Gluten-Free But Not Safe

grain-free, gluten-free

Last week I was a guest blogger at FoodRenegade.com. Click the link at the bottom to read the entire article.

Recently, The Washington Post reported about the FDA’s reluctance to make a decision about gluten-free labeling. Under a 2004 law Congress gave the FDA until 2008 to establish a standard for food manufacturers who want to use the term “gluten-free” in their food label.

Alessio Fasano, medical director of the Center for Celiac Research and one of the authors of new research proving the existence of gluten sensitivity at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, feels it is a “no-brainer.” Fasano believes that the incidence of Celiac disease is skyrocketing in this country because changes in agricultural practices have increased gluten levels in crops. “We are in the midst of an epidemic,” he said.

Food manufacturers are jumping on this market potential with sales of gluten-free cereals, snacks and other foods projected to reach $2.6 billion next year. This is up from $100 million in 2003.

In typical fashion and because the labeling terms are unregulated at this point, many foods labeled by the manufacturers as gluten-free, in fact, have small amounts of gluten that could trigger an attack in a susceptible person.

Read more at FoodRenegade.com

This post is linked to: Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Favorites,

Friday Food,

Living Well BLog Hop,  Melt in Your Mouth Monday,

Sugar-Free Sunday,  Mangia Monday, Monday Mania, Weekend Carnival, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday Blog Hop, Day2Day Joys


  • http://www.momtrends.com/ Nicole Feliciano

    Thanks for sharing this post on Friday Food. I’m saddened to hear parents have to deal with poor labeling when trying to avoid gluten. I appreciate the link.

  • http://joshealthcorner.blogspot.com/ Jo at Jo’s Health Corner

    I read this post last week and it is very good. I learned about Fasano when I researched about Paleo.

    I am hosting a Living Well Hop today and I don’t mean to spam you but I know that you like to link up to hops..

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Nicole,
    Thanks for your comments!

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Jo,
    I’m in!

  • http://paleosecrets.com/paleo-foods-list paleo foods list

    Thanks for sharing this. I appreciated..
    Thanks for sharing.

    Here are some more useful recipes which I am sure you will find useful.
    paleo foods list

    Regards, Johny

  • http://thecrunchycoach.com/maqui-berry Emily

    This is why I buy nothing that is processed (okay, okay, catsup and mustard and the oils). Not even if the label “sounds” healthy, not even if it is from Whole Foods.

    I don’t trust any part of the food industry, period.

  • http://thecottageonpilgrimsfarm.blogspot.com jean

    Neither do I trust the food companies. Too many times I have been glutened by foods that were “gluten-free”. No more. I eat fresh from my own farm now. I can live without the processed foods quite well. This article is needed to inform people of what is going on. Thank you.

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Johny,
    Thanks for the menus!

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    HI Emily,
    I couldn’t agree more.

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Jean,
    I like your term “glutened.” Your farm looks grat and your photos are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

  • http://day2dayjoys.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-toxic-is-your-sunscreen.html Rachel

    Shows the importance of reading the ingredients on food labels even more, thanks for sharing this!

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Rachel,
    Better yet, as much of your own food as possible.

  • http://realfoodforager.com/2011/10/grains-and-gluten-the-new-offenders-for-sure/ Grains and Gluten: The New Offenders For Sure — Real Food Forager

    [...] lab testing that is reliable and can help these people find out if they are gluten intolerant. There is research that shows that gluten intolerance is indeed a [...]