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Gluten-Free Diet

Does Cheese Contain Gluten?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Most cheeses are gluten-free, including bleu (or blue) cheese. For many years, bleu cheese was considered unsafe for those on the gluten-free diet because traditionally it was started with mold from gluten bread. Many bleu cheeses are not made that way these days, using an artificial starting agent instead of bread. However, even when bleu cheese is started from bread mold, testing of the finished product shows no detectable levels of bleu cheese. Therefore, the cheese is considered safe for those on the gluten-free diet. This is not new news as the discovery of blue cheese being safe dates back to 1992.

Statement from the Canadian Celiac Association regarding bleu cheese:

“The Canadian Celiac Association [CCA] has recently investigated a variety of blue cheese on the market and found that very few are made using bread mold, and when they are, the test results completed by Health Canada found no detectable levels of gluten in the final product. The new CCA Acceptability of Food and Food Ingredients for the gluten-free Diet pocket dictionary lists blue cheese as allowed on a gluten-free diet.”

Many people who were diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance years ago might not realize they can safely enjoy bleu cheese – assuming they like it. Obviously, at some point most people get comfortable with the diet and don’t feel the need to continue researching what is and is not gluten-free. The only problem with this is that twenty years ago, people were told they could not drink alcohols made from gluten grains or have distilled vinegar. They were also told they could eat spelt – which happens to be a gluten containing grain that is off limits to people who can’t tolerate gluten.

That is why there are so many untrue things floating around on the internet about our diet. This creates conflict in our community which does nothing to help our cause of increasing awareness about our condition among the general public. It’s really not that much of a mystery why we have not been able to do more to educate mainstream society more about gluten intolerance. We can’t even agree on what is and is not safe on the gluten-free diet because celiac myths are alive and well all over the internet. Bleu cheese is considered safe for those on the gluten-free diet but it’s best to read the label to make sure ‘wheat’ is not listed as an ingredient (neither rye nor barley are used in making bleu cheese). No one has to eat bleu cheese if they don’t want to, but them not doing so doesn’t change its safety for those that love it and want to enjoy it as they always have. Bleu cheese dressings are a different animal and some contain gluten. So again, read the label.

There is a way you can find gluten in cheese. It’s rare, but some cheap shredded (usually imitation) cheeses can contain wheat. It’s used as a declumping agent. Last year the Food and Beverage Manager at Zoo Atlanta stated that the cheese in their salads contained gluten. So cheese with gluten exists but it’s not that common and there don’t seem to be any unshredded cheeses that contain gluten. As always, read the label.

Some cheese spreads may contain gluten. Again, read the label. At last check Kraft cheese in a can was gluten-free. There does not seem to be  much real food in the product, but since it was gluten-free in the past, it likely still is. Kraft will note all forms of gluten on their product label so no gluten is hidden under another ingredient name. Cabot Creamery in Vermont has verified that all of their cheeses gluten-free.

References: Canadian Celiac Association, Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide.

Have a question about the gluten-free diet which we haven’t covered yet?  You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician)

Gluten-Free Gift Baskets

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

The holidays are filled with food, fun, and gifts for many of us. Gift baskets are a huge business during this time of year and now there is a multitude of gluten-free gift baskets to send the people in your life that can’t eat gluten. Or maybe you just want to send a nice basket full of gluten-free goodies to yourself!

The gluten-free gift basket companies I researched offer a wide range of gifts at a wide range of prices. There is sure to be something for every budget and every taste. There are themed baskets for everyone from popcorn lovers to BBQ grill masters. One of the gift basket companies even offers to make up customized baskets, based on your budget and product preferences.

Celebrate Gift Basket - Photo courtesy of I Can Have That

Gluten-free gift basket sales have really soared over the last couple of years. With more people going gluten-free every week, that trend is likely to continue for quite a while. Like gluten-free food, gluten-free gift baskets have higher prices than standard gift baskets that contain gluten products.

People who like to create personalized gifts themselves can create their own gluten-free baskets. Choose a container to hold the products you choose for the gift, buy some colored cello wrap at a craft store and tie a bow on top. If the basket needs to be shipped, consider not using any products that come in glass containers. The risk of them breaking is fairly high (if you don’t have experience packing gift baskets) and if they do break, the whole gift will be ruined.

For a pizza lover, buy a gluten-free pizza crust mix, a bag of pepperoni (Hormel is labeled gluten-free and shelf stable before opening) a nice pizza cutter, and maybe a pizza server. Create a nice pasta gift basket with some gluten-free pasta, sauce (in a plastic jar), a pasta server, and a nice stainless colander. Obviously, the combinations of what you can create are endless!

For those of you who would rather let someone else do all the work – check out the fabulous offerings from these creative companies!

  • I Can Have That! – allergen guide is listed with each gift; choose from wheat-free, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and peanut-free; many items of free of several allergens.
  • Well Baskets – Offers themed decoration for each gift.
  • Carriage House Gifts – Offers stock and customized gift baskets.
  • Glutensmart – Offerings include some Kosher gift baskets; teddy bears with most gifts.
  • Cherchies- Mainstream company; added a limited gluten-free section a couple of years ago.
  • The Free Cookie – Atlanta-based company; everything in the line is gluten, dairy, and egg free; artisan quality work.
  • Marilyn’s Gourmet – Atlanta-based company; gluten-free bakery offers gluten-free fruitcake, among other things.
  • Harry & David – Now offers more than fruit for the gluten-free set.
  • Planet Gift Baskets – Offers an impressive array of gluten-free baskets and ships worldwide.
  • Gifts Gone Gourmet – Gluten-free baskets to fit many holidays throughout the year.

happy_holidaysw

The above list is by no means comprehensive. There are many gift basket companies catering to our market these days.  How wonderful it is to find such great options for incredible and tasty gluten-free gifts – for others and ourselves!

These gifts would be great for someone visiting friends or relatives out of town during the holidays. The gift could even ship to the destination and be there on arrival as a surprise for the recipient. Obviously, the person receiving the gift at their home would need to know NOT to open it! The other problem is that doing this likely means one would have to share their treats. After all, it is the holidays!

Note: You can also now purchase a number of gluten-free gift baskets via Amazon.com!

Are White Vinegar and Soy Sauce Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Once the subject of debate in the gluten-free community, it has now been proven that distilled vinegar is absolutely gluten-free. That includes white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and champagne vinegar – ALL distilled vinegar is safe for those on a gluten-free diet. However, malt vinegar, which is generally made from gluten grain barley, is not distilled and therefore it is not gluten-free.

Recently at a gluten-free function, I met someone who told me that no vinegar was gluten-free except for apple cider vinegar. The person read that on the internet, of course. As we all know, the internet can offer a wealth of information on any given subject. But there are no internet police out there making sure that misinformation is not being spread around cyberspace. That is why you can’t believe everything you read online. Even though I know I do my homework when it comes to gluten-free ingredients and wants to help others learn the intricacies of this diet, I still suggest everyone buy Shelley Case’s book, just so they can benefit from the wealth of information in it. Personally, I think Shelley’s book should be required reading for anyone on a gluten-free diet for health reasons.

It makes no sense to me whatsoever why people choose to believe others who don’t seem to do their own research about something as important as their medically prescribed diet. Instead, they trust misinformation, and worse – they spread that bad information to other unsuspecting people. It’s a vicious cycle and it seems never-ending.

Regarding soy sauce, the majority of brands are made with wheat. There is gluten in the finished product so it is not considered safe for those on a gluten-free diet for health reasons. It is not uncommon to find a well-meaning owner of a health food store reporting that wheat-based soy sauces are gluten-free. In fact, they are not considered so by people who have investigated this issue.

Luckily, there are several brands of gluten-free soy sauce including LaChoy, which is not marked gluten-free.  LaChoy is a ConAgra product so it is not marked gluten-free as they are behind the times on the gluten-free issue. San-J makes two gluten and wheat-free Tamari brand soy sauces. Keep in mind they also make several wheat-based soy sauces so you must read the label – the wheat-free products they offer are gluten-free.

The WalMart brand of soy sauce ‘Great Value’ was at one time labeled gluten-free so it likely still is. Please read the label before purchasing that or any other brand of soy sauce. Minimus.biz sells individual packets of Kari-Out soy sauce which is gluten-free. Many people like to take those packets to Sushi places. Most restaurants use Kikkoman soy sauce which contains gluten and is therefore unsafe for those on a gluten-free diet.

Have a question about the gluten-free diet which we haven’t covered yet?  You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician)

Is Vanilla Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Both vanilla extract and natural vanilla flavor are safe for those on a gluten-free diet. Even though to make each product, vanilla beans are soaked in water and alcohol, it is considered gluten-free. However, this was not known until just a few short years ago. That is why you’ll often see in gluten-free cookbooks and on gluten-free recipe sites, the term vanilla with “gluten-free” before or after it. The truth is that no vanilla – extracts or otherwise – contain gluten. Imitation and artificial vanilla extract are also gluten-free, though neither is nearly as good as the real thing.

McCormick recently began labeling their pure vanilla extract gluten-free, even though it always was gluten-free. There is no gluten-free product list on the company’s website which is annoying since they have started labeling at least the vanilla extract gluten-free. McCormick, like so many other companies, realized that some people will choose an item that is marked gluten-free over others that are not, when given the opportunity. However, there are less expensive vanilla extracts than the McCormick brand.

In Shelley Case’s book “Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide”, vanilla, vanilla extract, vanilla flavoring, and vanillin are all listed in the gluten-free additive and ingredients list. It’s again confusing for someone new to the diet who might pick up a gluten-free cookbook at the library where every reference to vanilla calls for a gluten-free version. That would indicate there might be a gluten-containing version of vanilla out there somewhere.

While it’s frustrating that for so long, very little was known about what was and was not gluten-free – at least in terms of many processed foods – the safest thing to do is rely on factual information from nutrition experts like Shelley Case. She has devoted much of her dietitian career to helping those in our community safely follow the gluten-free diet. Vanilla is gluten-free so buy whatever brand of it you want to. It matters not if  ‘gluten-free’ is stamped on the box or not.

References:

Have a question about the gluten-free diet which we haven’t covered yet?  You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician)

Can Gluten be Cooked Out of Food?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

My bet is that the person who asked this question was told by a well-meaning friend or relative that you can crank the oven up to 500 degrees and cook the gluten right out of any dish. Oh if were only that easy – we’d all have it made in the shade! Gluten can not be cooked out of food, but some processing practices do remove the gluten protein. Baking or frying is not the same as processing so one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

While it’s true that some gluten-containing foods are so highly processed that no gluten is present in the finished product, baking dishes at high temperatures will not remove gluten in any way. Anyone who tells you this can be done is confused and is likely not following the gluten-free diet themselves. At least for their sake I sure hope they’re not!

You can not remove gluten from gluten foods by frying foods either. There are a lot of inaccurate myths that float around in cyberspace and it’s confusing for people new to the gluten-free diet. The processing of certain foods which renders them gluten-free is not something one could do in a home kitchen. In the case of alcohol and vinegar derived from gluten gains, the distillation process removes the gluten protein. Baking or frying something at high temperatures does not remove the gluten in any way.

The gluten-free baking mix line Tastes Like Real Food contains wheat starch. Yet, due to the processing the ingredient goes through, the level of gluten present in the finished product is considered gluten-free. Gluten-free guidelines indicate there is less than 20ppm of gluten – not that there is no gluten whatsoever. Many gluten-free foods do have undetectable levels of gluten, of course. Those items are considered gluten-free.

Before believing a well-meaning, but misguided friend or relative when it comes to your diet, do the research needed to learn the truth about whatever you don’t understand or something that doesn’t make sense to you? If a statement seems unreasonable, it probably is exactly that. If your mother-in-law tells you that she ‘baked’ the gluten right out of the casserole by cranking the oven up to 500 degrees, kindly tell her that is not possible and that the food is not safe for you to consume.

Have a question about the gluten-free diet which we haven’t covered yet?  You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician)