Gluten-Free Label Reading 101
Categories: Gluten Free 101, New Gluten Free Products, News
Tags: , California Rolls, crab stick, FALCPA, GIG, Gluten Free 101, Gluten Free Products, gluten-free soy sauce, Hummus, Ingredients, sushi, sushi rice, tamari
You know how it feels. You’re walking down the aisle at the grocery store and you stop to pick up a product that you’ve purchased before, you glance at the label in passing, and you see it: WHEAT!
Your heart sinks. You start to feel shaky. How long has it contained wheat? Did they change their formula? Have you been unwittingly contaminated?!
It happens to all of us at one time or another. Reading labels isn’t easy stuff. Manufacturers use different symbols and terminology, and just because a product doesn’t contain wheat doesn’t necessarily mean it is gluten-free.
Hummus with Gluten-Free Symbol
It happened to me the other day on a rare trip to Wegman’s. There isn’t a Wegman’s near me, so it’s an unusual treat for me to be able to cruise their well-stocked aisles. In the hummus department I found something very disturbing: gluten-containing hummus!
Really?! What’s the reason for that? I make hummus from scratch and it certainly doesn’t need any wheat! (see my easy pumpkin hummus recipe)
Hummus is one of those go-to dips for me at parties, where I usually feel safe dipping my carrot stick in the creamy condiment. Not anymore. Wegman’s has hummus with wheat and hummus without wheat. To their credit, their hummus without wheat has a gluten-free symbol on it, but in all honesty, it was pure chance that I noticed the one with wheat was off-limits to me.
This revelation spurred me to examine some other products I assumed always contained wheat and others I thought were ordinarily safe. Which brings me to some happy news: I finally found
gluten-free imitation crab! I know it sounds icky put that way, but it makes a gluten-free California Roll possible! I had heard rumors that there were some “crab sticks” (as they’re called in the sushi world) made with tapioca starch, cornstarch and surimi.
GF sushi options now may include wheat-free crab sticks
Wegman’s actually carries one they say is exclusive to their chain, and they sell it in their sushi, although you have to read the label all the way through to be certain. (Sure seems like they should be calling that out, since it’s such a great new food choice for those eating gluten free.)
We still must avoid most of the dipping sauces like hoisin, as they typically contain soy sauce made with wheat. (Some great brands of gluten-free soy sauces to try though, include San-J and now, Kikkoman - only their specially-labeled sauces are GF). Always ask about the sticky rice as well, as some sushi restaurants use malt vinegar (gluten) instead of rice vinegar (gluten-free) to help make the rice sticky.
All this is really good news for those of us who like sushi, but it doesn’t mean that it’s easy to find, and it remains unlikely that your neighborhood sushi joint will be serving gluten-free California rolls anytime soon. Still, it’s something to look for, and another reason to read labels with vigilance.
Until the FDA finalizes its proposed rule under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) to establish a federal standard for “gluten-free,” we consumers are left to pour over and decipher packaging information as best we can. Currently, the easiest indicator of the safety of our food is the Gluten-Free symbol 
from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (run by GIG – the Gluten Intolerance Group). It is a stamp of assurance that a product is tested to 10 parts per million (“ppm”) gluten – the current suggested scientific standard is <20ppm — and that best practices are in use to prevent cross-contamination, even if the processing plant also produces foods containing gluten.
In the meantime, read those labels! Wheat must be declared as a food allergen if it is contained in any food product. Barley and rye (grains also containing gluten) need not be declared, but are usually either listed ingredients or are identified as “malt,” which is typically made from barley unless otherwise indicated. Food manufacturers can change their formulas at any time. If you have any questions about the safety of a product, contact that manufacturer directly and do not eat the product until you are sure. Your health is too important to risk for a snack.
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08. Feb, 2011
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jules Dowler Shepard, Caneel. Caneel said: RT @JulesGlutenFree: #gfree California rolls?! Hummus with #wheat?! #Glutenfree Label Reading 101 http://bit.ly/eCtGLm #gf Tell FDA to r … [...]
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17. Oct, 2011
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Trish S. said: on February 8, 2011
FYI, there is Corn flour out there that contains wheat. I thankfully read the label before I made cornbread from it!
Jules said: on February 8, 2011
Yes, it’s actually hard to find corn flour that is certified gluten-free. I have had luck finding Arrowhead Mills GF corn flour though.
Tammie said: on February 8, 2011
Thank you Jules for posting the above content on hummus…I too, love that at parties and I usually bring it along with me! Enjoy your day and as always…thanks for keeping us straight and GF!! Well and warm wishes…Tammie
)
Amber K said: on February 8, 2011
It can be so frustrating!
Carol D. said: on February 9, 2011
I bought a blueberry fruit syrup from Aldi (which contains corn syrup, blueberries, cane sugar, lemon juice concentrate, and natural flavors). I thought it looked safer than the ingredients in the artificial maple syrup. Because of the “natural flavors,” I contacted Aldi to ask (in case barley malt was hidden there). Aldi had to contact the manufacturer, who contacted me. I was told the natural flavors were fine, but the corn syrup contained gluten!! Sheesh. We can’t even assume with corn syrup?!
Tina P. said: on February 9, 2011
It’s difficult enough for us celiacs to read all the labels and remember which items are okay and not okay, but my heart goes out to my mother! There’s no reason it has to be so complicated.
TR said: on February 12, 2011
Thanks for the post! I’ve always been careful to read labels before purchasing, but ive become so much more careful since discovering my gluten allergy. Definitely sharing this post.
Becca said: on February 12, 2011
ugh, sometimes things can get so frustrating, especially for ppl like my husband and I who don’t have a choice but to eat Gluten Free, due to him having Celiac, and its terrible how the things that we have to buy are soooo overpriced!! We get so sick of eating the same things over and over, when its all we can afford! I wish stores and food companies did not make eating healthy a fortune maker for them, it seriously does not cost them that much more to do it.
JoAnne said: on March 2, 2011
I so totally agree! We are getting closer and closer to retirement age and what am I going to do with a limited income and having to purchase expensive GF foods. Some days I feel very taken advantage of.
Angie Halten said: on February 16, 2011
Yes, I agree with you if we all wrote to our Congressperson or the FDA and voice our concerns then it might just push the labeling laws through much faster. I can’t wait for the day that I don’t have to read every label!
Angie.
Kara said: on February 20, 2011
So is Kix gluten free now?
I have Aunt Jemima’s corn meal – I swear that everytime I use it I get sick. Is it equally hard to find corn meal that is gluten free. Should I just stick with Arrowhead Mills?
Jules said: on February 21, 2011
To my knowledge, Aunt Jemima’s does not claim its corn meal is GF. You need to listen to your body and if you are sickened by it or any other product, definitely stop using it immediately! It can be hard to find gluten-free corn meal and corn flour, so I would stick with Arrowhead Mills gluten-free corn meal if you can find that.
labelitlabels said: on March 4, 2011
I swear that everytime I use it I get sick. Is it equally hard to find corn meal that is gluten free. Should I just stick with Arrowhead Mills?
Carol said: on March 8, 2011
One of my biggest disappointments was finding out that most soups have wheat in them, including “cooking soups” like tomato, and cream of mushroom. If I want to buy a can of soup I have to stand there label reading for 10 min and then find out maybe 2 or 3 are actually glutenfree. I wrote to Campbells and they never even responded. It will take someone in their corporated group to get celiac before they respond obviously ( like Betty Crocker) Only Progresso seems to actually label glutenfree. Anyone know which brands are available to us?
Jules said: on March 8, 2011
I share your frustration! Progresso does offer many options, as do Pacific and Imagine Foods. Keep up the pressure on other companies, though. Unless they hear from us, they’ll never know how much we want their products to be gluten-free!