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Hello

I had written for people's experiences and thoughts on the issue of reliability of the term "GF" on packaged products.  My reason for posting had been my reading someone else's post that Amy's Kitchen does not use dedicated lines, and I worried about the issue of cross-contamination.  I got 22 responses.  Thank you all for responding.  No surprise, I got some very different attitudes regarding packaged products.  There were many posts that commisserated with me on my concern and asked for a summary.  I am including the text of a few posts because they seem to sum up nicely the range of opinions:

"I trust them and use them with no problem.  The lines, though not dedicated, are cleaned completely after each use.  These companies are making our lives more livable.  Prices would have to be raised enormously if we were to insist that the term gluten free only be used on dedicated lines or in dedicated facilities.  No one would want to manufacture gluten free products.  There is no scientific data to show that an occasional molecule of gluten, accidentally ingested, does any damage to a Celiac.  If one reacts to a product that claims to be GF, they should not use the product, or if one is so concerned about the minute ingestion of a grain of something, then don't buy a product manufactured on cleaned but shared line.  I applaud the companies that are bringing products on the market to make me and my families life easier.  My follow up blood work and biopsy show me that this attitude is working fine for me. "

"Amy's products make me deathly ill and I am unable to eat them.  I thought it was because of Annatto color;  maybe not!"
 
"If a company knows that its products are being processed in package in ways in which crosscontamination is likely, they should not advertise that theyare selling a gluten-free product. "No gluten added" would be more accurate. When I see products that indicate "nogluten added" I avoid them because I know that means they were not prepared safely."

"Do not worry about cross-contamination issues.  I think we can drive ourselves crazy with every little thing, and life in and of itself is an unknown.   If the label does not contain gluten, it's edible.  The best advice I ever received was at a celiac conference with all of the leading experts, and they said the #1 rule is to not let these types of possibilities stress you.  They advised reading the label, *accepting* the ingredient list,  making your decision to eat or not eat it, and then move on. "

"I think the real questions is "are dedicated lines necessary in order for a food to be gluten free?"  Many of us cook for the celiac and non celiac members of our family in the same kitchen, at the same time.  Many of us eat in restaurants and we all know nothing there is dedicated for gluten free foods only.  So, why do we hold food manufacturers to a higher standard?"

"Different product pose different degrees of contamination.  Cereal & other flour based products pose the most risky since flour floats through the air only to settle every where hours later.  Dough can stick in cracks & crevices and can be difficult to remove.  Products like ice cream are made sequentially, starting w/ vanilla & work your way down through the flavors (inc. cookies & cream) until you get to the dark ones.  Good news about Amy's products is that casseroles & soles don't float through the air & they are perishable--lines need to be cleaned well to prevent food borne illnesses.  Also, Amy's probably made them in relatively small batches when compared to the Kraft-s of the world. Gives them more control over the ingredients and they have a smaller staff (& better trained?)"

"Any products labeled g.f. & sold in Canada will be tested to make sure the are as labeled.  Canada has recalled several products that didn't meet their criteria. I would trust anything that could be sold there. "

Some people said they are "sensitive" celiacs and have learned to trust their "gut reactions, no matter what a manufacturer may say.   One person advocates staying away from as many packaged products as possible and doing your own frozen dinners, so you know what's in them.  One person recommended Betty Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast & Healthy.  Another person said there is no reason to expect any significant gluten contamination if the line is cleaned between runs, which is standard food manufacturing practice.  Several people say they never feel as good after eating packaged GF products (for the most part, I'm one of 'em).

So I guess we each need to work out our own salvation, as they say.  Below is Amy's reply to my inquiry.  Hope this was helpful.  Thanks you all again.  Latimer

"Hello Latimer, we have considered dedicated areas but at this time, it is not possible due to the size of our plant, the large number and range of products we manufacture, equipment limitations and scheduling issues.To answer your question about which steps are taken to to assure that the meals are gluten-free, only one meal is produced at a time on the line and afterwards all equipment that come into contact with the food is thoroughly cleaned. We do routine spot checks on meals (send them to the lab to be tested). All of these test results have been gluten-free. I hope that this answers your questions.You can read all about our gluten-free meals at www.amys.com.
 

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