legs shaking

      Hi, My 7 year daughter has complained of this in the past, which I thought were part of her glutening symptom, but more recently I have come to figure out it's part of her histamine overload symptom. This one symptom was part of her broader profile, which included irritability, extreme hunger, confusion, post-nasal drip. You might want to look up "histamine...
    4. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 posted a topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Son's legs shaking

      My 5yo was diagnosed with celiac last year by being tested after his sister was diagnosed. We are very strict on the gluten-free diet, but unsure what his reactions are as he was diagnosed without many symptoms other than low ferritin. He had a school party where his teacher made gluten-free gingerbread men. I almost said no because she made it in her...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to Paulaannefthimiou's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      Not necessarily. The "Gluten Free" label means not more than 20ppm of gluten in the product which is often not enough for super sensitive celiacs. You would need to be looking for "Certified Gluten Free" (GFCO endorsed) which means no more than 10ppm of gluten. Having said that, "Gluten Free" doesn't mean that there will necessarily be more gluten than "Certified...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,869
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    LMGarrison
    Newest Member
    LMGarrison
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By trents · Posted

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining of the small bowel which generates specific kinds of antibodies. Some people are IGA deficient and such that the IGA antibody tests done for celiac disease will have skewed results and cannot be trusted. In that case, there are IGG tests that can be ordered though, they aren't quite as specific for celiac disease as the IGA tests. But the possibility of IGA deficiency is why a "total IGA" test should always be ordered along with the TTG-IGA. The other modality is an endoscopy (scoping of the upper GI track) with a biopsy of the small bowel lining. The aforementioned autoimmune response produces inflammation in the small bowel lining which, over time, damages the structure of the lining. The biopsy is sent to a lab and microscopically analyzed for signs of this damage. If the damage is severe enough, it can often be spotted during the scoping itself. The endoscopy/biopsy is used as confirmation when the antibody results are positive, since there is a small chance that elevated antibody test scores can be caused by things other than celiac disease, particularly when the antibody test numbers are not particularly high. If the antibody test numbers are 10x normal or higher, physicians will sometimes declare an official diagnosis of celiac disease without an endoscopy/biopsy, particularly in the U.K. Some practitioners use stool tests to detect celiac disease but this modality is not widely recognized in the medical community as valid. Both celiac testing modalities outlined above require that you have been consuming generous amounts of gluten for weeks/months ahead of time. Many people make the mistake of experimenting with the gluten free diet or even reducing their gluten intake prior to testing. By doing so, they invalidate the testing because antibodies stop being produced, disappear from the blood and the lining of the small bowel begins to heal. So, then they are stuck in no man's land, wondering if they have celiac disease or NCGS. To resume gluten consumption, i.e., to undertake a "gluten challenge" is out of the question because their reaction to gluten is so strong that it would endanger their health. The lining of the small bowel is the place where all of the nutrition in the food we consume is absorbed. This lining is made up of billions of microscopically tiny fingerlike projections that create a tremendous nutrient absorption surface area. The inflammation caused by celiac disease wears down these fingers and greatly reduces the surface area needed for nutrient absorption. Thus, people with celiac disease often develop iron deficiency anemia and a host of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is likely that many more people who have issues with gluten suffer from NCGS than from celiac disease. We actually know much more about the mechanism of celiac disease than we do about NCGS but some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease.
    • SamAlvi
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By SamAlvi · Posted

      Thank you for the clarification and for taking the time to explain the terminology so clearly. I really appreciate your insight, especially the distinction between celiac disease and NCGS and how anemia can point more toward celiac. This was very helpful for me.
    • Jsingh
      Son's legs shaking

      By Jsingh · Posted

      Hi,  My 7 year daughter has complained of this in the past, which I thought were part of her glutening symptom, but more recently I have come to figure out it's part of her histamine overload symptom. This one symptom was part of her broader profile, which included irritability, extreme hunger, confusion, post-nasal drip. You might want to look up "histamine intolerance". I wish I had known of this at the time of her diagnosis, life would have been much easier.  I hope you are able to figure out. 
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      My 5yo was diagnosed with celiac last year by being tested after his sister was diagnosed. We are very strict on the gluten-free diet, but unsure what his reactions are as he was diagnosed without many symptoms other than low ferritin.  He had a school party where his teacher made gluten-free gingerbread men. I almost said no because she made it in her kitchen but I thought it would be ok.  Next day and for a few after his behavior is awful. Hitting, rude, disrespectful. Mainly he kept saying his legs were shaking. Is this a gluten exposure symptom that anyone else gets? Also the bad behavior? 
    • trents
      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      By trents · Posted

      Not necessarily. The "Gluten Free" label means not more than 20ppm of gluten in the product which is often not enough for super sensitive celiacs. You would need to be looking for "Certified Gluten Free" (GFCO endorsed) which means no more than 10ppm of gluten. Having said that, "Gluten Free" doesn't mean that there will necessarily be more gluten than "Certified Gluten" in any given batch run. It just means there could be. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.