I have some thoughts for you regarding food labeling. Important ideas, and ideas that if you implemented them would benefit you as a company.
Please label your food.
I know it sounds simple, but food labeling is critical for me, a mother of a two year old boy who has Celiac Disease. If you label your food gluten free I am much more apt to purchase it. If you ignore your labeling, or do not make an effort to label your food clearly, I simply cannot purchase your items even if there is no gluten in them.
And please, if I call, please have available your food ingredient lists. It’s crucial that if I sit on hold for over five minutes trying to verify if an item is gluten free that you have taught your employees about your products and if they have gluten in them. For my son, he simply cannot eat gluten. For me, as his mother and protector, I simply must know beyond a shadow of a doubt if or if not your product contains gluten.
I want to buy your products. I really do. But, I cannot purchase your products if you use terms like natural flavors — what does that mean, what ingredients did you use to make those natural flavors? If I see that on your item I will not purchase it.
There are companies that are ahead of the curve in food labeling. I will buy food from that company. Learn from them, learn from General Mills and Udi’s Gluten Free, and recognize that there is a percentage of the population that will buy your food if you take the extra time to invest on getting your labeling done correctly.
It’s not for ease.
It’s a matter of life.
I implore you to look at your products and what you produce and to decide to go the extra steps and label clearly. You can produce excellent and flavorful gluten free food and we will buy it. Do you need a face for Celiac Disease, someone to fight for while you produce quality food?
Look at his {messy} face.
He’s worth you labeling your food well.
~Rachel
Please consider hitting the like button so that word can get out regarding this important issue. thank you.Â
17 comments
Thanks for bringing this issue to light, Rachel. As a family with no allergies, we’ve taken food labeling for granted. Every time I see a ‘gluten-free’ label, I think of your sweet boy and send up a prayer for him and your family. Even though we do not have to battle, we’ll fight for the proper labeling with you. Happy Tuesday!
I couldn’t agree with you more! I have been cooking gluten free for 8 years and I read all labels. I don’t buy the things if they aren’t specific. We have much more than just gluten allergies, so I need to be well versed on all the additives and other ingredients. Out of a family of six, four of us have food allergies. They don’t make it easy. I have a severe allergy to msg and all of the things that are really msg with different names. I have gotten sick so many times because there was a secret ingredient or something wrongly labeled. Each time I get sicker, so I’m getting even less tolerant with bad labeling. It isn’t fair that they would do business like that. I avoid so many products.
Blessings to you and yours for 2012!Keep up the good work!
Many people need to know exact food content for various reasons, not just gluten. And I know that it is frustrating to spend so much time trying to figure out just what is in an item. Hope manufacturers wise up
Yes! What a cute face. Reading labels as become a fine art at my house and I love when I can see GF clearly on a label, or that dairy is an ingredient. Let’s storm the gates for clearer labels!
I know how frustrated you must be. Being allergic to garlic & onions I have to avoid those natural flavors and also “spices”. Sometimes when I call they have to contact one of their nutritionists or research department. Sometimes it takes days and sometimes I never hear back.
Heinz was the worst I ever had. Because of “proprietary recipes” they wouldn’t even give me an answer unless my physician contacted them.
I just cook about 95% from scratch and pretty much don’t eat out. Just like international missionaries have “culture days” where they get the blues over the difficulties of living in a different culture, I think people like us have “convenience days”…getting the blues over not being able to access the “easy” foods on occasion.
Hang on there, Mama!
Definitely a cute face and if I were a manufacturer, I would use it.
I have a child with an allergy to peanuts. She is only one year old. I am hoping it doesn’t get worse. I have an Epipen for her, but so far the worst reaction was a rash around the face.
yes! that face is totally worth it!!! i would also add that i’d love for restaurants to do the same. or at least have one copy of allergy/ingredient information handy. i “love” it when after i ask a waiter about ingredient information they come back and tell me they don’t know. it’s useless! i guess one benefit of not eating out due to allergies is saving money. : ) i digress. back to gluten! yes to easy reading gluten free labeling on EVERYTHING!
I hear you! For family birthdays (we gather once a month) there must be a variety of GF items, as well as nut-free and sugar-free. Those of us who can eat anything are in the minority.
PS- Never thought of “natural flavors” and “spices” being a problem– thank you for pointing that out. I usually steer clear regardless.
I have a friend that really struggles with finding restaurant that her son can eat at and great food to fix at home.
Amen! Josh brought home something the other day from the store that he forgot to check to see if it was GF. Name variations and varieties made if difficult to know for sure if the food was guten free based in the manufactuer website. It listed modified food starch and didn’t list wheat as an allergen but didnt say GF. It is a matter of life for many!
Hope they listen!
Know that I’m still here praying!
Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Prayer Bears
My email address
I LOVE this letter – it expresses so many thoughts that so many of us have. I made sure to share it with my readers!
I feel your pain. I have a 2 year old with anaphylactic food allergies. so stressful!
I couldn’t agree more. One of my best friends at college has some intestinal problem (it’s a long, difficult-to-pronounce word), but it causes her to be completely gluten-free. It’s BEYOND difficult to try to buy snacks for parties & such and we’re college students – I can’t imagine trying to do it for a precious little boy.
I think of you whenever I see “gluten free” on food. It would be so nice for things to be labeled better for your family!
Your son is adorable 😀
I am very excited to be your nine hundred and ninety ninth {so excited that I spelled it out!} follower! Rachel, this was an EXCELLENT post! My niece, Darcie of myoverflowingheart@blogspot.com shared your blog with me and I’m so glad that she did!
Amen! Accurate labeling is so important.
Have you seen the new subscription service Gluten-Free Watchdog? Since there is no actual FDA regulation of gluten-free claims, they have been testing popular gluten-free products and letting people know the actual ppm content of gluten in them. Some are way outside the 20ppm! Others fall below, but some people need to know how much, since they are sensitive to lower levels.
We were gluten-free but then discovered my son’s corn allergy as well. Corn doesn’t have to be disclosed at all, and it is hiding absolutely everywhere, even in whole foods (USDA meats are washed in corn derived citric acid, for example).
I wish we could trust product labels, but unfortunately that is not the case. I hope more manufactures will start to catch on and realize that clear labels can help them sell products!
For the time being, we are enjoying life on a completely whole foods diet (GAPS). It has made a world of difference to our health. You can read our story here, if you like:
http://theliberatedkitchenpdx.com/meet-the-liberators/our-story/