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General Mills to Debut New Gluten-Free Products

CDF Sponsor General Mills to Debut New Gluten-Free Products at the CDF Conference in California

The Celiac Disease Foundation Annual Education Conference & Food Faire  is introducing an American favorite at their upcoming conference:   The new Gluten-Free Bisquick® pancakes with gluten-free syrup. Since it was first introduced in 1931, Bisquick pancake and baking mix has been known for making tender, delicious pancakes.  Now, they are introducing a new gluten-free Bisquick that will once again bring smiles to everyone’s face at the breakfast table whether you are gluten-free or not. New Gluten-Free Bisquick mix will be in stores this Fall. Remember to always check labels for gluten-free wording. Also debuting will be the new gluten-free Hamburger Helper.  Be among the first to try new gluten-free Hamburger Helper varieties at the brand’s booth at the CDF Conference.  This great dinner solution will be available mid-July in three gluten-free flavors: Chicken Fried Rice, Cheesy Hashbrowns and Beef Fried Rice. Be sure to always read the label to be sure that the product is labeled gluten-free. Did you know that there are over 250 gluten-free products and over 100 gluten-free recipes from General Mills?

February Support Group Meeting – open to everyone

ATTENTION: FEBRUARY SUPPORT GROUP MEETING — The next meeting will be held on Saturday, February 20th at 1:00 p.m.

We will be meeting at Sweet Bones Alabama, at the Summit Shopping Center,

245 Summit Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35243 (205) 970-3022 sweetbonesalabama.com

There are samples of gluten free food, door prizes, and delicious gluten free lunch plates available. It’s going to be fun – ya’ll come!

Warm up to the Renegade Chef

Brrrrrrrr!  Chilly enough for you out there? 

Here’s an idea for warming things up:

Visit the Renegade Chef (also a celiac) at http://www.renegadekitchen.com/#home, and get recipes for some fabulous gluten free chilli  and cornbread. You’ll enjoy videos of the personable and lively chef giving instructions for making a variety of dishes, and learn some great tips on how to make your gluten free dishes taste great! 

 

Check out his tip on the cornbread recipe on heating the oil in the baking dish while you mix the ingredients – it helps for making a nice crust on the cornbread.  Since a crispy crust is one of the most frequent complaints of gluten free cakes and breads – I can see this tip being helpful for a lot of your recipes.

Chilli, cornbread, and crispy crusts —- Mmmmm, I am warmer just thinking about it! 

Timely Turkey Tip

Looking for gluten free turkey information?  See the good news about Butterball turkeys on this Triumph link: http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/gluten-free/2009/11/butterball-now-offers-gluten-free-gravy/?utm_source=Triumph+Dining+List&utm_campaign=dad75dc30c-Nov_Newsletter_211_18_2009&utm_medium=email

Dream big, and MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALWAYS READ THE LABELS!

Hello Friends!

I hope that everyone is well and enjoying the cooler weather – when it’s not raining, it sure is nice out there!

 

Just a reminder to everyone one a gluten free diet or buying for someone on the diet:   ALWAYS READ THE LABELS WHILE YOU ARE SHOPPING!

 

Unless you know that the company whose product you are purchasing has committed to permanently omitting gluten from their products, or unless it is specifically labeled ‘gluten free’, then you should always check the labels for gluten ingredients.

Sure, it takes extra time to do this, and you must don the ‘special label reading glasses’ to decipher the impossibly small print, but it is well worth the effort to avoid ‘getting glutened’.

 

Here are a couple of things that astute label readers have noticed and brought to our attention:

 

Walmart, who has seemed to be very proactive this year in giving us a GF food section and labeling all of their store brand products GF if they are, seems to be having some labeling problems — some of the items that are listed as GF also have the "this product was produced in a facility that also handles……wheat….." label.  That is a scary combination/contradiction of terms for those of us who are sensitive to even the smallest amount of gluten. 

What are we to think of the safety of these products?

Be sure to use caution, and read the labels carefully while this gets sorted out. 

 

Our good friend Jennifer  sent me a link today regarding a product that had an obvious mistake on the label. (Find it in our ‘Gluten Alerts’ column) The article concerns a product that is most definitely not gluten free, and has an error on the labels where ‘wheat’ was ommitted from the allergy and ingredients information.  The product in question is Breyers Cookies and Cream ice cream.

I have to admit, that when I first read this  I laughed;  a sad little laugh, but a laugh all the same.  Why?  Becuase I wouln’t have even thought to read any further than the  word ‘cookies’ on the package before assuming that the product was off-limits.  But some wishful dreamer read the label anyway and realized that there was no accounting for the ‘cookie’ ingredients in the mix. 

This made me think:  Maybe I have just become so jaded and used to not having a whole lot of selection out there in grocery world, that I eat the same thing a lot without looking to see what companies might have turned GF friendly and changed their ingredients – maybe I am missing some good stuff by not looking at a bigger variety of things. 

And also, I think that there are people out there who are going to continue to check the label on the ‘cookies and cream’ – hoping for a tasty miracle – who will call the company and alert others to these dangerous mistakes, and possibly get someone on the churn, whipping up a gluten free dream come true!

Trick or Treat time!

                                            ,  

BOO! (^.^)

It is about time for Trick or Treaters again! 

Keep the Halloween festivities a lot less scary for everyone by only choosing treats that are gluten free – I’ve pasted some links to lists below. 

Remember — your ‘little monsters’ are not the only gluten free kidlets who will be wandering the streets looking for candies that are safe for them, there are still so many out there who don’t even know why they don’t feel good! Keep all of the treats gluten free and make it a tasty time for all!

 

Check out these links for candy/treat recommendations:

 

http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/10/06/halloween-candy-list-gluten-free-allergen-free-2009/,

 http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenfreefoodshopping/a/GFcandies.htm,

http://www.celiaccentral.org/SiteData/docs/Gluten-Free-Candy-List/370e802df5a4b099ad419d940cf8fe22/Gluten-Free-Candy-List.pdf

Wow, what a meeting!

Thanks so much to Max’s Deli for hosting us, and for all of the group members who came out to the meeting last week.  We filled every seat in the restaurant — over 70 of our members attended!

 

We all ate some great food prepared by the staff for us, and enjoyed visiting with each other while we exchanged information on the latest news and products.  So many people are excited about all of the new great tasting gluten free products that are available.  Remember when that was an oxymoron – great tasting and gluten free? Never thought I would live to see the day!

 

Stay tuned for information on next month’s get together. 

 

 

Take care everyone!

Rebecca

Meeting of the Birmingham Celiac Disease Support Group

Dearest Friends,

Please join me at Max’s Deli, 3431 Colonnade Parkway Birmingham, Alabama 35243 on Thursday, October 1, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. for the next support group meeting.

 We will enjoy some great gluten free deli snacks, and plenty of other goodies including several new gf product samples. 

 Visit www.maxsdelionline.com for information on the restaurant and their regular menu.

 Windowslive no longer offers the event invitation service that I used before – so please email me your RSVPs so that we know how many attendees to expect. I hope to see you all there! There is so much to talk about!

 Rebecca

 

MUST READ INFO FROM CELIAC CENTRAL

Check out this story and more great information from Celiac Central:

http://www.celiaccentral.org/News/Celiac-News-for-the-Gluten-Free-Community/161/vobId__1904/

Research identifies human protein linked to Celiac Disease  

9/8/2009

Zonulin found to play critical role in inflammatory process and autoimmunity. University of Maryland research lead by Dr. Alessio Fasano has identified the precursor to a host of autoimmune disorders including celiac disease. Findings published in the September 7th, 2009 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences link the human protein zonulin to the body’s autoimmune and inflammatory processes.   The previously mysterious protein has been discovered to act as a precursor for haptoglobin 2, a molecule acknowledged as a marker of inflammation in the human body. Fasano believes zonulin to be the underlying impetus for the loss of protective cells in the intestines, which causes those with a predisposition for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity to react when gluten enters the body.   "This molecule could be a critical missing piece of the puzzle to lead to a treatment for celiac disease, other autoimmune disorders and allergies and even cancer, all of which are related to an exaggerated production of zonulin/pre-haptoglobin 2 and to the loss of the protective barrier of cells lining the gut and other areas of the body, like the blood brain barrier," says Dr. Fasano.   This latest research provides a deeper understanding of the processes and mechanisms behind celiac disease and autoimmune disorders as a whole, helping medical professionals to better diagnose and treat those that are suffering from these conditions.   "The only current treatment for celiac disease is cutting gluten from the diet, but we have confidence Dr. Fasano’s work will someday bring further relief to these patients. Zonulin, with its functions in health and disease as outlined in Dr. Fasano’s paper, could be the molecule of the century," says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., dean of the School of Medicine, vice president for medical affairs of the University of Maryland and John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor.