<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
..............................................................
: :
: Excerpts from the Washington Area CS Support Group :
: -------------------------------------------------- :
: newsletter: Winter 2000 Joany Janicki, editor :
: 5410 Connecticut Ave., NW #408 :
: Washington, DC 20015 :
:............................................................:
Product Information:
* Celestial Seasonings (Warner-Lampert, 800-524-2854) makes herbal
throat drops that soothe and calm sore throats and coughs. They
come in a variety of flavors such as Harvest Cherry and Honey-
Lemon Chamomile and all are gluten-free.
* Edy's (888-837-4438, <http://www.edys.com>) has information on
the gluten status of their ice creams on their web site! Just
click on "Freezer Case" and choose a flavor. The gluten status
appears at the end of the nutritional information. As a general
rule, any gluten in any of their ice cream, frozen yogurt, or
novelty products is present only in added bakery products such as
cookies or shortcake. The ice cream itself contains no gluten.
The modified food starch that you may find listed in the
ingredients is derived from corn and is therefore gluten-free.
In addition, their entire Whole Fruit Sorbet line and all of
their Fruit Bars are gluten-free. The Dreamery flavors that are
gluten-free include Banana Boogie, Black Raspberry Avalanche,
Caramel Toffee Bar Heaven, Cashew Praline Parfait, Chocolate
Peanut Butter Chunk, Crme Caramel, Cuppa Joe, Galactic Chocolate
Swirl, Harvest Peach, and Vanilla.
* Sargento (800-243-3737, <http://www.sargento.com>) is another
company that lists their gluten-free products on their web site!
The company uses microcrystalline cellulose as an anti-caking
agent on most of their shredded cheeses. This ingredient is a
white odorless, tasteless, totally natural powder made from
cellulose, a naturally occurring component of most plants. It is
not derived from wheat, oats, barley or rye.
-=-=- -=-=-
Taste Test Results
------------------
The results are in! At our last meeting, we received several
gluten-free products from Glutino (<http://www.glutino.com>, 800-363-
3438) and the Gluten Free Cookie Jar (888-GLUTEN-0,
<http://www.glutenfreecookiejar.com>). The following are member's
comments on the food sampled:
Glutino:
-- Dr. Schaer Pizzirilli Crackers--good texture, crisp and tasty,
overall very good. They taste like a cracker with "pizza
spice"--my son adores these and we have already ordered more.
-- Dr. Schaer Grissini Sticks--crispy, the kind you find on the
table while you wait for your dinner. Yuck, they are dry and
flat tasting.
-- Glutino Corn Pizza Shells (attending members got to take one
home)--my son loved it--we added spaghetti sauce, cheese, olives,
and Hormel pepperoni (says gluten-free on the label!), and
toasted it in the toaster oven. It was like his own personal pan
pizza.
-- Glutino Vegetarian Pizza (attending members got to take one
home)--very tasty, and easy to prepare--just pop it in the
toaster oven, very crisp crust.
Gluten Free Cookie Jar:
-- Orange Chiffon Bundt Cake--good, nice flavor.
-- Pumpkin Cookies--very good, but too sweet. Very good, delicious,
really good.
-- Peanut Butter Cookies--very good, great, good peanut flavor,
excellent.
While not part of the taste test, a member brought in a cranberry
orange bread made from a Gluten Free Pantry mix, that received rave
reviews.
............................................................
: :
: Excerpts from the Houston Celiac-Sprue Support Group :
: ---------------------------------------------------- :
: newsletter: Jan./Feb. 2000 Janet Y. Rinehart, editor :
: 13722 Ashley Run :
: Houston, TX 77077 :
:..........................................................:
Modified Food Starch in Ham: The Food Safety and Inspection of the US
Dept. of Agriculture has amended federal regulations to permit the
use of binders in "ham with natural juices" products and other cured
pork products. Therefore, "modified food starch", in an amount not
exceeding 2% of the product formulation, is allowed. [Remember:
"modified food starch" could come from a safe source such as corn,
potato, or tapioca; or it could come from a gluten source such as
wheat.--ed.]
Anything labeled "Ham Water Added" must now be suspected of containing
soy protein concentrate, modified food starch, and/or carrageenan.
For more information, see the applicable pages of the Federal
Register. These can be found on the internet at
<http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/fr/98-064.htm>.
-=-=- -=-=-
Highlights from the 1999 CSA/USA Conference
-------------------------------------------
summarized by Janet Rinehart
Update on Current Diagnostic Dilemmas: Celiac Disease
------------------------------------------------------
Matthew S.A. Bachinski, M.D., Gastroenterologist, Dept. of Medicine,
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
Who to Screen. The following should always be screened for celiac
disease (CD):
First degree relatives, including parents, children and siblings
Those with autoimmune disorders
Those with IgA deficiency
Those with IDDM (type I diabetes)
Those with CTD's (connective tissue disease)
Those with Down's Syndrome (4-7% are likely to have CD)
The following may also be screened:
Those of short stature (8-10% will have CD)
Those with infertility problems
Those with intractable (uncontrollable) seizures
Those with abnormal liver tests
Those with osteoporosis
Those with alopecia (hair loss)
Those with lymphoma
CD and Diabetes:
* The association of IDDM (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) with
CD has been known for at least 40 years.
* Both are "autoimmune" disorders.
* Many diabetics have chronic diarrhea, often labeled a "diabetic
diarrhea".
* If diabetics with chronic diarrhea are screened for CD and found
to have CD, a combined gluten-free and diabetic diet will help
manage the whole patient and decrease the risk of cancer.
Genetically Engineered Foods: Unanswered Health Questions
----------------------------------------------------------
Michael Hansen, Ph.D., Research Associate, Consumer Policy and
Consumers Union
A genetically modified food is a plant or animal that contains a gene
inserted from a different species, or it expresses more copies of one
of its own genes, or does not express a specific gene. The expression
of the altered gene is important because this codes for production in
the nucleus of making proteins not normally synthesized by the cell.
Many genetically-modified (GM) foods have great potential to reduce
hunger and nutritional deficiencies around the world. And the risk
for potential human sensitivity is equally great. One key is complete
label identification not only that the product is genetically
modified, but the sources [of the modified gene(s)]. One can always
find someone who is allergic to anything. Incomplete disclosure on
labels is an old and continuing problem for celiacs.
Experiments in gene modification in plants are continuing for
herbicide tolerance in crops, longer shelf life, more durability in
transportation, etc.
Human health issues associated with genetically engineered foods are
the development of unanticipated toxins, transfer of allergens,
transfer of antibiotic resistance, and change in nutrient levels.
Right now it is up to the companies to determine whether products are
safe. They are on the "honor system". However, when finances are
affected, we can't be sure.
Citizens, companies and researchers have a responsibility to see there
is no harm to wildlife, soil, human health, and people with allergies.
Because genetic engineering research is so expensive it is largely
controlled by for-profit corporations whose primary goal is return on
investment, not necessarily public good. These corporations are
rapidly buying up seed companies and gaining control of entire food
production systems and educational-research facilities. Farmers who
use this patented technology, meanwhile, are prohibited from the
time-honored tradition of saving seed to use the following season.
They are forced into a costly cycle of corporate dependency.
The U.S. is almost alone in the world in not labeling GM foods. We
don't know if those GM foods on the market now are safe; no studies
have been done. The absence of evidence is not proof of safety. We
are concerned about chronic long-term affects. Complete disclosure
labeling must be a requirement.
|
