News – Page 45 – Gluten Intolerance Group of Northeast Ohio

Store Brands are Going Gluten Free

…And Some Mainstream Companies are Adding GF versions!

1) Walmart has a line of gluten free products from their Great Value line.
2) The Fresh Market chain also has their own line of GF products. In Shaker Hts., there is one at 20233 Van Aken Blvd.
3) Meijer has its own GF pasta
4) Giant Eagle has its own GF version of Corn Chex
5) Aldi’s has increased their gluten free offerings and are actively advertising them.
6) Freschetta brand now has 2 certified GF pizzas: Four Cheese Medley, and Pepperoni, both are thin crust and were spotted at Kroger’s for $9.99.
7) Breton Crackers now has 2 GF flavors: Original with Flax and Herb and Garlic, certified GF.

If you spot any other stores doing the same, please reply and let our members know. Tell us which ones you like and which ones to skip. We’d love to hear from you!

Chex Oatmeal

From Joan:

Chex Gluten Free Oatmeal is available at Marc’s – 2/$5.

Diane adds:

The packaging is labeled “gluten free” but the ingredient listing just says “whole grain oats”.

So, I was unsure whether pure gluten free oats were used in this product.

A statement on the company’s facebook page is reassuring:

The oats used for the oats & oatmeal products are sourced from a vertically integrated gluten free oat source. We also validate our cleaning and changeover methods at the plants for any system/line that will run a gluten free product. Ongoing verification gluten testing is performed at the finished product level. As such, any General Mills product that contains a “gluten free” claim meets the safety and regulatory definition of less than 20 ppm. While there are many “gluten free” certification bodies, General Mills’ standards meet and/or exceed the qualifications defined by these organizations. Therefore, you can be confident that our “gluten free” products are safe and meet global certification and regulatory standards.

Have you tried it? Have you seen it in other stores?

NOTE by Diane 9/30/15:
Gluten Free Chex Oatmeal has been discontinued.

Is Omission Beer Gluten Free?

Laurie wrote in the 6/1/14 NEOCN newsletter:

Omission beer is a barley based beer. It cannot be labeled as gluten free by the TTB or FDA because its source is a prohibited grain (barley). Enzymes are added to break down the gluten after brewing. The test used by Omission to see if there is any residual gluten is the Competitive Elisa Test which is a controversial test. So when Omission says the beer is under 20 parts per million, the results are in doubt because the test is in doubt by experts. Tricia Thompson MS RD, “The Gluten Free Dietitian” states: Experts who I trust immensely agree that they can NOT say for certain at this point in time whether Omission beer is safe for people with celiac disease to drink based on the data that has been released by Omission.” Please read: https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/reportUploads/Gluten_Removed_Barley_Based_Beers_Jan_14.pdf

Dr. Fasano seemed to agree with Tricia Thomson when he stated that “the purpose of the R5 ELISA is to test for cross contamination with naturally occurring gluten, not gluten that is artificially manipulated or degraded by an enzyme.” (Credit: Celiac Community Foundation of Northern California)

I know many might have an emotional reaction to hear this news. What further complicates this is that stores like Heinen’s or Giant Eagle may have a display of Omission beer in their gluten free aisles. Please question Heinen’s or Giant Eagle on this choice; and before you purchase, please look into this issue so you choose the gluten free beer that is safe for you.

Welcome! A New Name and a New Website!

Welcome to our new website… and “pardon our dust”, as we tinker to better serve the celiac/gluten free community. Formerly a Chapter of the Celiac Disease Foundation, we are now the Northeast Ohio Celiac Network (NEOCN), recommitting our energies to local needs. More visible on your mobile and tablet devices, this website is also now interactive! Please talk to us through your comments at the end of any post! Let us know (and let your fellow members know) about your local gluten free experiences! Together we can make Northeast Ohio gluten free friendly.

Zumbathon

Tonia C. (center stage in red sneakers) enlisted the help of fellow Zumba instructors to raise funds for both the local Northeast Ohio Celiac Network and the Celiac Disease Foundation. Great job Tonia! Way to have fun and raise celiac awareness!

Judy and Marylou passing out goodies at Zumbathon

May 9th, 2014 Zumbathon was a wonderful success! Pictures above are the Zumbathon teachers that volunteered their time to raise funds for both the Celiac Disease Foundation and the NEO Celiac Network! Pictured are also Judy and Marylou passing out gluten free goodies and having a great time!