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Celiac.com 01/22/2022 - All by themselves oats are a naturally gluten-free food. However, commercial oats are often contaminated with wheat, barley or rye. It's important for people with celiac disease to make sure oat products are gluten-free. For celiacs, the best way is to choose trusted oat products that are either certified gluten-free, labeled gluten-free, or known to be gluten-free and safe. This list does not include granola, as we will cover gluten-free granola brands in another article. However, here's a list of gluten-free cereals that includes granola. Still, among the dozens of brands of oat cereals, it can be hard to find oat cereals that are labeled gluten-free. Brands of Gluten-Free Oat Cereals include: Bakery on Main All Bakery on Main Oatmeals and Granola Cereals are certified gluten-free, including: Apple Pie Oatmeal Blueberry Scone Oatmeal Bulk Organic Quick Oats Bulk Organic Rolled Oats Bulk Organic Steel Cut Oats Bulk Quick Oats Bulk Rolled Oats Bulk Steel Cut Oats Maple Multigrain Muffin Oatmeal Organic Almond & Vanilla Oatmeal Cup Organic Cranberry Apple Almond Oatmeal Cup Organic Oats & Ancient Grains Oatmeal Cup Organic Quick Oats Organic Quick Oats Organic Rolled Oats Organic Walnut Banana Oatmeal Cup Quick Oats Rolled Oats Steel Cut Oats Strawberry Shortcake Oatmeal Unsweetened Oatmeal Anthony's Anthony's makes Anthonys' Organic Rolled Oats and Anthony's Organic Whole Grain Oat Flour. Both are batch tested and verified gluten-free. Anthonys' Organic Rolled Oats Anthony's Organic Whole Grain Oat Flour Bob's Red Mill Bob's Red Mill makes a number of oat cereals that are batch tested and verified gluten-free oat cereals. They also make a number that are not labeled gluten-free. Be sure to get the gluten-free versions! Gluten Free Apple and Cinnamon Cup Gluten Free Apple Blueberry Granola Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cup Gluten Free Blueberry Hazelnut Oatmeal Cup Gluten Free Brown Sugar & Maple Oatmeal Cup Gluten Free Classic Oatmeal Cup Gluten Free Extra Thick Rolled Oats Gluten Free Honey Oat Granola Gluten Free Oat Bran Gluten Free Oat Bran Hot Cereal Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats Gluten Free Organic Extra Thick Rolled Oats Gluten Free Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats Gluten Free Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats Gluten Free Organic Rolled Oats Gluten Free Organic Steel Cut Oats Gluten Free Organic Thick Rolled Oats Gluten Free Quick Cooking Rolled Oats Gluten Free Quick Rolled Oats Gluten Free Scottish Oatmeal Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats Gluten Free Thick Rolled Oats General Mills Ever popular Cheerios is gluten-free, and widely available. General Mills uses proprietary optical sorting to ensure their oats are gluten-free to below 20ppm. Cheerios Gerber Oatmeal Cereal Gerber lists the following products as gluten-free: Gerber Probiotic Oatmeal & Banana Cereal Gerber Probiotic Oatmeal Peach Apple Cereal Quaker Quaker makes a number of products that are labeled gluten-free. They also make a number of products that are not labeled gluten-free. If you have celiac disease or gluten-intolerance, the following Quaker products are safe for you: Quaker Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats Quaker Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats Quaker Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal Quaker Gluten Free Quick 1-Minute Oats Quaker Select Starts Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal Do you have a favorite gluten-free oat cereal that we have overlooked? Let us know and we'll add it to the comments section below.

Celiac.com 07/11/2022 - With a low carbon footprint, numerous health and nutritional benefits, oat has attracted attention for its potential to replace animal-based food products. However, efforts to untangle its complex evolutionary history and functional gene dynamics have been slowed by the absence of a fully annotated reference genome. Cultivated oats (Avena sativa L.) are among the oldest domesticated crops, after wheat, emmer and barley. Thought to have been domesticated more than 3,000 years ago in in Anatolia, in modern day Turkey, after oat plants were discovered growing as weeds in wheat, emmer and barley fields. Avena sativa L. is an allohexaploid, that maps out as AACCDD, 2n = 6x = 42. A team of researchers recently developed a high-quality reference genome of A. sativa and close relatives of its diploid (Avena longiglumis, AA, 2n = 14) and tetraploid (Avena insularis, CCDD, 2n = 4x = 28) progenitors. The research team included Nadia Kamal, Nikos Tsardakas Renhuldt, Johan Bentzer, Heidrun Gundlach, Georg Haberer, Angéla Juhász, Thomas Lux, Utpal Bose, Jason A. Tye-Din, Daniel Lang, Nico van Gessel, Ralf Reski, Yong-Bi Fu, Peter Spégel, Alf Ceplitis, Axel Himmelbach, Amanda J. Waters, Wubishet A. Bekele, Michelle L. Colgrave, Mats Hansson, Nils Stein, Klaus F. X. Mayer, Eric N. Jellen, Peter J. Maughan, Nicholas A. Tinker, Martin Mascher, Olof Olsson, Manuel Spannagl, and Nick Sirijovski. Their team recently revealed the mosaic structure of the oat genome, trace large-scale genomic reorganizations in the polyploidization history of oat and illustrated a breeding barrier connected to the genome structure of oat. Their new paper offers detailed analyses of gene families tied to human health and nutrition, and adds to the body of evidence that supporting non-wheat contaminated oats as safe for celiacs on gluten-free diets. Very importantly, the team's mapping-by-sequencing of an agronomic trait related to water-use efficiency creates a roadmap for potentially creating strains of more water efficient oats and other cereals. In addition to improving knowledge of basic oat biology, and helping researchers better explore cereal genomes, the team's mapping resource for the Avena genus of oats will speed up genomics-assisted breeding and reanalysis of quantitative trait studies. Read more in Nature volume 606, pages113–119 (2022) The research team is variously affiliated with the Plant Genome and Systems Biology, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany; ScanOats Industrial Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, Division of Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; the Molecular Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; the Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; the Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; the Department of Microbial Genomics and Bioforensics, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany; the School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany; the Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; the Plant Gene Resources of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; the Department of Chemistry, Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; the Plant Breeding, Lantmännen, Svalöv, Sweden; the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Seeland, Germany; the Research and Development Division of PepsiCo in St Paul, MN, USA; the Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA; the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA; the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; the CropTailor AB, Department of Chemistry, Division of Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Celiac.com 05/06/2022 - To the newly diagnosed celiac patient, beginning a gluten free diet is often overwhelming, confusing, and sometimes, depressing. Initially it may be a relief to finally have a diagnosis. All seems easy and uncomplicated when sitting in the comfort of the doctor’s office. A visit to the store and the purchase of a few things that may be safe to eat is the time when most of us come face-to-face with the fact that life as we knew it is over. If you are lucky and do some homework, you find that gluten is hidden in almost everything. Gluten is the protein in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Or is it? Conflicting information regarding gluten abounds. Some authorities believe oats are safe for the celiac patient, and gluten is frequently being listed as including only wheat, rye, and barley. Too many people—especially the newly diagnosed—receive conflicting information. They aren’t even sure what gluten is, and then they have to contend with the added misinformation about oats. It is a difficult situation—that sometimes gets even worse. For instance, we are continually amazed by the number of people that think that a “little” gluten is okay. Unfortunately, too many doctors and dieticians tell their patients that as long as their symptoms are gone they can safely have gluten occasionally. This is just plain wrong. It goes far beyond the oats debate in the literature, and it is of concern to those of us who have maintained a gluten free diet with zero symptoms and clean blood tests for many years. But what about eating oats? According to Hogberg, et al., oats “can be accepted and tolerated by the majority of children with CD” (1) . This conclusion is based upon their finding that those subjects who consumed oats showed intestinal and serological recovery after one year of the diet. The indicators used to measure this recovery were blood tests and biopsies. The same group also reports that while 20% of the test subjects dropped out of the study, all subjects who stayed with the study showed no adverse effects from including oats in their diets. But what about the 20% who dropped out? How carefully were the symptoms of any of the subjects in this study monitored? Because these subjects were newly diagnosed, there was no basis for comparison with their previous experience and/or symptoms on a gluten-free diet. In counterpoint to the Hogberg group’s findings, a very different story is told by the research conducted by Peraaho et al. They looked at the impact of oats on the quality of life along with gastrointestinal signs and symptoms. They compared these findings to similar examinations of a control group of celiac patients who were eating a gluten-free diet that did not include oats (2) . While the quality of life did not differ between these groups, those eating oats experienced significantly more frequent diarrhea. They also experienced more severe constipation, and a small but significant increase in intraepithelial lymphocytes was revealed in their biopsies. The Peraaho group did report, in congruence with the Hogberg et al. findings, that the villous architecture did not differ between groups, and antibody levels did not increase among those eating oats. Both studies are very revealing. They show us that symptoms can sometimes be more revealing than test results, and that the serological and endoscobic evidence, without counting intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) can only provide a crude measurement of disease. While the Marsh system for evaluating biopsies for celiac disease requires counting IELs, and is widely accepted, too many pathologists and gastroenterologists continue to rely on the villous morphology alone when they rule out celiac disease. Peraaho et al. identified two important weaknesses in research that suggests oats are safe for celiac patients. First, the intestinal biopsy will miss a number of cases of celiac disease if IELs are not counted, so oats advocates should include IEL counts. Second, many celiacs are exquisitely sensitive to gluten, and their reactions are far more accurate than many supposedly objective tests (please bear in mind that some/many of us can be symptom-free while the disease progresses and gluten causes internal injuries). Thus, the level of our well-being is in our own hands and is a function of the extent to which we comply with the gluten-free diet. Further, many of us are simply not able to tolerate oats. We suggest the following approach: First, ensure that your diet is absolutely gluten free, including hidden gluten and cross-contamination. Then, if the idea of adding a grain to your diet is important to you, try oats that have not been contaminated through growing, harvesting, or processing. If you remain symptom free when eating oats, enjoy. Be aware, however, that a significant portion of celiac patients clearly react to oats, and the elevation of IELs, along with the increased bowel symptoms should suggest erring on the side of caution and avoiding oats if any signs or symptoms appear. Co-authored by and Ginny Nehring. References: 1. Hogberg L, Laurin P, FalthMagnusson K, Grant C, Grodzinsky E, Jansson G, Ascher H, Browaldh L, Hammersjo JA, Lindberg E, Myrdal U, Stenhammar L. Oats to children with newly diagnosed coeliac disease: a randomised double blind study. Gut. 2004 May;53(5):649-54. 2. Peraaho M, Kaukinen K, Mustalahti K, Vuolteenaho N, Maki M, Laippala P, Collin P. Effect of an oats-containing gluten-free diet on symptoms and quality of life in coeliac disease. A randomized study. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2004 Jan;39(1):27-31. Co-author Dangerous Grains ISBN: 1- 58333-129-8

Celiac.com 05/12/2017 - The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) is an organization that certifies gluten-free products and food services. The GIG's latest definition and requirements for the product purity protocol was published by AACC International. The purity protocol defines the way of growing, harvesting and processing oats to keep them safe from gluten contamination, GIG's CEO, Cynthia Kupper, said. Until now, the term lacked a uniform definition, allowing companies who used it a degree of wiggle room. Under the new standard, companies will now have to provide documentation that prove the processes they follow are based on the newly standardized definition in order to use the claim 'purity protocol oats,' said Kupper. "Given the continuing growth of the market for gluten-free products, it is essential that terms like 'purity protocol' be defined for both food manufacturers and consumers," she added. Farmers collect higher fees for growing and managing oats under purity protocol conditions, and those higher prices usually get passed to consumers. Currently, the gluten-free products most commonly contaminated by wheat are granola and cookies that contain oats, Kupper told Bakery and Snacks. In addition to providing more confidence for consumers, the new protocol could lead to a price decrease, partly due to an expected increase in demand for products made with pure oats. That demand is partly driven by added consumer confidence in purity protocol products. In addition to tightening the purity protocols for oats, GIG plans to further standardize gluten-free screening for other grains, including rice, quinoa and other grains, according to the organization. Keep an eye on purity protocol oats to see if the predictions of lower prices, higher consumer confidence and safer oats hold true, and if so, whether those protocols can be applied to grains like rice and quinoa. Read more at BakeryandSnacks.com.

Celiac.com 03/15/2017 - Looking for an easy, reasonably nutritious snack? These no-bake honey and oat peanut butter bars are just the ticket. Quick to make, no-bake, and easy to take on the go, these bars also happen to be gluten-free and plenty tasty. Ingredients: 1 cup any gluten-free oatmeal ¾ cup chunky natural peanut butter ⅓ cup thick honey 1 teaspoon vanilla ¾ cup powdered milk ¼ cup sunflower seeds ¼ cup chocolate chips, to garnish Directions: Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips, add more powdered milk and oats as needed Spread evenly on a cookie sheet. Top with chocolate chips and/or seeds. Press down to make sure they stick. Cut into squares. Chill for 30 minutes, then cut and serve.

Celiac.com 12/28/2016 - Quaker Oats UK has launched several gluten-free oat products, including a free-from variant and a yogurt-based breakfast pouch range. Available since late September, the new gluten-free offering comes in a 510g can of Traditional Rolled Oats, and a 350g box of 10 Oat So Simple packets. "Leading a gluten-free lifestyle is important and necessary for some people, and so Quaker has created options to meet consumer demand," says PepsiCo's Jeremy Gibson, marketing director, nutrition. The launch follows the introduction earlier this month of Oat & Fruit Breakfast, an on-the-go pouch line made with fruit purée and natural yogurt that comes in three flavors: Red Fruits, Apple & Cinnamon, and Blueberry. The products will be sold exclusively at UK's Tesco stores, and will be promoted with an aggressive social media campaign and in-store marketing. Calling Oat & Fruit Breakfast "unique to the market" Duncan McKay, PepsiCo's senior marketing manager for grains UK, expressed excitement over the new product range, which come "as demand for convenient breakfast options is at a peak." Stay tuned for more information on gluten-free products from Quaker, and other manufacturers.

Celiac.com 12/13/2016 - One in five people with celiac disease have a sensitivity to oats. Could that be the real issue behind claims of adverse reactions to Cheerios and other General Mills products? In an effort to answer questions regarding the safety of gluten-free Cheerios for people with celiac disease, we recently ran an article on warnings by the Canadian Celiac Association that Cheerios, and other General Mills cereals labeled 'Gluten-Free' are unsafe, are likely to be contaminated with trace amounts of gluten. Celiac.com found those claims to be lacking in evidence, and grounded mainly on unsupported claims that the proprietary process used by General Mills to sort oats is somehow problematic, and likely to permit 'hot spots' of gluten contamination that can exceed the 20ppm gluten-free FDA standard. Along with unsupported claims about General Mills' sorting process, the Canadian Celiac Association seems to base their opinion on vague claims of unnamed people with celiac disease suffering adverse reactions after eating the cereals. Yet, so far, no one has documented any actual problem with General Mills' method for sorting gluten-free oats, and certainly no one has shown any kind of a systemic problem, as the Canadian Celiac Association seems to allege. No evidence has been offered up to support any such claims. Again, to our knowledge, no one has provided any evidence of any actual gluten contamination in any box or batch of General Mills Gluten-Free cereals. Interestingly, that very lack of evidence to support claims of gluten contamination is cited by the Celiac Disease Foundation in its endorsement of General Mills Gluten-Free cereals. Recent scientific research has shown that around 8% of celiacs are sensitive to certain varieties of oats, and the Celiac Disease Foundation recently indicated in a response to a question on this topic posed by "cyclinglady," who is a Celiac.com board moderator, that nearly 20% of people with celiac disease may also suffer from oat sensitivity, and they suggest that oat sensitivity is the likely culprit behind any sensitivities to the product. The Celiac Disease Foundation's full letter was posted on Celiac.com's Gluten-Free Forum by cyclinglady reads as follows: "This is interesting. I sent an email asking the Celiac Disease Foundation about gluten-free Cheerios which they endorse/support, but the Canadian Celiac Disease Organization and the Gluten Free Watchdog do not? What do you all think?" She includes the full response by the Celiac Disease Foundation, which reads: "Aside from the initial contamination in Cheerios when they were first put on the market, Cheerios has had no other issues with the gluten-free status of their cereals. Most people with celiac disease can tolerate gluten-free oats, however, about 20%*(sic-actual figure should be 8%, see note below) of the population with celiac disease cannot tolerate oats in any form, even if they are gluten-free. It's that population that should avoid Cheerios. Our Medical Advisory Board has no evidence that General Mills gluten-free cereals are not safe for celiac consumption. General Mills is a proud sponsor of Celiac Disease Foundation, and they understand the importance of safe gluten-free food to our community. In fact, we enjoy Cheerios at the National Office ourselves where half of us have celiac disease. Cheerios only need to be avoided by those with celiac disease who also cannot tolerate oats." So, once again, the Celiac Disease Foundation endorses General Mills Gluten-Free Cheerios, and by implication, Lucky Charms and other cereals, as safe for people with celiac disease, with no medical evidence to the contrary. However, they do recommend that people with oat sensitivities avoid oat products. This runs counter to the warning by the Canadian Celiac Association that General Mills products were "unsafe" and the General Mills "had problems" with its sorting process. The fact that the folks at the Celiac Disease Foundation, including those with celiac disease, say they eat Gluten-Free Cheerios provides another positive testimonial that Cheerios are safe for people with celiac disease. However, it really all boils down to basing any proclamations about gluten-free safety on actual evidence, not stories, or opinions, or things we heard. In their letter, the Celiac Disease Foundation notes that "Our Medical Advisory Board has no evidence that General Mills gluten-free cereals are not safe for celiac consumption." Until evidence appears to the contrary, the overwhelming evidence is that General Mills gluten-free Cereals, including Cheerios and Lucky Charms, among others, are safe for people with celiac disease, but should be avoided by anyone with oat sensitivities. Anyone claiming they are not safe for people with celiac disease is simply not basing their claim on hard evidence. Of course, people should base their diets on their own experience, especially people with celiac disease, and/or sensitivities to oats or other things beyond gluten. Stay tuned for news on this and other important gluten-free topics. Sources: Cherrios and the Celiac Disease Foundation New clue in celiac disease puzzle: Cause of oat toxicity explained Scientists Catch Culprit Oat Peptides That Trigger Celiac Immune Response Should Celiacs Eat Oats? Depends on the Oat This article was updated on 12/14/2016 to include more sources, and to clarify the CDF's letter that was posted in our forum. *Corrected to 8% on 12/14/2016 per CDF web site