10 Gluten-Free Predictions for the New Decade

Whether 2020 will be your first year eating gluten-free or you have been eating gluten-free for over a decade (like myself), the new year and new decade offer many gluten-free possibilities. While there have been major improvements in gluten-free life in the last decade, there are far more gluten-free advances that are necessary. Imagine how fantastic gluten-free life will be in 2029 when hopefully most of these gluten-free predictions become a reality! 

Here are my gluten-free predictions in random order. Which ones do you hope will come true? What would you add to this list?

1. Significant increase in the number of Americans diagnosed with celiac disease.

2. Broader awareness of celiac disease symptoms, treatment, and health complications.

3. Gluten disclosed on all medication labels.

4. More colleges offering dining halls that are gluten-free, allergen-free, and vegan, following the examples of the University of North Texas and Michigan State.

5. Gluten-free meals and snacks widely available at hospitals, nursing homes, school cafeterias, work cafeterias, sports and entertainment venues, airlines, hotels, and programs for feeding the homeless.

6. The celiac pill will be available. One option could be available as early as 2021, while a vaccine is being fast-tracked by the FDA. 

7. We will see a big increase in 100% gluten-free restaurants as well as many restaurants adding gluten-free menus without cross-contamination that are truly safe for people with celiac disease.

8. Store brand products will be commonly labeled as gluten-free, offering a much-needed way for gluten-free consumers to save money. 

9. The FDA will enforce proper use of the gluten-free label.

10. Tasty new gluten-free products will meet the demands of many special dietary needs, including vegan, keto, plant-based, allergen-free, low sugar, low carb, and more.

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Alert: Mama Lucia Meatballs Removes Gluten-Free from Packaging

We love Mama Lucia All Beef Meatballs found in the frozen foods section of Safeway and Giant. They are delicious with pasta and in open-faced meatball subs with Udi’s Gluten Free hot dog buns. When I went to buy Mama Lucia Meatballs last night, I was shocked to see that gluten-free has been removed from the front of the All Beef package. I searched the package, and gluten-free is nowhere on the new package! 

Are Mama Lucia Meatballs still gluten-free? Here are the three email replies I received today from a conversation with a Quaker Maid Consumer Affairs representative, with the most recent reply last.

“Thank you for contacting us regarding the Mama Lucia All Beef Italian Style Meatballs. Your comments are appreciated. The “Gluten-Free” notation has been removed from the new packaging, however, the formulation and ingredients are the same. This all beef meatball is still gluten-free. Please accept my apology for the confusion.” 

“I understand that such packaging notation are very important and I’m sorry for any stress this has caused you. The change was made when the package sizes were updated and with the idea that new items may be added to the meatball facility sometime in the future. There has not been any manufacturing change at this point. Because this might mean the facility will no longer be strictly gluten-free, they considered this change very carefully and did not come to this decision lightly. At this time and in the near future you can be assured that all Mama Lucia Meatballs are gluten-free including the All Beef variety. It will be important to watch the BACK of the package where allergens are listed.” 

“Yes they are tested. Nothing is changing! Be assured that the meatballs you have are gluten-free, we are still producing all meatballs that are gluten-free.”

While I would like to trust the company that the product is still gluten-free, my 12 years of eating gluten-free tells me otherwise. Why would you take gluten-free off the package if your product is still gluten-free now? I can’t help but wonder if there is more they aren’t saying. Is it safe for celiac disease? They are clearly saying that their manufacturing may change in the near future when they introduce gluten products, so even if they are gluten-free now, they likely will not be in the near future due to cross-contamination. 

I asked multiple times if gluten-free is being removed from all of their meatball products or only the All Beef ones, but I did not receive a response. None of the photos on their website have gluten-free on any of the packages anymore. Their website FAQ now says, “There are no wheat or gluten ingredients in the products.”

My recommendation is to continue always reading ingredients and start searching for a different brand of gluten-free frozen meatballs. For brands, if you value your gluten-free consumers, don’t remove gluten-free from the package and expect them to keep buying it!

Review: Wegmans Gluten-Free Crispy Rice Cereal

Ever since Kellogg’s discontinued gluten-free Rice Krispies in 2015, I haven’t had any luck finding a good replacement. Recently, I heard in social media that Wegmans Crispy Rice cereal is now gluten-free. I was very excited to try it and hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Not only does Wegmans gluten-free Crispy Rice cereal taste very similar to Kellogg’s, but it is actually even better! The oven toasted rice is a bit fluffier and airier, giving it even more of a Snap, Krackle, and Pop. Not to mention the incredibly cheap price for a 12 ounce box of gluten-free and lactose-free enriched cereal – only $1.99! 

If I hadn’t heard in social media that it was gluten-free, I would have completely missed it at Wegmans. It is in the regular cereal aisle on the bottom shelf, and the only indication that it is gluten-free is the tiny orange circle with the letter G on the front of the box. I highly recommend that they also put this cereal in the gluten-free section. Wegmans has succeeded in creating the best tasting gluten-free Crispy Rice cereal. Now, they just need to make sure people with celiac disease can find it!

Review: New Gluten-Free Cheerios

For the last few months, I have been walking down the cereal aisle every week in hopes of spotting the new gluten-free Cheerios. Last night, I finally found them at Giant! In fact, I almost missed them since the front of the new gluten-free boxes is almost identical to the old ones, except for the gluten-free stamp on the bottom right. Plus, there were many old boxes mixed with the new ones. 

For the majority of my life before celiac disease, one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast was a bowl of Cheerios mixed with Rice Krispies. When I heard last spring that Kellogg’s was discontinuing gluten-free Rice Krispies, I immediately stocked up and set aside several boxes to enjoy with the new gluten-free Cheerios. So last night for dinner, I enjoyed a bowl of gluten-free Rice Krispies mixed with the gluten-free Cheerios! 

When I opened the yellow Cheerios box, I instantly recognized its distinct aroma. The Cheerios were delicious! It is funny that I don’t remember them becoming so soggy in milk. I guess that really stood out to me since the texture is unlike any gluten-free cereal I have eaten in the last eight years, but in a good way. This morning for breakfast, I had a bowl of the gluten-free Multigrain Cheerios, which I loved! Wheat and barley were removed from the Multigrain Cheerios, and they added sorghum and millet instead. All the other Cheerios have the exact same taste as before. 

Instead of using certified gluten-free oats, General Mills has come up with “a way to sort the other grains out of our oats.” Part of this process is explained on the back of the new box. I must admit it is odd to buy a product that shows a pile of oats as “what we put in” and then three piles of what is removed: wheat, rye, and barley. However, I trust General Mills when it comes to gluten-free, and I didn’t have any problems from eating the Cheerios. For more about their process, watch this video. I read on the Cheerios website that “every batch of gluten-free oats is tested to make sure it has less than 20 parts per million of other grains.”

Now, if Kellogg’s would bring back gluten-free Rice Krispies, it would be gluten-free cereal nirvana for all! I look forward to trying gluten-free Honey Nut Cheerios next. They are also available in gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Cheerios and Frosted Cheerios. I am excited to stock up the next time there is a Cheerios sale!

Update August 14, 2015: The Gluten-Free Watchdog has expressed significant concerns over the safety of gluten-free Cheerios for people with celiac disease. Please read her position, so you can make an informed decision for yourself. At the time of my review, I was unaware of these concerns. I ate many bowls, especially of Multigrain Cheerios, and did not experience any problems.

New Resource for Gluten-Free College Students

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) has a new digital publication for gluten-free college students called GREAT U. The terrific resource is a must read for gluten-free high school students applying to college. Those already in college will find the guide handy not only for themselves, but for helping roommates and friends understand the gluten-free diet. Parents will enjoy reading GREAT U, especially the tips on how to make the ultimate gluten-free package.  

 

“GREAT U was created to build gluten-free students’ confidence and empower them to take action on their own behalf while on campus. All students deserve a GREAT college experience, and this publication helps them do just that.”

 

Here are my favorite articles in GREAT U:  

• Gluten-Free No-Nos in the Dining Hall 
• Gluten-Free One Liners
• Hurdling the Obstacles
• Dating Dos and Don’ts 
• Great Stories from Our GREAT Schools (Emory University, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and University of Colorado Boulder)
• How to Start Your Own Gluten-Free Advocacy Group on Campus

 

Thanks to Kelly Clayton, NFCA’s college intern, and Udi’s Gluten-Free for making this resource possible! Click here to download GREAT U. When you are done reading it, be sure to click the reader feedback button at the bottom to let NFCA know how great you think it is.

Gluten-Free News: New Magazine, Protein Bars, Omni Hotels, and Much More

My gluten-free Google Alerts have been filled with positive gluten-free news over the last two weeks. From gluten-free menus at hotels to an Olympic pole vaulter with celiac disease, celiac awareness is increasing.  

Silvana Nardone, the founding editor-in-chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray, is now the editor-in-chief of the brand new Easy Eats digital magazine. The first issue of the beautiful magazine is completely free. Simply click on subscribe at the bottom of the page and choose special introductory deal. A one year subscription (6 issues) is $16. You can also sign up to be an Easy Eats recipe tester. The premiere issue has many recipes and a great article listing the Best Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread in a variety of categories. 

Speaking of magazines, Gorton’s is giving away 100 subscriptions to Living Without to celebrate their line of grilled fish fillets that are now gluten-free. 

NuGo Nutrition Debuts the First Almost Sugar-Free Protein Bar Without Maltitol or Artificial Sweeteners at Expo East. The new certified gluten-free bars have 15 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of sugar from real dark chocolate and chicory root. Since I work for the company, I already sampled the new NuGO Slim bars. My daughter and I loved them!

Omni Hotels will be offering gluten-free breakfast buffet stations at all of their locations. Read about other hotels with gluten-free items in Hotels Go Gluten-Free. 

“Omni Hotels is rolling out a gluten-free breakfast buffet station companywide. The station will include gluten-free cereals, granola and a variety of breads and muffins. It has its own table—and toaster—to avoid cross-contamination with products containing wheat.

“We’re getting great positive feedback from our hotel guests on recognizing the importance of people with celiac disease,” says Rosenstock, who, personally, keeps gluten-free by choice and claims improved health as a result. “We’re getting letters from people who say they’ll always stay at Omni.” 

Rosenstock points out the gluten-free options don’t cost a hotel more money. It’s all about sourcing differently and planning for it.” 

A British home baker, Jennifer Buls of Absolute Treats, won the title of UK National Cupcake Champion with a lime and coconut cupcake. She bakes gluten-free, dairy-free, diabetic-friendly, and vegan cupcakes and has secured a permanent location for a tearoom in West Wales.  

There has been lots of coverage of the FDA’s proposed gluten-free labeling standards. A story was even featured on CBS News. For more information about submitting your comments to the FDA and to read what others are saying, visit Gluten-Free Living.

Jenn Suhr, an Olympic pole vaulter, was diagnosed with celiac disease this summer after “suffering leg cramps, dehydration and general weakness for months.” She competed last week at the World Athletics Championships in South Korea and finished fourth. Jenn is hoping to win Gold at the 2012 Olympics. 

Olympic runner Amy Yoder-Begley also has celiac disease and packed gluten-free food for the 2008 Olympics. She suffered for 10 years before being diagnosed with celiac disease. She is currently recovering from an injury and hopes to make it to London in 2012. It is so exciting to imagine celiac disease being mentioned during the 2012 Olympic broadcasts!

Big Gluten-Free News: Glutino Acquisition, FDA Gluten-Free Labeling Proposal, and Schwan’s Pizza

In a shocking announcement yesterday, it was revealed that Smart Balance paid $66.3 million in cash to acquire Glutino Foods! 

"We are very impressed with the Glutino management team, led by Terence Dalton, and believe the skill sets of both the Glutino and Smart Balance teams will contribute to improving the performance of both companies. Both companies have similar missions and values. Through this combination, we believe Smart Balance's core competencies in sales, marketing and product development will help Glutino realize its growth potential, ultimately creating long-term value for our shareholders, and exciting opportunities for our new and existing employees.”

Earlier this week, the FDA held a teleconference about gluten-free labeling, and said that gluten-free labeling rules are expected to be finalized in the third quarter of 2012. Read this great recap of the teleconference from The Savvy Celiac. To submit your comments electronically to the FDA about the gluten-free labeling proposal, follow these steps. Comments are due by October 3, 2011.

1. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. 
2. Select submit a comment from the task bar.
3. Enter FDA-2005-N-0404 in the keyword box and click search.
4. Go to the actions column and select submit a comment.
5. You have 20 minutes to complete your form before the session will timeout. 

As kids are getting ready to head back to school soon, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has exciting news about school pizza.

“Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., a leading provider of pizza to K-12 schools, colleges and universities, healthcare facilities and other foodservice venues, has introduced two new gluten-free pizza products to the market. With nearly 40 years’ experience bringing pizza to 75% of the nation’s schools, Schwan’s is committed to ensuring their products are nutritious and delicious. The two new gluten-free pizzas – one for the K-12 market and one for colleges and other operations – are the latest examples of this commitment. Schwan’s Food Service teamed up with the NFCA to better understand the challenges of gluten intolerance and celiac disease, provide training for their sales force, and offer training to their customers.”

The pizza is certified gluten-free and individually wrapped on a baking tray. Many children will be able to enjoy purchasing gluten-free pizza in their school cafeteria this year!

Gluten-Free News: Hamburger Helper, Frito Lay, California Pizza Kitchen, Celiac Vaccine, Petitions, and a Twitter Party

If you like gluten-free Hamburger Helper, stock up before it is gone. In an email posted on Celiac-Disease.com, General Mills states that it will no longer be gluten-free.

"Essentially, our three Helpers items, Hamburger Helper Cheesy Hashbrown, Asian Helper Chicken Fried Rice and Asian Helper Beef Fried Rice will soon no longer be gluten free. This is due to a change in manufacturing facilities, and although gluten will not be used as an ingredient in any of the three products, we will no longer be able to guarantee that they will be free from cross-contamination."

Also on Celiac-Disease.com, you can find the new Frito Lay gluten-free list. It appears that they now have a larger list of products that they test for gluten.

At the end of June, California Pizza Kitchen will be adding a gluten-free pizza crust. For more information, read this Gluten-Free Philly blog post.

There are promising results for a celiac vaccine as explained in ScienceDaily this week. The Phase I trial of Nexvax2 was conducted in Australia. The Phase II trial is expected to begin in 10 months.

Please take a few minutes to sign these two important gluten-free petitions.

Encourage the Girl Scouts to sell an allergen-free cookie

Encourage the FDA to finalize gluten-free labeling rules
For a detailed recap of the 1in133 event and how they built the world's largest gluten-free cake, read Jules Shepard's new blog post.

On Wednesday, May 25 at 8 pm ET, the US Potato Board will host a gluten-free twitter party and will offer five prizes. The US Potato Board created a new gluten-free recipe collection, which includes 80 recipes, such as gluten-free potato lasagna.

New SimpleNutrition Tags at Safeway

Locating gluten-free products at Safeway is now even easier with the introduction of SimpleNutrition. Green shelf tags, with two nutrition and ingredient benefits listed in different colors, can be found throughout the store. The color of the gluten-free tag is orange brown. Only products that have been identified as gluten-free by the manufacturer can receive the gluten-free tag.

"The 22 benefits included in the program encompass two groups of messages: those that meet lifestyle or dietary needs, and those that meet specific nutrition or ingredient criteria:

• 4 benefit messages for lifestyle/dietary needs: Gluten Free, Organic, Natural, and also Calorie Smart

• 18 benefits with specific nutrition criteria: Made with Whole Grains, Good Source of Fiber, Fat Free, Sodium Smart, Low Saturated Fat, Low Fat, Sugar Free, Good Source of Calcium, Good Source of Vitamin A, Good Source of Vitamin C, Good Source of Iron, 0g Trans Fat, 100% Juice, Low Cholesterol, Good Source of Antioxidants, Good Source of Potassium, Good Source of Folate, Lean Protein"

"Although a product may have more than one or two key nutrients or ingredient benefits, the green SimpleNutrition tag displays the benefits that are most relevant for that particular product."

Safeway sent me gift cards as a thank you for writing about SimpleNutrition. I found many gluten-free tags throughout the store, but there are also many gluten-free products that aren’t labeled. The tags would be especially useful to someone new to eating gluten-free. The number of gluten-free products at Safeway has also increased recently. From French Meadow Bakery to Waterfront Bistro Panko Breaded Butterfly Shrimp, there are many gluten-free options.

Free From Gluten: Store Review and Discount Code

Free From Gluten is a new online store that carries over 2,000 gluten-free products. In order to review the store, they paid for my order ($56 plus free shipping). Most of the items are sold as a bulk pack of six, but there are several items sold in packs of two. Free From Gluten has large icons on the side of each product page: Kosher, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, trans fat free, cholesterol-free, egg-free, lactose-free, yeast-free, and salt-free.

I ordered several items sold in packs of two and a bulk pack of six boxes of Kinnikinnick Animal Cookies at a good price of $21.03. The box containing the two-pack items arrived very fast from Pennsylvania, but the bulk pack of Kinnikinnick Animal Crackers took about 10 days to arrive from Texas. All items had good dates and nothing was broken. Free From Gluten has a nice selection of products, and some items are priced better than others.

I used this as an opportunity to try some new products. I was eager to try the new Grainless Baker Cheddar Snacks, but unfortunately they have too much pepper, so we couldn’t even finish one serving. We loved the Schar Sub Sandwich Rolls, but they aren't showing on the site now because they are temporarily out of stock. The Schar Sub Rolls were perfect for our meatball subs. I was impressed to see Sunstart Caramel and Chocolate Dessert Delights, which are made in Ireland. These very unique cookie bars were enjoyable. My daughter liked the Orgran Itsy Bitsy Bears with Chocolate Bits, but I didn’t like them.

The site offers free UPS shipping on orders over $50. For frozen items, there is an additional $20 charge per cooler, and each cooler holds up to ten frozen items. Use code GFOPTIMIST to receive 10% off your order. The coupon code is valid until April 30, 2011. I would order from Free From Gluten again, especially since they are always adding new products.

Video: New Gluten-Free School Lunches

Skaneateles Schools in New York will begin offering gluten-free pizza and deli sandwiches in March. Watch this news video, which does a great job explaining the necessary measures to prevent cross-contamination. This quote about prices raises an interesting point.

"Skaneateles has been trying to get gluten-free foods through the door for a couple years now. Crysler says those foods were more expensive and the cost just wasn't in the small district's budget, but I see as there's more diagnoses and more people that are in need, the prices have come down."

Gluten-free options are already offered in three other central New York school districts: North Syracuse, Liverpool, and Baldwinsville. 

Imagine how thrilling it will be for kids with celiac disease to be able to go through the lunch line. If you are trying to get gluten-free options in your school district, share this video. Hopefully, gluten-free school lunches will become a nationwide trend!