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Celiac.com 07/26/2024 - We get a lot of questions from celiac community members wondering which brands and products are gluten-free. One question we see a lot is about ice cream. Specifically, is ice cream gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease? The short answer is usually yes, but you need to always check the ingredients to be sure. Many ice creams are made without gluten ingredients, and when that is the case they are regarded as naturally gluten-free. However, some brands are not gluten-free, especially those with added gluten ingredients, such as cookies. That said, these days, there are a number of brands of ice cream are gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease. Here's the rundown, along with some resources. We've done a few articles on gluten-free ice cream, including Ten Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavors Now Certified Gluten-Free. We've also done articles with lists of Top brands of gluten-free ice cream bars, sandwiches and cones, and Top brands of gluten-free chocolate ice cream. Obviously, adding ingredients that contain wheat will change that reality, so look out for cookies, or other ingredients that are not gluten-free. Beyond that, most ice cream and ice milk treats can be consumed by anyone with celiac disease or a non-celiac gluten intolerance. As always, read labels, and avoid gluten ingredients. Here's Celiac.com's list of Over 100 Top Brands of Gluten-Free Ice Cream

Celiac.com 08/19/2020 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that distilled foods and spirits made from gluten-containing grains can be labelled as ‘gluten-free.’ The FDA ruling covers fermented and distilled foods, or foods that contain fermented or distilled ingredients, which are made using gluten-containing grains such as rye, barley and wheat. The ruling changes the previous FDA requirement that distilled products labeled "gluten-free" must contain no gluten ingredients from start to finish. The change was hailed by Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (Discus), who said: “We commend FDA for this consumer-friendly ruling that will allow ‘gluten-free’ labelling claims to be included on distilled foods made from gluten-containing grains, and urge TTB to act swiftly to align policies allowing the same for distilled spirits products." Text of the new FDA ruling reads, in part: "[D]istillation is a process capable of separating gluten and other proteins from the remaining compounds...distillation must remove all protein (and thus gluten), regardless if the product has been distilled from gluten-containing grains. [Distillation] removes gluten because gluten does not vaporize. Therefore, there should not be any gluten remaining in the final distilled product. For this reason, a distilled product labeling may bear a “gluten-free” claim and should be safe for people with celiac disease to consume." The change means that manufacturers of distilled foods and beverages can now label their products as gluten-free without explanations about their gluten removal process. Gluten-free marketing has long been an issue of contention among regulatory bodies, people with celiac disease, and experts, with most scientists agreeing that the distillation process removes gluten from the final product. Health professionals and celiac support groups, like Celiac.com, and Coeliac UK, have long advised that distilled spirits are gluten-free and safe for celiacs on a gluten-free diet. Swonger said that “Allowing distillers to include a "gluten-free" statement on products made from gluten-containing grains will provide additional clarity for consumers to make informed choices about which products meet their dietary needs.” The rule will take effect on September 14, 2020. Read the full text at FDA.gov Read more at thespiritbusiness.com Resources: Here are some of the most common questions about gluten-free alcoholic beverages. Here's a helpful list of Gluten-Free Alcoholic Beverages

Celiac.com 12/02/2020 - Most Worcestershire sauces are made with naturally gluten-free ingredients. However, many brands do not label their Worcestershire sauce as gluten-free. That's not necessarily a big deal, but some people like to play it safe. These brands of Worcestershire sauce go the extra mile to make sure their sauces are labeled "Gluten-Free." That means that you can breath extra easy about serving them to people with celiac disease. Top Brands of Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce French's Worcestershire Sauce French’s classic Worcestershire sauce is certified Kosher and gluten-free. French's Worcestershire sauce contains no artificial flavors and no colors from artificial sources. Lea & Perrins - The Original Worcestershire Sauce (USA Only) Since 1835, Lea & Perrins has made their original Worcestershire sauce with distilled white vinegar, molasses, sugar, water, salt, onion, anchovies, garlic, clove, tamarind extract, natural flavoring, and chili pepper extract. Lea & Perrins bottles are clearly marked as gluten-free, and the only allergen listed is fish: anchovies. WARNING: Outside the USA, including in Canada and Europe, the ingredients in Lea & Perrins include malt vinegar, which contains barley and is not gluten-free. The Spice Lab - Worcestershire sauce powder The Spice Lab's Worcestershire sauce powder is kosher, vegan and gluten-free. Made from natural ingredients like distilled vinegar, molasses, salt, sugar, garlic and tamarind. The Wizard's Gluten-Free Organic Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce The Wizard's is a full-bodied, vegan and gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. The Wizard's produces both gluten-free and non-gluten-free Worcestershire sauces. Make sure you get the gluten-free version. Wan Ja Shan Organic Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce Wan Jan Shan is made by hand in New York. Wan Ja Shan Organic Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free and vegan. Ingredients include: Organic Vinegar, Organic gluten-free Tamari (water, organic soybeans and salt), organic evaporated cane juice, salt and organic spices Many brands of Worcestershire sauce are not labeled gluten-free, but are made without gluten ingredients, and list no allergens. A few brands are Bulldog, Heinz, and Kroger Worcestershire sauce, which contain no gluten ingredients, and which list no wheat or gluten as allergens.

Celiac.com 06/24/2019 - A team of researchers recently set out to assess whether maternal diet during pregnancy plays any role in the later development of celiac disease in their children. Among other things, they found that moms who eat a high-fiber diet during pregnancy could reduce the chances of their children getting celiac disease later on, according to a new study, which is one of the first to investigate the link between fiber intake during pregnancy and children's risk of celiac disease. In the study, a team of researchers analyzed information from more than 88,000 Norwegian children and their mothers, who gave birth between 1999 and 2009. The research team included Dr. Ketil Størdal, a research professor at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and a pediatric gastroenterologist at Østfold Hospital Trust in Norway, and other colleagues. The mothers answered questions about their fiber and gluten intake in their 22nd week of pregnancy, and the researchers tracked the children for about 11 years to see if any developed celiac disease. Kids of High Fiber Moms Have Lower Celiac Risk The researchers found that children born to mothers who ate the most fiber (over 45 grams per day) were 34% less like to develop celiac disease, compared with mothers who ate less than 19 grams of fiber per day. Mom's Fiber Intake May Influence Gut Bacteria in Kids It's known that fiber affects gut bacteria, aka, the gut "microbiome." Indeed, some studies have found that gut bacteria, aka, the gut "microbiome" is different in people with celiac disease than in those without it. The researchers think that the fiber levels of the mom might influence her child's gut flora, which could then reduce the child's celiac disease risk. The researchers cautioned people not to read too much into the early findings. The team, says Dr. Størdal, "cannot yet recommend any specific dietary measures during pregnancy to prevent celiac disease, and this needs to be further studied." No Connection to Gluten-Free Diet However, the study found no evidence for a link between the mother's gluten intake and her child's risk of celiac disease. The study's findings, said Dr. Størdal, "do not support gluten restriction for pregnant women." The study will be presented Friday (June 7) at the annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). It has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Read more at Medicalxpress.com

Celiac.com 05/14/2019 - A strict gluten-free diet is the only proven treatment for celiac disease, yet researchers still don't know what effect, if any, the diet might have on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A team of researchers recently set out to determine whether following a gluten-free diet influences risk factors for cardiovascular disease among newly diagnosed pediatric celiac disease subjects. Their results suggest that a gluten-free diet does not increase cardiovascular disease risk, at least in the short-term. The research team included E Zifman, O Waisbourd-Zinman, L Marderfeld, N Zevit, A Guz-Mark, A Silbermintz, A Assa, Y Mozer-Glassberg, N Biran, D Reznik, I Poraz, and R Shamir. They are variously affiliated with the Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach-Tikva; Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic, Pediatric Division, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; and the Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach-Tikva. For their study, the team prospectively enrolled pediatric patients receiving upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for suspected celiac disease. Team members recorded physical and lab data related to cardiovascular disease risk, both at celiac diagnosis and after 1 year following a gluten-free diet, and assessed any variation in risk fo cardiovascular disease. The team used both paired tests or Wilcoxon nonparametric tests, as needed. In this study, children with celiac disease showed no increase in cardiovascular disease risk factors after one year on a strict gluten-free diet. The results did show a small increase in median fasting insulin levels, but no increase in insulin resistance as measured by homeostatic model assessment. During the same period, rates of dyslipidemia remained steady, while median high-density lipoprotein levels increased. The long-term implications of these small changes is not clear. So, at least in the short run, it looks like a gluten-free diet doesn't increase risk for cardiovascular disease in children with celiac disease. Further study is needed to determine if that's true long-term. Read more at the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition; 2019 May;68(5):684-688.