From Gluten Free Watchdog:
This sourdough wheat bread is sold by Christopher’s Bakery at the Westside Market in Cleveland, Ohio. A subscriber alerted us that this bakery was selling what they called gluten-friendly sourdough wheat bread.
A subscriber to Gluten Free Watchdog purchased this product for us at Westside Market.
Ingredients (according to an email from Christopher’s Bakery): Organic wheat flour, High gluten flour, Water, Salt, Dry malt diastatic
Needless to say, bread made with wheat flour is NOT gluten free. Please be aware if you are visiting the West Side Market and do NOT buy this product.
It does state it is Gluten-Friendly, not Gluten-Free, which is the difference that makes it not Gluten-Free to begin with. People with Celiac Disease should know the difference. Plus, ask questions, if you are in doubt, don’t buy it, and stay safe
Zoey it is true that we all need to be our own best advocates all of the time. My understanding is that there were issues, at least early on, with what people were being told when they made inquiries. It needs to be said that if the base ingredients include wheat, rye, or barley it cannot be de-glutened. The belief that sourdough carries reduced gluten levels is just false.
There has been a belief in the bakery world that the process of making sourdough eliminates the presence of gluten. It is a false belief. Whether there has been a effort by this baker to deceive the public is unknown. If you are a shopper at Westside Market and you see this vendor you can print the report this site and share with them to make inform them.
This post was forwarded to me because I have celiac disease. What these people are doing (selling) is criminal! They’re either terribly misinformed or lying to their customers with celiac disease. Either way, they need to be held accountable.
Gluten Free Watchdog has made testing public:
https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/product/lake-erie-sourdough-bread-not-gluten-free/1380
Christopher’s Bakery at the West Side Market is selling this wheat bread as gluten friendly. The product tested at over 140,000 parts per million of gluten.
Gluten Free Watch Dog has issued a pdf to give to bakers who think that their wheat-based bread is magically safe for us: https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/to-bakers-pushing-your-sourdough-wheat-bread-on-folks-with-celiac-disease-stop/
I have heard (first-hand) the employees at Christopher’s bakery tell customers gluten has been removed from their bread and that many of their customers with celiac disease buy it. WHAT?! That information is grossly inaccurate and HARMFUL to people with celiac disease. People with gluten sensitivity can do what they want but people with celiac disease should NOT consume wheat-based sourdough bread such as the one sold at Christopher’s! Respectfully, people with CD need to be more discerning than to fall for such nonsense.
If I consumed this, as gluten sensitive, I will be ill for days. I will have severe diarrhea, stomach pains, and extreme fatigue. Please don’t assume that because I cut out gluten before I had gut damage like my mom, I am not affected.