This is both scary and maddening. Learning how to cook...gluten free has a new post with several articles on the unregulation (is that a word? TypePad doesn't recognize it) of gluten free products. What I find completely appalling is the ambivalence of both government agencies and product manufacturers. Including the owner of Wellshire Farms which labels their chicken nuggets, chicken corn dogs and beef corn dogs as "gluten free". For one of the Chicago Tribune articles the paper sent unopened packages of those 3 products to a testing facility in Nebraska. All three came back with significant amounts of gluten. The articlestates that Louis Colameco (the owner) has halted production on the 3 kids products for the time being in response to 2 consumer complaints and "recent moves by regulators to tighten "gluten-free" rules"; he is summarized as follows:
"Colameco said he would start making the food again when he finds a supplier who can guarantee that the batter used in the products is gluten free. The old supplier, he said, could not give such an assurance."
How can you label a product as gluten free if you aren't sure that it is? It is so frustrating that companies are trying to get into the gluten free market without doing proper research into how to make their products.
The USDA, who has jurisdiction in this case, is not much help either; they don't even have a policy on gluten free labeling. The food allergens link on their website leads to the FDA.
Hopefully when the FDA finally releases their definition of gluten free for labeling purposes it will help guide companies in establishing gluten free regulations for their products. Maybe it will also encourage the USDA to establish a policy of their own. Although according to the articles linked in learning how to cook...gluten free policies don't necessarily prevent allergens in food.
Rapid on-site testing is also becoming more viable. A team of researchers from Spain and the UK have developed a easier, faster way to detect gluten in food products that is still as accurate as the old slow way. The test can also be used on-site to test raw materials and the products at different stages in the manufacturing process. This could be used to tease out any problem areas in the process.
There is hope for the future, but companies (and government agencies) need to start taking these issues seriously. They need to realize that they are taking people's health (and trust) in their hands when they label their products gluten and allergen free.
Edited: Please see Cassandra's (Delightfully Gluten Free) post for a sample letter to send to Wellshire Farms as a campaign to encourage them to work with the Gluten Free Certification Organization.
