Gluten is a protein that gives bread dough its elasticity and also traps air bubbles that cause the dough to rise. Casein is another protein, a binding agent found in milk and other dairy products. Both are widely found in processed foods.

When Debbie looked around for alternatives that would appeal to the young boy, she discovered many foods that lacked the two substances that caused Sean problems. But while they may have met the nutritional requirements necessary for the young boy’s health, the foods were devoid of taste, she said. Other products left an aftertaste that lingered way too long.

Caterson went home and began tweaking some of her own family recipes, substituting gluten-free rice flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, potato starch and other ingredients for the wheat flour and dairy products that caused problems for Sean, then 5, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months old. The results were so positive that it led the Roseburg, Oregon woman and her sister, Cathy Kirkpatrick of Eugene, to create their own company, Inspiration Mixes.

The rest, as they say, is history! I think you’ll enjoy their products, now available online as well as several locations in Oregon.
www.inspirationmixes.com

People with celiac disease develop intestinal damage and painful symptoms if they eat even a little gluten, a protein found in foods made from wheat, rye, or barley.

Celiac disease is hard on kids, who feel the stigma of being unlike other children. Kids with celiac disease may have difficulty relating to others and often feel bad about themselves. But the researchers found that negative self-perceptions of kids still new to the dietary restrictions improved when they went to the gluten-free camp.

Read the full article by Bill Hendrick, published Feb. 15, 2010: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/news/20100212/gluten-free-camp-helps-celiac-disease-kids?src=RSS_PUBLIC.

To provide consistency among food products labeled gluten-free, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of developing rules that would apply to all gluten-free products in the market. Creating standard rules for all food companies to follow will assist consumers looking for gluten-free foods. To learn more about the new FDA proposed rule and for updates on its status, visit: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-cat.html#1gluten.

Read the full article: www.kraftrecipes.com/HEALTHY-LIVING-IDEAS/ARTICLES/FOOD-ALLERGIES/glutenfreefoods.aspx.

Glutino offers a wide array of products, ranging from baking mixes to snacks. For example, bread options include cinnamon, cheese, corn and bagels, just to name a few; snacks include pretzels, cookies and breakfast bars. Please visit our website for a comprehensive list: http://www.glutino.com.

Regardless of prevalence, treatment for celiac disease is always the same: a gluten-free diet for life. Sounds simple enough, but those who live by this strict standard quickly realize that gluten lurks in a number of foods, and even trace amounts of gluten can cause a reaction.

Read the full article by Jennifer Sygo, a dietitian in private practice at Cleveland Clinic Canada (clevelandclinic.ca), published January 28, 2010: www.timescolonist.com/health/When+gluten+punishment/2495861/story.html.

The supplier maintains that, unlike other formulations for gluten-free bakery that are composed of multiple flours and starches, its cassava flour can simply replace wheat flour and makes ingredient inventory and label declaration less time consuming.

Carter Foss, technical sales director at AKFP, said that the product, a year in development, has demonstrated in internal tests that it can provide the taste, texture, crumb and baking characteristics equivalent to wheat flour.

The global market for gluten-free food and drink products has grown exponentially in the past five years with a raft of new products hitting the market, and clear leaders are starting to emerge in what was once a niche.

On the consumer side, demand has been fuelled by greater diagnosis of coeliac disease, sufferers of which must avoid gluten in everything they eat. The disease currently affects an average of one in 300 people in Europe, one in 200 in Germany and one in 100 in the UK.

Manufacturers have been quick to seize upon the opportunity, bringing a raft of gluten-free products to market ranging from cereals and pasta to cookies, crackers, snacks and bread.

Read the full article by Jane Byrne, published 14-Jan-2010: www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/New-cassava-based-flour-boost-for-gluten-free-bakers-says-AKFP.

General Mills ventured into the gluten-free market because several employees and their relatives had gluten intolerance. Dena Larson, marketing manager for the baking products division of General Mills, which owns Betty Crocker, said what struck the staff was that gluten-sensitive people were excluded from the “sweet moments of life — family moments sharing a cake, being able to reward your son with a cookie when he gets off the bus. Those are the things we take for granted, but it’s emotional to have those things taken away from you.”

Development of the products moved swiftly — “because we were very targeted” — and they were introduced in June of 2009. Increased awareness also spurred General Mills to create a website highlighting their gluten free products. www.LiveGlutenFreely.com lists more than 200 products under the brand names Yoplait, Progresso, Betty Crocker, Larabar, and Chex – and according to General Mills – more are in the pipeline.

Restaurant owners deal with an assortment of problems, but the last thing they want to hear is somebody became ill after eating at their establishment. After all, a trip to the emergency room isn’t the best way to end a dining experience. For people with celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue, that’s a real possibility.

First diagnosed in World War II, people with celiac are allergic to gluten, a protein most commonly found in wheat, flour, barley and oats. In recent years, restaurants have started offering gluten-free menus for patrons. It’s a trend that first developed in the Northeast and West and is now beginning to trickle South.

Approximately 10 years ago, Outback Steakhouse and the Gluten Intolerance Group formed a partnership to identify gluten-free menu items so individuals with Celiac could dine out without worrying about a reaction. “The Outback/Carrabba’s/Bonefish chain has been the leading edge in the South,” said Jeannie Tyler, who runs the Ocala/Marion Gluten Free Group in Florida, which meets the second Tuesday of every month at the Ocala Regional Medical Center. “People can go out and not have to worry about getting sick.”National trend of gluten-free menus reaches Marion County restaurants

Read the full article “National trend of gluten-free menus reaches Marion County restaurants” by Jeff Brooks for the Ocala Business Journal, published December 28, 2009: www.ocala.com/article/20091228/OBIZ/912289972/-1/news?Title=National-trend-of-gluten-free-menus-reaches-Marion-County-restaurants.

Give them a try and see if you concur with their motto: “Gluten Free Has Never Tasted So Good”!

consumer.kinnikinnick.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/consumer.home.html

Thanks to the fine folks at The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog (glutenfreeraleigh.blogspot.com) for compiling and maintaining this useful list.