Product Watch: Quaker Rice Cakes Testing Gluten Free?

I call various companies from time to time to recheck the information on their products. Upon the request of a client, I called the customer service number on the back of the Quaker Oats Rice Cakes Package and have learned some information worth passing along. According to two different customer representatives (I called and asked the same question on different days to validate the answer)Quaker is in the process of testing all their products for gluten content. The Quaker rice cake ingredients are gluten free:

Lightly Salted Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE, SALT

MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUTS.

BUT the concern in the past has been over the risk of cross contamination. According to my phone conversation the regular rice cake products are testing at less than 20 PPM. The company plans to start using the "Gluten Free" label on the rice cake products soon. I was told to be on the lookout for the apple cinnamon variety to be labeled first. When I asked if the products currently on the grocery shelves are gluten free, just not labeled that way yet, the representatives were hesitant to commit to a yes for sure, but advised me to look for the gluten free label. You can find further information on the Quaker Rice Cakes at their website by clicking here.
The variety of rice cakes are available in eight different flavors. Word of caution the information only applies to the regular size rice cakes, not the mini Quakes product at this time. I have emailed the company for further information and will update this product watch as I learn more.

Happy Gluten Free Thanksgiving!

I am stepping away from my usual informative posts to reflect on the many things that I have become thankful since my diagnosis with Celiac Disease:

First to a great primary care doctor that was the first to consider my medical issues might be related to Celiac Disease.

For a disease whose sole treatment is diet alone.

Because of my diagnosis other family members were screened and their disease was caught in a timely manner rather than suffering years of tests and medical complications.

For my body responding to a gluten free diet and my anemia resolving so that my MD said "WOW, you have improved so much it looks like you have had a blood transfusion!"

For very supportive family, friends, and coworkers.

To already be working and trained in the field of nutrition and special diets as a registered dietitian. My diagnosis has truely given me new empathy and insight to those that must follow a special diet for a variety of medical needs.

For all the foods that are naturally gluten free.

For the exploding gluten free food market, the options seem to be endless.

For living in a great area that offers many places to shop for gluten free foods.

For the support of national and local support groups, that make following a gluten free diet so much easier.

For Zach's creating the Gluten Free North Carolina network and for giving me the opportunity to write for Gluten Free Durham.

We all have much to be Thankful for....

Have a Wonderful Gluten Free Thanksgiving,
Debbie

Teer House Community Education Presents: Celiac Disease: New Diet Options

I had lunch last week with a colleague of mine: Lesley Stanford. Lesley has worked at Duke University as a dietitian for the last 21 years and has staffed the pediatric G.I. clinic for the last 12 years. In fact she was the dietitian that spoke with me while my daughter was undergoing her endoscopy procedure and later diagnosis of Celiac Disease. As part of Duke's community education series, Lesley will be speaking at the Teer House located in Durham. Her talk is entitled Celiac Disease: New Diet Options. Lesley explained that she hopes to make this a practical talk with an exchange of ideas. While Lesley does not have Celiac Disease herself, she has much experience talking to families and children with Celiac Disease and other medical conditions. She has tried several gluten free products and gathers wonderful tips from her patients. This class is FREE and open to the public. The Class will be held Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 6:30-8:00 pm. Registration is required. I know January seems like a long time off but if you want to assure your spot in this class you can register now. For further information, directions and to register click here.

Gluten Free Cooking Videos from Kitchen Therapy

As a member of a group of dietitians specializing in gluten intolerance, I was given the opportunity to trial some cooking videos from Kitchen Therapy. Kitchen Therapy is run by Linda Simon, RD. She is a registered dietitian and a certified personal chef. Her Website, Kitchen Therapy, provides recipes, blogs and cooking videos. I previewed the After School Snacks Video and thought the content and instructions were easy to follow and simple to produce in my own kitchen. Linda's videos do not have a lot of "bells and whistles" but remind me more of my mom trying to teach me how to cook or maybe a class in Home Economics. In addition to cooking instructions, Linda offers sound nutritional information. If you are wondering how to navigate around your kitchen for Thanksgiving, you may be interested in checking out her "My First Thanksgiving and I Made it Myself" video series, which includes 6 gluten free videos. You actually purchase a subscription to the video series for $14.95 which is active for 4 months. For information on purchasing the cooking series click here. Linda is interested in meeting the needs of her clients and has a place for feedback and cooking video request on The Kitchen Therapy website.

Gluten Free Dining at Duke Expands

Are you a Duke Student, Faculty, or Staff? Well the gluten free options on campus have just enlarged with the recent addition of Rosie's Plate gluten free products to The Great Hall on a daily basis. The Great Hall Dining Facility located on Duke's West Campus is also open to the public. I was contacted by Rose Waring, the owner of Rosie's Plate earlier this week and she asked that I let Durham folks know of this new option for gluten free dining. She explains "I wanted you all to be the first to know the latest greatest exciting news from Rosie’s Plate! Bon Apetit has invited us to offer Rosie’s Plate at the Great Hall Café on Duke’s West Campus. We just started this past Monday and we’re stocking a great selection of our baked goods and savory items. We’re especially excited because the Great Hall Café is open to all Durham residents, not just students, so it’s a really convenient way for people in Durham to enjoy Rosie’s Plate every day." According to Rose daily products will include:

In the Cold Case you will find:

• entrees with sides, salads, soups, dips and desserts
  

The bakery display is right at the front of the café and includes

• includes sugar cake doughnuts, pita, muffins, trail mix bars, single

• cookies, cheese crackers, graham crackers, granola and cupcakes
  

Rosie's Plate, located in Raleigh, is a completely gluten, shellfish, and peanut free facility.
To help serve Durham customers they have been providing a weekly delivery service on Tuesdays at Duke Gardens, you can read more about this option from my earlier post. If you are wondering about parking on Duke's West Campus, click here for further information. Having a daily presence at the Great Hall is a wonderful convenience for Durham residents, Thank You Rosie's Plate!

Great Harvest Bread offers Gluten Free Bread

My gluten free UNC student alerted me to the fact a few weeks ago that the Great Harvest Bread Company in Chapel Hill is offering gluten free bread on Thursdays. I called and spoke with the owner, Rebecca McCorkle, to gather further information. She informed me that they offer both a plain sandwich loaf and a cinnamon raisin variety, each for $5.95. She also explained that they understand the importance of limiting the risk of cross contamination. Thus, the gluten free loaves are baked first thing in the morning in machinery that has been clean and sanitized. They are baked in disposable pans. The gluten free loaves are also stored with a paper covering over the top. I contacted the Dieitian, who serves as a nutrition consultant with with the corporate Great Harvest Bread Company and received the following information: That many of the franchise stores have begun to offer Gluten Free Bread, the basic recipe includes: Water, Cultured Buttermilk, Tapioca Flour, Honey, Brown Rice Flour, Eggs, Buckwheat, Flax Seeds, Cornstarch, Butter (Milk), Yeast, Xantham Gum, Salt, and White Wine Vinegar. NOTE The Chapel Hill Store is offering their bread as both GLUTEN FREE and DAIRY FREE. They have modified their recipe to substitute the buttermilk with rice milk and replace the butter with canola oil. So what about Cross Contamination? The email from the corporate dietitian reads: "Please keep in mind that Great Harvest is a whole grain bread company and that we have lots of flour dust in the bakery. We cannot guarantee a completely gluten free product." Rebecca, from the Chapel Hill Store, seems very motivated to meet the needs of those needing to consume a safe GF product and is willing to consider testing for the presence of gluten in their product. I plan to provide them with further information on reliable testing of products. My daughter and I have tasted both varieties of their bread without any noticeable negative reactions. The quality of the bread is very good and the slices taste good both toasted and freshly sliced. If these products test less than the 20 ppm level, they will make a nice addition to a gluten free diet.

Location and Hours:

229 S. Elliott Road
Chapel Hill, NC
27514

919-932-1112


Great Harvest is open:

Tuesday-Friday 7am-6pm
Saturday 7am-4pm

Food Allergy Walk This Saturday

This Saturday, November 7th, 2009, there will be a walk to raise funds and awareness for Food Allergies held in Cary. The walk is sponsored by The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and NC FACES (North Carolina Food Allergic Children Excelling Safely) support group. This will be an excellent opportunity to shine the spotlight on food allergies and how they affect millions of Americans. If you have not seen my Food Allergen Restaurant Poster Petition, click here.

Walk Details
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009
Time: Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m.; Walk begins at 10:00 a.m.
Location: Bond Park, 801 High House Road, Cary, NC 27513
Distance: 2 miles
Event Web site (visit this site to create or join a team or give
Email Contact: Christa Davidson
Restrictions: No pets, glass bottles, bikes, roller skates, or skate boards. Baby strollers and wagons are welcomed.
Target Fundraising Goal: $70,000 (currently have raised nearly $14,000)

About FAAN
FAAN is a national network offering support and education for people with food allergies. There is a ton a great information on their Web site. The group was established in 1991. FAAN’s membership now stands at close to 30,000 worldwide and includes families, dietitians, nurses, physicians, school staff, and representatives from government agencies and the food and pharmaceutical industries. FAAN serves as the communication link between the patient and others. FAAN focuses on awareness, education, advocacy, research and many other areas (a lot of the same goals for this blog). FAAN is (and has been conducting Food Allergy Walks all over the US for years now. Click here for the Walk Web site. There was also a race in Charlotte this past September which raised more than $25,000 and had over 300 participants.

About NC FACES
NC FACES was started by local parents in 2003 who had children with food allergies. The group began by getting together for play dates and has now grown to over 200 families. They focus on providing local social and emotional support for food allergic families. The group usually has quarterly meetings and other events like Easter egg hunts, Halloween fun and games at the Durham Bulls. They are also a big reason for the local FAAN Walk. Click here for the groups Web site or click here to email for more information. You can also check out the group on Facebook.

Armour Chili Recall-CONTAINS WHEAT

CHECK YOUR PANTRY SHELVES:
According to the USDA's Food Safery and Inspection site issued October 28, 2009
Pinnacle Foods Group LLC is recalling “ARMOUR Chili with Beans, Original” due to mislabeling in the packaging and may contain wheat.

The product was distributed to retail stores in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, NORTH CAROLINA, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The 15-oz. cans come in a case of six with a plastic over-wrap that incorrectly states the product is "Gluten Free," while the product actually may contain wheat. The label bears an “EST. 2AD” number inside the USDA mark of inspection with dates ranging from August 26, 2009 to October 28, 2009. 91,125 pounds of chili is under recall.

Consumers with questions may call (800) 253-5882.

Kroger-New Products

On a recent trip to the Kroger on Roxboro Road I was happy to see some new gluten free products in their Nature's Market section of the store. They had a wide variety of French Meadow Bakery products. I have written in an earlier post about how Kroger is a great place to find many products. Click here to review previous posts about Kroger. I had tried the French Meadow line of rolls and wraps but had a hard time finding them locally. Kroger had a nice display of many of their products. I tried a blueberry muffin and a loaf of their multi-grain bread. One slice of this bread provides 3 grams of fiber! Both were very good. To examine more specifics about the French Meadow line of gluten free baked goods click here.

Kroger
5116 N Roxboro Road
Durham, NC 27704
919-471-6263

Jules Shepard Gluten Free Thanksgiving Cooking Class @ Earth Fare

I've written numerous times about Celiac expert and Gluten Free cooking guru Jules Shepard before on Gluten Free Raleigh. Jules currently resides in Baltimore but has North Carolina ties and stops in for a visit every few months. Each time she stops in we are very lucky! I have had the pleasure of organizing 2 previous cooking classes with Jules (February & July) and she stopped by for another one in August. I have great news to report, Jules will again be back in Raleigh, this time for a timely Gluten Free Thanksgiving themed cooking demonstration. Thanksgiving can be like navigating a Gluten minefield, this class will be the perfect way to have a great GF feast.

See below for more information. I encourage you to sign up soon as space is limited and Jules' classes are in very high demand. As always, portion of the proceeds will go toward Celiac Disease research.

GF Thanksgiving With Jules Shepard
Earth Fare Raleigh
Sunday Nov. 15, 2-4:30pm

Jules Shepard returns to Earth Fare Raleigh to get us all ready for a delicious gluten-free Thanksgiving! Come experience firsthand how knowledgeable, entertaining and encouraging North Carolina native and gluten-free cooking expert Jules Shepard can be, at this in-person demonstration with the focus on Thanksgiving! Learn how simple it can be to prepare amazing gluten-free meals everyone in your family will enjoy this holiday season.

Dishes like gluten-free and dairy-free homemade casseroles, pie crusts, pumpkin pie, dinner rolls and stuffing! Sample a wide variety of goodies, ask questions and have Jules sign one of her two books at this limited-space class. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a special bonus, registrants in this Thanksgiving class will each get Jules' brand new 34 page Thanksgiving E-book full of recipes and tips for a great holiday (a $12.95 value)! See you there!

Class Fee is $40 (a portion of this registration fee will be donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research)

To register, visit JulesGlutenFree.com or call (433-1390)/visit Earth Fare.

Halloween Treats

With Halloween just a few days away I wanted to direct readers to a wonderful resource compiled by Cheryl Harris, RD who is another Gluten Free dietitian like me. She lives and works in Virginia. Cheryl has a very informative website and her Gluten Free Candy List entitled "Rock"tober 2009 is 22 pages of updated information on tons of treats. You can access her website here and the direct link to the candy list here. Well Done Cheryl!

Blue Corn Cafe, Restaurant Review

I had an awesome dining out experience the other evening at Blue Corn Cafe, located on Ninth Street in Durham. Blue Corn is owned by husband and wife team: Danielle Martini-Rios and Antonio Rios, the same owners of Tosca. See my earlier post on Tosca here. Blue Corn Cafe offers Latin American foods in a casual atmosphere. There are several options that work in a gluten free diet. Our server, Nala, was extremely knowledgeable and willing to accommodate my GF needs. In fact she just about new what questions I would ask, before I asked them. She assured me that the chips are made on site and prepared in a designated fryer. She made several recommendations on menu selections. Although my first choice was salmon, (which they ran out of that evening) I settled for Vegetarian Fajitas with rice and black beans. She offered to bring me corn tortillas instead of flour but I chose just to mix the veggies with my rice. The service, gluten free options and quality of food was excellent. I would recommend you try Blue Corn Cafe.


Phone: 919-286-9600
Directions:
Located on Ninth Street right near the University

From I-40, take Durham Freeway North, Exit #14 (Swift Ave.), turn right; 1st light - left on Main Street; next light - right on Ninth Street-1/2 block on the right.

Hours:
Mon - Thurs 11:30 to 9:00
Fri & Sat 11:30 to 9:30

Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata-2010

Registration has opened for campers to sign up for Camp Kanata's Gluten Free Week. The 2010 camp week will be June 27-July 3 and "Olympics" will be the theme for the week. This camp is one of two guided by the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG) and is located in Wake Forest, NC. The Philosophy of the GIG camp is stated as:

GIG believes that kids following a gluten-free lifestyle need to learn to be kids in the real world. Therefore we operate GIG Kids Camps as a part of the mainstream camping programs. As a mainstream camp we are able to get to know every GIG Camper by name and better meet their needs because our total number of campers is less than the dedicated camp. To read more about camp from GIG click here.

This will be my fourth year as the Dietitian overseeing GF week and Camp Kanata! It is a great week for both volunteers and campers. To read my previous post about camp click here. Camp Kanata will have an information table at the Gluten Free Fair at Raleigh Whole Foods on Saturday, October 17th. Stop by to ask me questions or talk with other volunteers.

Note: camp usually fills very quickly. In past years most slots are full by the end of January. To register go to the Camp Kanata web site.

Gluten Free Fast Food Guide

Wendy, who writes the Gluten Free Greenie blog in Durham, has posted a very helpful tool to her site. She has taken the time to compile 17 pages of information from various fast food restaurants including: Arby's, Boston Market, Camille's Sidewalk Cafe, Chick-fil-A, Fire House Subs, Panera Bread, and several others. She has put the document on Scribd. I was able to download the document once I signed up for a free account with Scribd. To access the resource click here. This is a valuable reference to keep in your car, so you have gluten free information on hand when you need it! As always ingredients can change so if you have any questions ASK and make sure you are using the most updated information for each restaurant. Thank you Wendy for sharing this with the gluten free community!

Vita, Restaurant Review

I've found a Durham Restaurant that offers several gluten free options, delicious food and an affordable price: Vita Restaurant Although they do not have a special gluten free menu several offerings work in a gluten free diet. They have salads and the fillings of several sandwiches would make a nice meal. Some sandwiches fillings that could be served as an entree include: ground sirloin burger, portabella mushroom, flank steak, chicken salad. Unfortunately they do not offer gluten free pizza or pasta but I enjoyed a serving of their "Eggplant Parmigiana della Melanzana" which was made from eggplant, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. Average price for a lunch item is $7.00 and $9.00 for a dinner entree. Our server was very helpful and happy to answer all my questions. If I am going to an Italian restaurant during a non-busy time I will often bring my own gluten free pasta along and ask if they would prepare it for me, (always noting the importance of a separate pot to boil the noodles and the need for a clean colander). Many Italian sauces are naturally gluten free. I hope to try this when I return to Vita for another meal. Vita offers indoor and outdoor dining. Reservations are recommended for large parties of 6 or more and take out ordering is available.

Located in Erwin Square next to Parizade Cafe at
2200 West Main Street
Durham, NC 27702
919-286-9755

Hours:
M-Th: 11:00-10:00
F-S: 11:00-11:00
Sun: closed
Bar open until 2:00

Hardee's Gluten Free Menu and Coupons

Nancy Lapid from About.com:Celiac Disease had a great post drawing the attention to the offerings at Hardees Fast Food Restaurant. Durham has four Hardees Restaurants. You can click here to review the Gluten Free information from Hardees and to download coupons. The coupons are good until November 30th and include a free side salad, Diet Coke, or Dasani Water with your Gluten Free order. You can get detailed allergy information which was updated as of 1/26/2009 by clicking here. The Hardees in Durham are located:


2721 Chapel Hill Rd
Durham,NC 27707
919-489-6958

1032 N Miami Rd
Durham,NC 27703
919-688-9508

3912 N Duke St
Durham,NC 27704
919-477-8830

4607 S Alston Ave
Durham,NC 27713
919-544-5362

Wendy's French Fries, Word of Caution

The summer 2009 issue of the GIG Quarterly Newsletter included an article on Wendy's french fries. According to this article and Wendy's company website "French Fries may be cooked in the same oil as boneless chicken wings, crispy chicken patty, crispy chicken nuggets and fish filets (where available) which contain a wheat allergen."
Not all Wendy's have dedicated fryers for french fries. The GIG article also recommends that if you do find a dedicated fryer to ask that the fries be taken with clean tongs directly from the fryer, to cut down on the chance of cross contamination. As always make sure you are looking at current information, the Wendy's allergen information was updated in June 2009 you can review it here.