Natural Products Expo West: Gluten Free Not

I’m getting a little irritated over the contradictory labeling for Gluten-Free products. Or supposedly gluten-free products.

I previously wrote about one item having wheat fiber but still manages to call itself Gluten-Free. What even the hell is “wheat fiber”?

Here’s “wheat starch.” And look, it’s certified Gluten Free. I’m wondering what standards the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) adheres to.

And here’s another shared equipment warning on the label.

In my opinion, having the word “wheat” on a label automatically makes it not Gluten-Free.

Natural Products Expo West: Cooking Out the Gluten Free

I was bemused and somewhat incensed that many companies exhibiting at the Natural Products Expo West proudly offered up their cooked items that were Gluten-Free. But if you looked closely at all the signs they had in their booth, you may have seen a sign that said that gluten-free items were also cooked in the same appliance that foods containing gluten were.

What the hell is the point of that? Hello. It’s no longer gluten-free if you don’t mix the products together. Nowadays, I won’t even consider a company unless they are solely gluten-free or they use a completely different facility for gluten-free products that they do with their other products. But that still doesn’t mean that their gluten-free products won’t be contaminated. Annie’s makes both gluten and gluten-free products. Are they delivered to the store in different trucks? Are they stored in the same warehouse?

And if you’ve been to the store when their stocking shelves, do you really think they’re careful about handling? I’ve seen palettes of gluten and non-gluten products stacked tougher.

Has anyone recently carried a bag of flour? Those puffs, drips, and drops aren’t harmless.

The FDA only controls what is packaged into your food. After the fact, you’re pretty much on your own.

What the Hell is Wheat Fiber and How is it Gluten-Free?

Yeah, I'm going to trust a package to say it's gluten-free when the ingredients list "Wheat Fiber"?

What the hell is that?

The New Jewish Table Cookbook Allergen Conscious Recipes

Looking for Passover recipes that are also gluten-free and vegetarian or vegan?

There’s a new cookbook out by Chef Todd Gray of Washington DC’s Equinox.

Included in The New Jewish Table are “contemporary reinterpretations of traditional Jewish dishes.”

Highlights from the book, which includes more than 100 unique recipes, include Fig & Port Wine Blintzes, Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato Latkes, Matzo-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens, Smoked Salmon & Sweet Corn Beignets, Falafel with Pickled Vegetables & Minted Lemon Yogurt and Chocolate Hazelnut Rugelach. 

Here’s more about Chef Todd Gray and his co-author and wife, Kassoff Gray

From the seasonally-inspired dishes he creates every day in his award-winning restaurant to his ongoing support for sustainable farming and fishing practices, Chef Gray’s impact on Washington, D.C.’s culinary scene has been immeasurable. Todd is as widely known for his exquisite cuisine as his effervescent personality and dedication to working with and promoting local and regional purveyors. A longtime advocate for sustainable agriculture, he has played a major role in making the sustainable and regional food movements popular within the DC food scene.

A five time nominee for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic Award he was also named the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s 2011 RAMMY Chef of the Year.

On a national scale, Chef Gray was selected by First Lady Michelle Obama to help advance her Healthy Kids Initiative, a project that encourages schools to serve students healthier meals. At the First Lady’s request Chef Gray addressed over 500 chefs on the South Lawn of the White House about implementing her vision on the Chefs Move to School initiative.

Chef Gray also currently serves as a board member on the Norwegian Seafood Council, an international organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable fishing methods. Additionally, Todd has been the Culinary Consultant for International Trade Center Management at the Ronald Reagan building since 2001. He continues to work with Culinaire, Inc. to oversee their casual seafood concept, Watershed, a restaurant that showcases the best seafood on the Eastern Seaboard.

About Ellen Kassoff Gray: A respected industry veteran in her own right, Ellen Kassoff Gray’s vast experience in business and marketing has been one of the key ingredients to the success of Equinox and the Harvest Moon Hospitality Group, both of which she owns and operates with husband/business partner, Chef Todd Gray.

Over the years her talents and accomplishments have been recognized by numerous professional organizations: Ellen was named Manager of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington in 2007, and in 2009 she received the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) Golden Fork Award for Front-of-the-House Excellence.

Ellen’s love for the restaurant industry and commitment to excellence is topped only by her passion for activism and supporting the causes in which she so strongly believes.  Ellen’s concern for animal welfare inspired her to launch Sugar & Champagne, an annual charity event that brings together DC’s finest pastry chefs and wine purveyors to benefit the Washington Humane Society.  To date, Sugar & Champagne has raised almost $1 million for the WHS, which provides care to more than 30,000 homeless animals every year.  In addition to honoring the work of the WHS as an organization, the event recognizes numerous individuals for their tremendous dedication and hard work towards improving the lives and treatment of animals.

Additionally, Ellen serves on the boards of the Washington Human Society and the Washington Jewish Community Center.  A longtime mentor for female chefs and restaurateurs, Ellen is a proud member of Les Dames d’Escoiffer International.

Natural Products Expo West: Gluten Friendly is Garbage

Gluten-free is not a trend. It was like over five years ago when Gwyneth Paltrow was on a Gluten-Free diet and everyone wanted to be like her. G-F foods have become prominent; they’re staples, and they’re necessary.

Gluten-Friendly is garbage. I have monthly meetings at Souplantation. Beyond the salad offerings, nothing is guaranteed to be gluten-free. As a matter of fact, because they bake and fry a lot, the vegetables don’t come with a guarantee that they aren’t contaminated. But they periodically have a Gluten-Friendly muffin or some sort of baked good tucked away in a bin in the corner. Let me tell you, not only is this potentially dangerous, but it’s an affront to people who are allergic to gluten.

Why? For one, this terminology propagates the idea that people have a choice. I don’t. And millions of others don’t either. I’d love to go back to eating a load of French bread for dinner. I’d die if I did that. Secondly, even if people are trying to wipe out gluten from their diets because there is wheat and other gluten flying around the kitchen, there’s no guarantee that it’s indeed Gluten-Friendly. For something to be entirely gluten-free, there needs to be a separate kitchen with designated utensils and equipment only used for gluten-free ingredients. EVER.

Thirdly, I did grab one of those ‘Friendly’ muffins. It was described to be ‘Free.’ I read the sign carefully, noting the terminology. I could have gotten really sick if I didn’t.

So if your restaurant or company is thinking about making ‘Friendly’ offerings to those who don’t want gluten, don’t. If you want in on the market, open up a designated facility. Otherwise, leave Gluten-Free to the ones who are committed to it.