Comments on: Food Storage Scholar: Going Gluten Free

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:29:30 +0000

Thanks for the list of gluten-free items from Shelf Reliance! There are a few common mistakes about Celiac Disease in the article, however, and I would like to take a moment to address a few of them:

–Celiac disease does *not* cause typical allergy symptoms such as runny nose, rashes, nor anaphylaxis. Common allergies are called “Type I hypersensitivity reactions”, involving allergens, IgE, and histamines. Celiac disease is a Type IV reaction, which is a much slower-paced reaction involving T Cells and and autoimmune response.

–On a similar note, if you are having symptoms that you think may be indicative of Celiac disease, go see a doctor! Do not try to go on a gluten-free diet yourself, as it can take weeks or longer to see a change in Celiac symptoms the first time you start the diet, and that is a diagnosis you don’t want to miss. Also, gluten is healthy if you don’t have the condition, so you would be missing out on a very important and useful portion of your diet.

–Just a quick note: Kellog’s Corn Flakes are *not* gluten free. Pure corn flakes are gluten free, but those used as breakfast cereals usually have other additives, such as malt.

–In the United States (and some other countries, now), caramel color, caramel flavoring, and MSG are nearly always gluten free, as they are derived from corn. It is rare to find one of these which is not gluten free, and, if it is, the FDA mandates that the ingredient list mention “contains wheat”.

–Soy sauce can also be gluten free, as only “natural” soy sauce is made from wheat. Inexpensive versions, including the soy sauce commonly used in fast-food-East-Asian restaurants.

–Also, MSG is *not* a known toxin, as has been suggested. There has been quite a bit of research into this in the last 30 years… reactions to MSG are generally only seen when people ingest an amount of the substance at least 10-100 times as much as you would normally get from eating a heavily MSG-flavored meal. Of course, this can be said about many ingredients and flavorings, natural and artificial. (So don’t consume 100 servings of fried rice in a day, and you should be fine.) There is a potential link to excessive MSG consumption and obesity, but this could also be due to the increased amount of food that people need to eat to increase their MSG consumption.
I’ve appended links to a few research papers on the subject if anyone is interested.

Again, thank you Shelf Reliance for thinking about us gluten-free eaters!

MSG Research papers:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8282275
(Quote: “Rigorous and realistic scientific evidence linking the syndrome to MSG could not be found.”)

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/130/4/1058S
(Quote: “Results of surveys and of clinical challenges with MSG in the general population reveal no evidence of untoward effects.”)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4689313

By: Miranda

Miranda — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:17:52 +0000

So the powderd butter and eggs has wheat/glutens then? And the beef and chicken bouillon? Oh thats just too bad. Thanks for thinking of us! Thats grate! Just wish your bouillon was GF. ive had a hard time finding it in more than 12 cubes at a time.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:03:35 +0000

this is great information, it is often very hard to figure out food storage when you have celiac. it would be great if you had some mixes like pancakes or meal ideas for what is available.

By: Glenda Herbert

Glenda Herbert — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:23:01 +0000

I don’t eat grain, including corn, and very rarely brown rice. I have experimented for a long time now, and thought that maybe some of your readers would be interested to know that I have found fava bean flour to taste the best in my recipes. It’s kind of expensive, but worth it. You can grind your own…

By: Kristyn

Kristyn — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:47:30 +0000

Thank you for thinking about us and our health.

By: Tara

Tara — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:35:45 +0000

Thank You for the gluten free alternatives & educational info in your article. We are a gluten & casein (found in milk products) free family. It is extremely difficult to find anything food storage related; and I appreciate the greater awareness and support from Shelf-Reliance. If you live in Calif, a good source for a variety of gluten-free foods is Lassen’s Health Food Stores. I shop there regularly and the kids appreciate the variety. They also carry basic baking products for you to do your own cooking (as does Whole Foods Market). Trader Joes has some too, but it can be challenging to find foods that are gluten and casein-free at the same time. One becomes an expert label reader! Beware of the hidden “junk” under ‘natural flavoring’. Most of the time it will contain MSG–a neuro toxin. Sticking to healthier food stores will often curtail much of that possibility. FYI: Heinz ketchup contains MSG hidden under “natural flavoring/ingredients”, it is possibly in their other products, but don’t know for sure, they won’t say. If anyone has any added info to help in our diet, I’d like to hear it & thank you again!!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:14:57 +0000

Thank you Thrive for realizing food storage is important for those with gluten intolerance. I think your company is the first and hopefully not the last. Please keep it up and I would be grateful if you could provide many types of grains and mixes that could be stored in #10 cans or 5 gallon buckets..such as potato starch, tapioca starch, corn, quinoa, brown rice, baking soda, guar gum or xanthum gum etc and perhaps ready to go meals, breakfast cereal and snacks that are GF. We have been waiting for someone to provide GF products for food storage for many years. Thanks so much!

By: Heather Gardner

Heather Gardner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:55:53 +0000

My son has Celiac disease, and I just wanted to let you know that you have a few inaccuracies in your article on eating gluten-free. Wheat is not the only grain that contains gluten, barley and rye also contain gluten. Anyone who has a gluten allergy should not have quinoa, unless it is labeled gluten free, it has most likely been processed in the same equipment that has processed wheat, barley or rye. Also, You tell readers to switch to corn flakes, which contains gluten in its malt flavoring. I have called the manufacturer and have been told it is barley malt, which contains gluten. Gluten free versions of many products can be found in most health food stores. On the other hand, there has been no studies conducted which proves that MSG contains gluten. The ingredients to avoid is listed on http://www.celiac.org .

By: Jenny Dalley

Jenny Dalley — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:49:23 +0000

I am also on a gluten free diet and it would be nice if you sold quinoa, millet, or amaranth in bulk.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:20:00 +0000

Please read about each product carefully. While cornmeal or rice or whatever might be wheat free products, if they are processed in a facility that also produces wheat products, those who are more sensative to cross-contamination might find these products unsuitable. However, that said…. it is wonderful to see products marketed to those who cannot use mainstream food storage. I’d love to see more products that are free of all 8 major allergens for those of us who truely struggle with severe allergies!