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01/05/2024 - We get a lot of questions here at Celiac.com. Often, they're about the gluten-free status of various brands or products. However, sometimes, they're more personal and practical in nature. Recently, we got a post on our celiac disease and gluten-free forum from a parent about the role of a school in providing a gluten-free prize at a school sponsored event. The post reads as follows: "Hi! I just wanted to get some thoughts on a situation I'm currently dealing with at my son's school. They held a school sponsored event (after school) and they advertised that the prize for attending would be a soft pretzel. When I emailed the school to ask if there would be an alternative provided for my celiac son, I was informed it would be my responsibility to bring in a prize and they would give it to him. When I pushed the issue, feeling it was an unfair request, I was given a statement that it would be impossible to provide a substitute for everyone's nutritional and religious exceptions. Am I asking too much for the school to provide an alternative? They had a list of things that he could have as well as a non food prize. I realize I could have opted not to have my son attend, but I don't think that's fair to him either. For the past two weeks they've been getting everyone excited by announcing this event on the morning announcements and decorating the school. Where do I go from here? Do I push further and talk to administration?" In the intricate web of celiac disease management, every parent with a gluten-sensitive child encounters unique challenges. One such challenge recently surfaced on our celiac disease and gluten-free forum, sparking a discussion about the role of schools in accommodating dietary needs during events. The concerned parent posted about a school-sponsored event where the advertised prize was a soft pretzel. For most children, this might be a simple delight, but for a child with celiac disease, it's a potential health risk. When the parent reached out to the school, expressing the need for a gluten-free alternative, they were met with a surprising response — the responsibility to provide an alternative was shifted to the parent. The parent grappled with the notion of fairness, considering that the event had a list of acceptable items for their child and non-food prizes for others. They questioned whether it was too much to ask for the school to provide an inclusive experience, especially considering the significant efforts invested in promoting the event. This scenario raises several important points regarding inclusivity and awareness in school settings: 1. The Importance of Communication: Open communication between parents and schools is crucial. In this case, the parent took the proactive step of reaching out to the school, highlighting the dietary restrictions and seeking a suitable alternative. 2. Balancing Inclusivity and Realism: The school's response underscores the challenge of catering to various dietary needs within the constraints of an event. While it might be impractical to address every exception, finding a middle ground that accommodates common dietary restrictions is essential. 3. Advocating for Fairness: The parent's dilemma prompts a broader conversation about fairness and inclusivity. When schools promote events that involve prizes, consideration for various dietary needs should be part of the planning process. 4. Seeking Solutions: Moving forward, engaging in a constructive dialogue with school administration could be a viable step. Exploring feasible solutions, such as providing a variety of inclusive prizes or opting for non-food rewards, contributes to creating a supportive environment for all students. In navigating such situations, parents advocating for gluten-sensitive children can play a pivotal role in fostering awareness and understanding within school communities. It's an opportunity not just to address immediate concerns but also to contribute to a culture of inclusivity that benefits all students. As discussions unfold on our forum, it's evident that these challenges are shared by many, and collaborative efforts between parents and schools can pave the way for more inclusive and considerate school events, ensuring that every child, regardless of dietary restrictions, can participate fully in the school experience. What do you think? Should the school offer a gluten-free alternative prize? Is the parent asking too much? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Read more at the Celiac.com Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Forums

Celiac.com 09/01/2021 - Wondering what beers are NOT gluten-free and unsafe for people with celiac disease? We get a lot of questions from celiac community members wondering if certain products are gluten-free. One question we see a lot is about beers. Specifically, what beers are NOT gluten-free and unsafe for people with celiac disease? The short answer is that nearly every commercially available beer on the market is made with barley, which contains gluten, so unless special enzymes and filtering are used during the brewing process to render them gluten-free, would not be gluten-free. We've written about gluten-free and gluten-removed beers. We've also written about individual non-gluten-free beers, such as Budweiser, but here's an attempt too list as many non-gluten-free beers as possible. Consult wikipedia for a more complete list of traditional beers. A List of NON-Gluten-Free Beers: A AmberBock Anheuser-Busch Augustiner-Brau Ayinger B Beck's Bevo Bitburger Bohemia Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, Traveler Shandies, Angel City, Coney Island Craft Lagers, Concrete Beach Breckenridge Brewery Bud Extra Bud Ice Bud Ice Light Bud light Bud Light Bud Light Cup Series Bud Light Lime Bud Silver Budweiser Budweiser American Ale Budweiser Brewmaster's Private Reserve Budweiser Select Busch Beer Busch Ice Busch NA C Carta Blanca Craft Brew Alliance - Widmer Brothers, Redhook, Kona, Omission, Square Mile cider Coors Coors Light Corona Corona Light D Diageo North America - Guinness, Harp, Red Stripe, Kilkenny, Tusker, Bell, Serengeti, Senator Keg Dos Equis Duvel Duvel Moortgat USA - Duvel, Brewery Ommegang, Boulevard, Firestone Walker F Franziskaner G Gambrinus - Shiner, BridgePort, Trumer Pils Guinness H Heineken - Amstel, Desperados, Sol, Affligem, Tiger, Tecate, Red Stripe and Krušovice, Dos Equis, Amstel Light, Newcastle, Sol, Indio, Carta Blanca, Bohemia, Strongbow cider Hurricane High Gravity Lager K King Cobra (malt liquor) L Land Shark Lager M Michelob Michelob Bavarian Wheat Michelob Golden Draft Michelob Golden Draft Light Michelob Honey Lager Michelob Light Milwaukee's Best Light Miller High Life Miller Genuine Draft Modelo Miller Light N Natural Ice Natural Light Negro Modelo North American Breweries - Genesee, Dundee, Imperial, Labatt (U.S. distribution, owned by A-B), Magic Hat, Portland Brewing, Pyramid P Pabst - Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz, Ballantine IPA, Old Milwaukee, Lone Star, Rainier, Olympia, National Bohemian, Old Style, Primo, Stroh’s, Stag, Schaefer, Schmidt’s, Pearl, Blatz, McSorley’s, St. Ides, Champale, Colt 45 Pacifico Clara Paulaner R Rolling Rock S San Miguel Sapporo Schneider Schöfferhofer Shock Top Singha Spaten Stella Artois T Taiwan Beer Tecate Tsingtao Beer V Victoria W Weihenstephaner Y Yeungling Z Ziegenbock If you're looking for a gluten-free beer, then try one of the many gluten-free or gluten-removed beers on the market. Have we missed some favorite, non-traditional beers of yours? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and we'll update the list as new entries come in.

Celiac.com 01/12/2021 - We get a lot of questions about which breakfast cereals are gluten-free, and we recently made up a list of Cheerios and nearly one hundred gluten-free breakfast cereals. Still, the questions keep coming, especially about some of the most popular cereals that are not gluten-free. The number of popular breakfast cereals that are not gluten-free is too long to count, but here are more than a hundred popular breakfast cereals that lots of folks wonder about, and wish were gluten-free. These cereals are not gluten-free, however, so be sure to avoid them if you have celiac disease. As always, check labels and choose carefully. Unsafe NON-Gluten-Free Breakfast Cereals Include: General Mills' Wheat Chex Kellogg's Corn Pops - Despite the fact that Corn Pops are made from milled corn, the ingredients include wheat starch Kellogg's Corn Flakes Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Kellogg's Froot Loops Kellogg's Honey Smacks Quaker Oats' Cap'n Crunch NON-Gluten-Free General Mills cereals include: Basic 4 Boo-Berry Cascadian Farm Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cocoa Puffs Cookie Crisp Count Chocula Fiber One Franken-Berry French Toast Crunch Gold Flakes Golden Grahams Honey Nut Clusters Kix Morning Summit Monsters Oatmeal Crisp Peanut Butter Toast Crunch Raisin Nut Bran Reese's Puffs Total Wheat Chex Wheaties NON-Gluten-Free Kellogg's cereals include: All-Bran: All-Bran Original, All-Bran Bran Buds, All-Bran Bran Flakes (UK), All-Bran Extra Fiber, All-Bran Guardian (Canada) Apple Jacks Apple Jacks Apple vs Cinnamon Limited Edition Apple Jacks 72 Flavor Blast (Germany) Bran Buds (New Zealand) Bran Flakes Chocos (India, Europe) Chocolate Corn Flakes Cinnabon Cinnamon Mini Buns Coco Pops Coco Rocks Coco Pops Special Edition Challenger Spaceship Coco Pops Crunchers Coco Pops Mega Munchers Coco Pops Moons and Stars Cocoa Krispies or Coco Pops (also called Choco Pops in France, Choco Krispies in Portugal, Spain, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Choco Krispis in Latin America) Cocoa Flakes Corn Flakes Complete Wheat Bran Flakes/Bran Flakes Corn Pops Country Store Cracklin' Oat Bran Crispix Crunch: Caramel Nut Crunch, Cran-Vanilla Crunch, Toasted Honey Crunch Crunchy Nut (formerly Crunchy Nut Cornflakes) Crunch Nut Bran Cruncheroos Disney cereals: Disney Hunny B's Honey-Graham, Disney Mickey's Magix, Disney Mud & Bugs, Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney Princess Donut Shop Eggo Extra (Muesli): Fruit and Nut, Fruit Magic, Nut Delight Froot Loops: Froot Loops, Froot Loops 1⁄3 Less Sugar, Marshmallow Froot Loops, Froot Bloopers, Frosted Flakes (Frosties outside of the US/Canada): Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Kellogg's Banana Frosted Flakes, Kellogg's Birthday Confetti Frosted Flakes, Kellogg's Cocoa Frosted Flakes, Less Sugar, Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers, Honey Nut Fruit Harvest: Fruit Harvest Apple Cinnamon, Fruit Harvest Peach Strawberry, Fruit Harvest Strawberry Blueberry Fruit 'n Fibre (not related to the Post cereal of the same name sold in the US) Fruit Winders (UK) Genmai Flakes (Japan) Guardian (Australia, NZ, Canada) Happy Inside: Bold Blueberry, Simply Strawberry, Coconut Crunch Honey Loops (formerly Honey Nut Loops) Honey Nut Corn Flakes Jif Peanut Butter Cereal (US only) Just Right: Just Right Original, Just Right Fruit & Nut, Just Right Just Grains, Just Right Tropical, Just Right Berry & Apple, Just Right Crunchy Blends – Cranberry, Almond & Sultana (Australia/NZ), Just Right Crunchy Blends – Apple, Date & Sultana (Australia/NZ) Khampa Tsampa- Roasted Barley (Tibet) Kombos Krave Komplete (Australia) Low-Fat Granola: Low-Fat Granola, Low-Fat Granola with Raisins Mini Max Mini Swirlz Mini-Wheats: Mini-Wheats Frosted Original, Mini-Wheats Frosted Bite Size, Mini-Wheats Frosted Maple & Brown Sugar, Mini-Wheats Raisin, Mini-Wheats Strawberry, Mini-Wheats Vanilla Creme, Mini-Wheats Strawberry Delight, Mini-Wheats Blackcurrant Mueslix: Mueslix with Raisins, Dates & Almonds Nutri-Grain Nut Feast Oat Bran: Cracklin' Oat Bran Optivita Pop-Tarts Bites: Frosted Strawberry, Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Raisin Bran/Sultana Bran: Raisin Bran, Raisin Bran Crunch, Sultana Bran (Australia/NZ), Sultana Bran Crunch (Australia/NZ) Raisin Wheats Rice Krispies/Rice Bubbles: Rice Krispies, Frosted Rice Krispies (Ricicles in the UK), Rice Bubbles, LCMs, Rice Krispies Cocoa (Canada only), Rice Crispies Multi-Grain Shapes, Rice Krispies Treats Cereal Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Chocolatey Almond cereal Scooby-Doo cereal: Cinnamon Marshmallow Scooby-Doo! Cereal Smart Start: Smart Start, Smart Start Soy Protein Cereal Smorz Special K: Special K, Special K low carb lifestyle, Special K Red Berries, Special K Vanilla Almond, Special K Honey & Almond (Australia), Special K Forest Berries (Australia), Special K Purple Berries (UK), Special K Light Muesli Mixed Berries & Apple (Australia/NZ), Special K Light Muesli Peach & Mango flavour (Australia/NZ), Special K Dark Chocolate (Belgium), Special K Milk Chocolate (Belgium), Special K Sustain (UK) Spider-Man cereal: Spider-Man Spidey-Berry SpongeBob SquarePants cereal Strawberry Pops (South Africa) Super Mario Cereal Sustain: Sustain, Sustain Selection Tresor (Europe) Variety Vector (Canada only) Yeast bites with honey Kringelz (formerly known as ZimZ!): mini cinnamon-flavored spirals. NON-Gluten-Free Post cereals include: 100% Bran – currently only available in Canada Alpha-Bits Bran Flakes Chips Ahoy! Cinnamon Pebbles Fruity Pebbles Xtreme Golden Crisp Golden Oreo O's Good MOREnings Waffle Crunch Grape-Nuts Grape-Nuts Fit Grape-Nuts Flakes Great Grains Banana Nut Crunch Great Grains Blueberry Morning Great Grains Cranberry Almond Crunch Great Grains Crunchy Pecans Great Grains Digestive Blends – Berry Medley Great Grains Digestive Blends – Vanilla Great Grains Protein Blend – Cinnamon Hazelnut Great Grains Protein Blend – Honey, Oats & Seeds Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans Honey Bunches of Oats – Honey Roasted Honey Bunches of Oats – Raisin Medley Honey Bunches of Oats – with Almonds Honey Bunches of Oats – with Cinnamon Bunches Honey Bunches of Oats – with Real Strawberries Honey Bunches of Oats – with Vanilla Bunches Honey Bunches of Oats – with Pecan Bunches Honey Bunches of Oats – Fruit Blends – Banana Blueberry Honey Bunches of Oats – Fruit Blends – Peach Raspberry Honey Bunches of Oats – Greek – Honey Crunch Honey Bunches of Oats – Greek – Mixed Berry Honey Bunches of Oats – Tropical Blends – Mango Coconut Honey Bunches of Oats – Granola – Honey Roasted Honey Bunches of Oats – Granola – Raspberry Honey Bunches of Oats – Granola – Cinnamon Honey Bunches of Oats – Granola – Protein Chocolate Honey Bunches of Oats – Morning Energy – Chocolatey Almond Crunch Honey Bunches of Oats – Morning Energy – Cinnamon Crunch Honey Maid S'mores Honeycomb Oh's Oreo O's Raisin Bran Sesame Street Cereal – Apple Sesame Street Cereal - Blueberry Sesame Street Cereal - Strawberry Shredded Wheat (made by Nestlé and General Mills in the United Kingdom and Ireland) Shredded Wheat – Original Spoon Size Shredded Wheat – Honey Nut Spoon Size Shredded Wheat – Wheat'N Bran Spoon Size Shredded Wheat – Lightly Frosted Spoon Size Shredded Wheat – Frosted Cinnamon Roll Shredded Wheat – Frosted Mixed berry Shredded Wheat – Frosted S'mores Bites Shreddies – currently only available in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany (made by Nestlé and General Mills in the United Kingdom and Ireland) Sour Patch Kids cereal NON-Gluten-Free Quaker cereals include: Cap'n Crunch Life cereal Quisp Mother's Natural Foods Quaker 100% Natural Granola Kretschmer Wheat Germ Mr. T Cereal Muffets ("The round shredded wheat") Quaker Oatmeal Squares Quaker Simply Granola[47] Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Quaker Oh's Quaker Corn Bran Quaker Oat Bran Quaker Grits Quaker Oatmeal Quaker Instant Oatmeal Quaker Puffed Rice Quaker Puffed Wheat Quaker Oatmeal with Dinosaur Eggs Graham Bumpers Coco Bumpers King Vitaman

Celiac.com 09/02/2016 - A Canadian woman who claims to suffer from celiac disease has sued Mohegan Sun Pocono and its buffet, Timbers, after she allegedly became ill from eating pastries mislabeled as "gluten free." The woman says the pastries labeled as "gluten free" at the buffet were standard non-gluten-free pastries, and says the error made her violently ill, and caused weight loss and several weeks of sickness. Dianne M. Leyshon, of Terrace Avenue, Harding, claims that, at a brunch served on July, 27, 2014, Timbers Buffet represented the desserts as gluten-free. The complaint alleges Leyshon became "violently ill" after she ate "several pastries." Gluten can inflame and damage the inner lining of the small intestine if eaten by those with celiac disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. She was later taken via ambulance to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center with "severe dehydration" and continued to feel the injuries' effects weeks later, losing as much as eight pounds in the process, according to the complaint. The complaint seeks a sum in excess of what Leyshon would stand to win through out-of-court arbitration as well as costs and interest. A Mohegan Sun Pocono spokesperson has not yet returned comment. Read more at the Timesleader.com.