Thursday, March 31, 2011

Chef PURPOSELY Serving Gluten to Gluten Free Customers!!

Hold on to your seats... this is ugly.  Celiac.com has posted an article about a chef who has been PURPOSELY serving gluten to customers who ordered gluten free food!

Click here to read this story on Celiac.com.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit in Washington D.C. - Sign the Petition!

I just received this important message regarding gluten free food labeling from the Jules Gluten Free newsletter and would like to pass it on.  Please read, offer any support you can and help spread the word!

"How sure are you that the product you're about to pay for won't make you sick, and compromise your special weekend plans?


How sure are you that you won't be putting your child through the mental and physical stress of a gluten contamination you promised you'd help him avoid at all costs?


We have peanut-free airplane trips now, when someone alerts the crew to an allergy - and rightfully so.

We've clear labeling for eggs, wheat, dairy and the other five top allergens, and rightfully so.

The fact that clear, federally established and monitored regulations for gluten-free food labeling don't exist is a slap in our collective faces. More stringent and clearly stated regulations exist governing catching trout than exist to protect those of us whose physical wellbeing depends on eating gluten-free!
  


More stringent and clearly stated regulations exist governing catching trout than exist to protect those of us whose physical wellbeing depends on eating gluten-free!




The worst part? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was tasked 7 years ago with developing and implementing such standards as part of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA).

Seven years! And nothing.

It's bad enough when acquaintances, talk show hosts and others label gluten free as some kind of "fad" or another vain attempt at weight loss. The FDA's inaction does our cause no good, to be sure.

For millions of Americans, this disregard for our health is a big deal. And we're doing something about it.

I've teamed up with a few creative friends to create a large-scale, newsworthy event to draw attention to the need for federal gluten-free food labeling standards. It's the first Gluten-Free Food Labeling Summit.

At the Summit on May 4th, in Washington, D.C., we will unveil the World's Tallest Gluten-Free Cake during a V.I.P. reception for federal lawmakers, concerned members and supporters of the gluten-free community, members of the media and gluten-free food manufacturers!

Projected to tower more than 12 feet tall, this gluten-free, dairy-free cake will symbolize the Big Deal that federal gluten-free food labeling standards mean to the estimated 3 million Americans living with celiac disease, and the more than 18 million Americans living with gluten-intolerance.

21 million Americans! I'd say that's a big deal!

We need your help to make a Big noise about this Big event.

1) Visit our website, 1in133.org and read about the unprecedented leadership within our community behind this event.

2) Lend your voice, by signing our petition.

3) Make a donation of $11.33 for each of your loved ones that eat gluten free (this helps defray the significant costs of staging such a massive undertaking - the remaining funds will support our community's own American Celiac Disease Alliance (ACDA)).

4) Send a letter to the FDA, with a few clicks, right from the1in133.org web site.

5) Please, please, ask everyone you know to put themselves in the shoes of someone who buys and prepares meals for a loved one whose health depends on fair and clear labeling. Ask them to support our cause for those on a medically necessitated gluten-free diet that keeps them from the litany of symptoms and consequences of eating gluten.

6) Post this to your Facebook wall, Tweet about it, ask your local health food store to publicize it in the gluten-free aisles, on their community bulletin boards in their very next email blast, on their web site, etc.

This event is just 5 weeks away!
The FDA has given us an example of inaction. We must show them that members of the gluten-free community are passionate, committed and vocal - and that we will NOT be dismissed or overlooked."

Monday, March 21, 2011

Review: Gluten Free Liquid Broth Concentrates from Savory Choice

Finding a natural broth that is not only gluten free, but also free of MSG and high levels of sodium can be tricky.  Sure there are some boxed varieties that fit this bill, but they take up huge amounts of space in the pantry!  Savory Choice has the solution - an innovative line of premium quality, natural liquid broth concentrates that come in tiny space-saving pouches; in fact, "Just one little box of Savory Choice Liquid Broth Concentrates is equivalent to seven 14 oz. cans of broth which means you'll save money, the environment, and valuable storage space."  I have a small pantry so I was extremely impressed with this unique benefit.

Versatility is one of the many gifts Savory Choice Liquid Broth Concentrates has to offer.  In addition to adding water to use this product as a traditional broth, you can use the packet contents at full strength to enhance the flavor your existing recipes.  You can also try your hand at new recipes using Savory Choice Liquid Broth Concentrates, many of which are provided on the product packaging and the Savory Choice website.  I tried the recipe for Vegetable Dip on the box of the Low Sodium Vegetable Liquid Broth Concentrate and it was quite good; I even added some onion powder and dried minced onion to create an onion dip version as well.  We served the vegetable-onion dip at my daughters slumber party and five teenage girls made it disappear fast!

Savory choice offers their liquid broth concentrates in vegetable, chicken, turkey and beef varieties.  Low sodium versions of the chicken and vegetable liquid broth concentrates are also available.  Because I don't eat meat I was only able to sample the vegetable variety, but I give it two thumbs up!


"Savory Choice is brought to you by Savory Creations International. Located in Northern California, Savory Creations offers a full range of premium broth concentrates at affordable prices for food service, retail, and industrial use. We’re making news around the country because we deliver broths that taste good enough for chefs to call their own.

Our clean label products contain no MSG, or HVP, and they're naturally gluten free with zero Trans fats.
Savor the homemade flavor!"

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this review.  I received the item/items featured in this post for review purposes courtesy of the product company and/or its PR company. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions I have expressed are solely my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Resource: Safeway's NEW SimpleNutrition Labeling Program



Safeway has initiated a new labeling program throughout all of their grocery stores called SimpleNutrition. Hundreds of gluten free products are now easy to identify with green SimpleNutrition labels throughout the store.

Click here to read the full post on my Freebie Fairy blog.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this review.  I received Safeway gift cards as a thank you from Safeway for participating in their SimpleNutrition promotion. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions I have expressed are solely my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
 
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