One of the most frustrating statements to see on the packaging of a gluten free item is, "Made in a facility that processes foods containing wheat." This statement is extremely vague. The customer has absolutely no idea what to expect from the product. I tend to avoid these products, but I'll occasionally break my own rule and eat them. The symptoms of Celiac disease are sometimes impossible to connect to a specific food and so it is almost impossible to "test" these items on yourself.
We desperately need federal guidelines for the food and drug industry. Right now we're out in the Wild West of the gluten free market. What does "gluten free" mean on a product that was made in a facility that handles wheat? I assume this means that the product is made with ingredients that do not contain gluten. Does this qualify the product as "gluten free"? It shouldn't! Gluten free should mean that the final product has been tested to contain less than 20ppm of gluten (or even better, less than 15ppm or 10ppm).
For that matter, what does a restaurant mean when they say they offer a gluten free menu? At present, it simply means that they think they can offer meals that do not contain gluten. But what does the restaurant mean by this? It is rarely clear unless you ask the chef. There has been a recent spike in interest in the gluten free diet, but not because the Celiac population has exploded. Rather, this spike has been related to an increase in the perception that the gluten free diet is somehow healthier. If the restaurant thinks you are one of these voluntary gluten free diners, are they going to make sure that your meal is absolutely gluten free? I worry about this every time I eat out. It seems likely that the server or manager sees me as one of the wave of new dieters and not as a person with Celiac disease. I tend to trust restaurants that are run by people who have Celiac disease in their family (like Da Luciano's) or where I know that the chef is professionally trained and sensitive to the plight of those with food allergies (like White Chocolate Grill; on Twitter).
We really need to define standards for gluten free food. I can't see any way to achieve this without federal regulation.
1 comment:
I find that presenting a card outling my food intolerances helps grab the staffs attention. There are some free ones that can be printed out from the web or you can buy them in several languages for travel.
The main mistake I see with gluten free menus are marinades with soy sauce.
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