Gluten Free Raleigh

Chick-fil-A Introduces New Gluten Free Kid's Meal Today (& Giveaway)

2012-01-09T09:43:00.001-05:00

Chick-fil-A Debuts One of America’s Most Nutritious Kid’s Meals (and it's Gluten Free)!

Keep reading for a giveaway from Chick-fil-a.

Chick-fil-A is one of the very few fast food restaurants that my family visits. I have safely had the grilled chicken salad and fries (be sure your restaurant has a dedicated fryer) without issue for several years. The problem though has been when I take my kids and they want chicken nuggets (not GF). It's pretty difficult to keep my salad GF while helping the kids with their breaded nuggets. We'll, seems like that problem is now solved.
Below is from the press release.

Starting today, Chick-fil-A is taking another step in continuing to address the issue of childhood obesity by debuting one of the nation's most nutritious kid's meals.In recent months, many fast food chains have updated their side options in an attempt to offer healthier children's menu items. Chick-fil-A instead is concentrating on making the entrée healthier by adding Grilled Chicken Nuggets as an alternative for children. The move marks the first time a national fast food chain has offered a grilled entrée as part of a children's menu.The chain also is enhancing its side choices, adding Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce as a complement to the Fruit Cup option Chick-fil-A added to its menu in 2004. And, the chain is removing drinks with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from its children’s beverage line and promoting one-percent milk, 100-percent apple juice, its signature freshly squeezed lemonade and water as drink choices.

Additional information on Chick-fil-A's new Kid's Meal offerings: Introduction of Grilled Nuggets:

These gluten-free Grilled Nuggets are made from a boneless, skinless breast of chicken tumbled in a salt and pepper spice blend and then grilled to perfection. The four count is only 80 calories and 1 gram of fat, while the six count contains 110 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

Addition of Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go: Apple Cinnamon: Each squeezable fruit pouch is gluten free, all natural and contains 100 percent pure fruit. It is 60 calories, 0 grams of fat and equals one serving of fruit. Improved beverage options:

Drinks with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are being removed from the Kid’s Meal beverage choices. Children's drink choices now include one-percent milk, 100 percent apple juice and freshly squeezed lemonade (30 percent DV vitamin C).

Please leave a comment below about your favorite Gluten Free thing in Raleigh (can be a grocery store, restaurant, bakery, mostly inactive informational blog, support group, etc...). I'll pick 5 random winners so please leave your email address (or email me).

Click here for more information.

Is This Thing On....?

2011-11-01T12:26:00.001-04:00

Obviously the posting has been a little light around here lately... my apologies. Multiple things are at play here. First off, my family has grown and being a parent is my primary duty during my free time. Secondly, I've now been Gluten Free and living with Celiac Disease for almost 4 years. You learn a lot in 4 years, Gluten Free life just becomes easier. Awareness (one of the goals of this blog) is at the highest level I've seen. More and more GF products are on the market and gasp... the FDA might actually decide what it means to put a GF label on products soon. It's good to be Gluten Free right now (if there is such a thing).

That being said, Gluten Free Raleigh can still be a place for getting information about being GF in this area. There is still a lot happening out there and the newly diagnosed need this information. I am in need of folks who are willing to put in some time and energy to keep it going though. You are already living the life, why not share?

If you have any interest, please email me - glutenfreeraleigh@gmail.com. Otherwise, you'll just be staring at old posts. This "job" is best suited for the newly diagnosed as you still are hungry (pun intended) for information on Gluten Free living.

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

2011-09-13T10:13:00.000-04:00

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, September 15th at 7pm at Rex Hospital, Private Dining Room located in the rear of the cafeteria.

Our agenda includes: (a) Rose Waring (Rosie's Plate) generously donated her cookbooks to our group. They will be available for you to peruse and select any in which you are interested. (A "sharing" plan may be needed.) (b) We have an offer to have "flu shots come to us" for our November meeting. Give this some thought. Medicare -no charge; Harris Teeter VIC card - $24.95. (c) "Tasting Samples" from "The Celiac Cakery."

We will not be meeting in October, due to a Rex Hospital scheduling conflict.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.

Gluten Free Baking Class at Williams-Sonoma

2011-08-22T12:47:00.002-04:00

Gluten-Free Baking Technique Class @ Williams Sonoma
August 28, 2011

We’ve partnered with BabyCakes, the award-winning New York bakery, for anintroduction to gluten-free baking. We’ll demonstrate (and sample) some of theirscrumptious recipes as we discuss the correct flours and other ingredients to use,plus techniques for making tender baked goods. Even if you can eat traditionalbaked treats, these makeovers will provide sweet inspiration. We’re pleased to offer complimentary technique classes at your localWilliams-Sonoma store. Class sizes are limited. For specific times and moredetails, please see an associate.

There are 3 Raleigh area locations...
Triangle Town Center -(919) 792-2363
Crabtree Valley Mall - (919) 782-3145
Durham's Streets at Southpoint -(919) 484-1706

Smart Balance Aquires Glutino - Don't Mess With The Pretzels Please

2011-08-12T06:54:00.000-04:00

Click here for a recent write-up from Forbes about the acquisition of Glutino Foods - maker of a wide variety of Gluten Free products - by Smart Balance. My favorite Glutino product would have to be their GF pretzels - yum yum. Hey Smart Balance - leave 'em alone please.

I'll let you read the entire article, but here are some interesting points I'd like to highlight...

Gluten Free market identified as a $2.5 Billion industry. Projections more than double that to exceed $5 Billion by 2015!
Glutino's Gluten Free product sales have steadily grown 30% per year.
Three million Americans are estimated to have Celiac Disease - we know this fact. The article goes on to say that analysts estimate another 40 million to suffer from non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance. Wow. Smart Balance, a company in the low-growth spreads business, apparently sees those 43 million American's as dollar signs. Cha-ching. Wall Street analysts now rate the stock (SMBL) a buy and predict a the price to double over the next 12 months. Better hit e-Trade quick.
Glutino has 2011 fiscal year earnings (ending March 31, 2011) of $54 million. That's almost 8 million bags of those $6.99 pretzels I spoke about earlier.

What are your thoughts? Are more of these small Gluten Free companies getting ready to be "consumed" by other food industry giants?

Click here for products currently offered by Smart Balance (all of which are Gluten Free). You'll find their buttery spread and peanut butter at my house.

Glutino products can be found here.

Raleigh's Moonlight Bakery Closes

2011-08-11T08:37:00.005-04:00

Raleigh's Gluten Free market has suffered another loss as Moonlight Bakery has decided to close. Below is the message currently posted on their Web site. Back in March, Rosie's Plate also closed. I'd like to say thanks to Shanah who operated Moonlight since the fall of 2009.

We want to thank all of our loyal customers since the beginning.
Moonlight Bakery has decided to close it's doors due to the economic environment.
Remember to continue to share great Gluten-free foods.

Regards,
Moonlight Bakery, LLC Management

North Carolina State University Adds Gluten Free Dining Hall Options

2011-08-09T13:15:00.003-04:00

Gluten free stations now available at Fountain Dining Hall

August 1, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — Gluten free stations have now been added to Fountain Dining Hall at NC State University. Gluten free stations were added to provide students with celiac disease, wheat or gluten allergies safe, alternative options at each meal.

Fountain Dining Hall features two gluten free stations. Each station is labeled “Worry-Free Fare” and includes vanilla and chocolate soy milk, gluten free breads and muffins, and Rice Chex cereal. Students with celiac will have access to a toaster dedicated to gluten free bread only.

Gluten free entrees and sides are available at each meal in dining hall locations. To find gluten free options , check the Nutrition and Allergen Calculator in the online menu section of University Dining’s web site or view the allergen board located in each dining hall.

“By adding alternative gluten free options to our largest dining facility, Fountain Dining Hall, we can better meet the needs of our students with celiac disease, wheat allergies or gluten allergies,” said Lisa Eberhart, registered dietician for University Dining. “If students have questions or concerns about an allergy or intolerance, they can contact me directly.”

To learn more about University Dining, visit www.ncsudining.com.

If you feel you are suffering from a food allergy, please contact our registered dietitian, Lisa Eberhart, for an individual meeting. To make an appointment, call student Health at 919-515-7107 to schedule a free appointment. If you would like to speak with the dietitian call 919-513-5310, or email at lisa_eberhart@ncsu.edu.

List of menu items &amp;amp; common allergens can be found here http://www.ncsudining.com/dining/nutrition/nutrition_chart.html.

Sample Gluten Free Product List for C Store can be found here http://www.ncsudining.com/dining/docs/C%20Store%20Gluten%20Free%20Product%20List.pdf

University Dining is a division of Campus Enterprises, the lead organization for retail and hospitality for NC State University. To learn more about Campus Enterprises, go to www.ncsu.edu/campusenterprises.

FDA Reopens Comment Period on Proposed Gluten-Free Food Labeling Rule

2011-08-03T11:44:00.000-04:00

FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 2, 2011

Media Inquiries: Siobhan DeLancey, 202-510-4177, siobhan.delancey@fda.hhs.gov

Trade Inquiries: Stephen King, 240-402-1407, stephen.king@fda.hhs.gov

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA reopens comment period on proposed ‘gluten-free’ food labeling rule

Rule would help by creating a uniform and enforceable definition

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today reopened the comment period for its 2007 proposal on labeling foods as “gluten-free.” The agency is also making available a safety assessment of exposure to gluten for people with celiac disease (CD) and invites comment on these additional data.

One of the criteria proposed is that foods bearing the claim cannot contain 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten. The agency based the proposal, in part, on the available methods for gluten detection. The validated methods could not reliably detect the amount of gluten in a food when the level was less than 20 ppm. The threshold of less than 20 ppm also is similar to “gluten-free” labeling standards used by many other countries.

People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Celiac disease damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. About 1 percent of the United States population is estimated to have the disease.

“Before finalizing our gluten-free definition, we want up-to-date input from affected consumers, the food industry, and others to help assure that the label strikes the right balance,” said Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods. “We must take into account the need to protect individuals with celiac disease from adverse health consequences while ensuring that food manufacturers can meet the needs of consumers by producing a wide variety of gluten-free foods.”

The proposed rule conforms to the standard set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2008, which requires that foods labeled as “gluten-free” not contain more than 20 ppm gluten. This standard has been adopted in regulations by the 27 countries composing the Commission of European Communities.

The FDA encourages members of the food industry, state and local governments, consumers, and other interested parties to offer comments and suggestions about gluten-free labeling in docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 at www.regulations.gov. The docket will officially open for comments after noon on Aug 3, 2011 and will remain open for 60 days.

To submit your comments electronically to the docket go to www.regulations.gov

1. Choose “Submit a Comment” from the top task bar
2. Enter the docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 in the “Keyword” space
3. Select “Search”

To submit your comments to the docket by mail, use the following address:

The Division of Dockets Management
HFA-305
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

Include docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 on each page of your written comments.

For more information:

Federal Register Notice (scroll to FDA--temporary link will update when document publishes on Aug. 3):

http://www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Gluten-Free Portal (scroll to Gluten-Free):

http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuidanceRegulatoryInformation/Topic-SpecificLabelingInformation/default.htm#gluten

FDA’s Proposed Rule on the Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm077926.htm

Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule:

http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuidanceRegulatoryInformation/Topic-SpecificLabelingInformation/ucm265309.htm

Consumer Update on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule:

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm265212.htm

Senators seek FDA's explanation on delay in gluten- free-labeling laws

2011-07-29T08:53:00.001-04:00

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., asked the FDA for updates on when it will implement gluten-free-labeling regulations and demanded an explanation for the delay in enforcing such rules. "The regulatory uncertainty surrounding FDA's inaction has led to a proliferation of 'gluten free' standards and labels provided by 3rd party groups. This creates confusion for consumers, and hesitancy amongst producers on what their requirements will be," they wrote in a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg.

See full story here - http://mobile.foodnavigator-usa.com//Regulation/Senators-urge-FDA-action-on-gluten-free-labeling

Is Gluten Making You Sick?

2011-07-28T16:07:00.000-04:00

Whole Foods Market - Raleigh Wade Avenue Location

Thursday, August 11th

Is Gluten Making You Sick? presented by Dr. Loan Huynh, DC

7:00 - 8:00 pm Free, Pre-Register

Did you know that 30% of Americans may be gluten sensitive?

Did you know that the majority of people with gluten sensitivity do NOT have symptoms? Come to this insightful presentation and get the facts on gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease!

Dr. Huynh will discuss why gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease are prevalent and why most people go undiagnosed. You will also learn about cutting edge tests to detect gluten sensitivities, the dangers of gluten sensitivity if not detected, and what to do about it!

Dr. Loan Huynh is a Holistic Health Doctor and owner of Optimal Wellness Chiropractic Center in Raleigh. She is board certified in chiropractic and also practices holistic medicine with an emphasis on nutrition. Dr. Huynh helps a variety of people ranging from injured athletes to the chronically ill achieve and maintain a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.

To learn more, please visit www.OptimalWellnessOfRaleigh.com

How Much Does The Gluten Free Diet Cost? One Man's Results.

2011-06-30T10:36:00.002-04:00

I've never been accused of not being detail oriented or able to track something to the smallest degree, so I figured I'd put those skills into tracking what it actually costs to follow the Gluten Free diet. I've never seen anyone do this sort of tracking before, so I'm curious as to how my spending habits stack up to others. From what we know from studies, the average Gluten Free product costs nearly 250% more than it's gluten containing counterpart. We've all paid $6 or more for a loaf of gluten free bread, right? A case of Redbridge will set you back about $35.

Since January 1st, 2011, I've tracked EVERY purchase made by my family as it pertains to a labeled, packaged Gluten Free product. It's not been fun nor easy, but I chalked it up to valuable research to share with you all. See the chart below for monthly totals. Keep in mind that I am the only member of my family required to eat Gluten Free, but that our household (2 adults and one preschooler) is entirely Gluten Free for my safety. I don't consider myself someone who buys a ton of packaged food - we often strive to make meals from scratch with fresh ingredients.

Here are the results through June 2011 (click for bigger picture).

I will spare you the details of exactly what I have purchased, but let's just say that over the first 6 months of 2011, I've purchased 436 packaged Gluten Free items. These only include items specifically labeled as Gluten Free and do not include things that are naturally gluten free and not labeled - like milk, fruits, veggies or meat. This also does not include any purchases from restaurants nor sales tax (I believe it's 2% for groceries). The average price of those 436 items was nearly $4. Each time I put a Gluten Free product in my shopping cart - wham, another 4 bucks. The common products that show up on my list are things like cereal, pasta and bread.

The other thing you can clearly see is that since I've gone Gluten Free, I've added nearly 42% to my grocery bill. I've been GF since May 2008, so doing a little quick estimation based on spending $1800 every 6 months, I've spent approximately $10,800 on Gluten Free labeled products since my Celiac diagnosis. Can any of you think of what you'd rather like to spend nearly $11,000 on? That being said, I'm healthy so I'll try not to complain too much.

If others' spending habits are like mine, I'm led to believe that many folks would have difficulty following a Gluten Free diet strictly due to cost. How many people can't absorb spending nearly $4,000 more per year at the grocery store after receiving a Celiac diagnosis?

For a person with Celiac Disease, the Gluten Free diet is medically required for life. So eating Gluten Free is basically my daily medicine. Too bad my prescription drug plan doesn't cover the cost of Gluten Free food! It's also too bad that with all the ramp up in popularity of Gluten Free items over the last few years that manufacturers haven't lowered their prices.

I'd love to hear your input on what the Gluten Free diet is costing you financially. Please leave a comment if you've done any kind of tracking.

Gluten sensitivity can exist in non-celiac IBS patients

2011-06-25T11:59:00.001-04:00

Australian researchers reporting in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found in a study that people with irritable bowel syndrome but not celiac disease can still exhibit a sensitivity to gluten. Slightly more than two-thirds of the patients in the small study reported after a week a number of issues, including severe pain and bloating, compared to the group that was fed a gluten-free diet.

Whole Foods Wave Ave - Gluten Free Vendor Fair This Saturday 11a-2p

2011-05-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note that the Whole Foods Market located in Raleigh on Wade Avenue will be hosting a Gluten Free Vendor Fair this Saturday, May 14th, 2011 from 11am to 2pm.

There will be samples from UliMana Chocolate, Mary's Gone Crackers, Happy Tummy Baking Company, Old Mill Kettle Corn, Bigelow Tea, Num Num Sauce and more!

Saturday, May 14th
Gluten Free Fair

11:00 am-2:00pm Free!

It's our Gluten Free Fair! Tempt your taste buds with tasty treats! Lots of great products and local vendors. Try a variety of samples...all gluten free!

3540 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 27607 USA

Phone 919.828.5805

Store hours:
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a week.

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month

2011-05-04T16:16:00.001-04:00

Media Release

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month for Second Year

Raleigh, N.C., USA, May 2, 2011 – The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog has announced Governor Beverly Perdue has declared May 2011 “Celiac Disease Awareness Month” in North Carolina for the second year. The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog and Pat Berger, leader of the North Raleigh Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) Support Group brought the petition to the Governor’s office regarding the awareness month.

Celiac Disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that affects one in 133 people in the United States. It interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food and can cause gastrointestinal and neurological issues, infertility, skin rashes and cancer. The only treatment for Celiac Disease is lifelong, strict adherence to a gluten-free diet.

“Research indicates there are approximately three million people living with Celiac Disease in the United States and of those, only about 120,000 have been diagnosed,” said Alice Bast, founder and president of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). “It’s great to see North Carolina working to raise awareness about this disease so perhaps others can be accurately diagnosed by their doctors. Zach Becker and the entire North Carolina Celiac Disease community should be commended for their leadership and successful advocacy efforts.”

In honor of this proclamation, I encourage you to spread awareness about Celiac Disease and living Gluten Free. You can do this by downloading and printing out the Food Allergy Awareness Poster and taking it to your favorite local restaurant to educate them on safely serving Gluten Free food to consumers. Ask them if they'd be willing to review this poster with their staff and ask them to post this information in their kitchen to serve as a reference. You can also mention to them the Governor's proclamation as added ammunition on why they should listen to your request. Are you willing to do your part to spread awareness?

Click here to read the Proclamation on the Governor's website or in PDF format.

CELIAC DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH
MAY 2011
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, is a genetic autoimmune disease that affects 1 in every 133 people in the United States; and
WHEREAS, research indicates that there are approximately 3 million people with celiac disease in the United States; of those, approximately 120,000 have been diagnosed; and WHEREAS, 1 in 22 first degree relatives of people with celiac disease may also be affected; and
WHEREAS, celiac disease may take an average of 11 years to be diagnosed after the initial onset of symptoms; and
WHEREAS, celiac disease affects equal percentages of men and women and may have severe and varied detrimental effects on the body; and
WHEREAS, people with celiac disease may have other autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus; and
WHEREAS, the only known treatment for celiac disease is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet; and
WHEREAS, children with celiac disease must adhere to their medically-prescribed diet while at school and during school-based activities; and
WHEREAS, the National Institute of Health Consensus Development Conference on Celiac Disease held in 2004 found that consultation with a skilled dietitian and identification and treatment of nutritional deficiencies were key elements in the management of celiac disease; and
WHEREAS, the consensus panel on celiac disease recommended the standardization of serologic tests and pathologic criteria for the diagnosis of celiac disease, the adoption of a standard definition of a gluten-free diet based on objective evidence such as that being developed by the American Dietetic Association, and the development of an adequate testing procedure to determine the amount of gluten in foods and of a definition of standards for gluten-free foods in the United States to lay the foundation for rational food labeling; and
WHEREAS, increased recognition and awareness of celiac disease will have a significant positive impact on the quality of life of people with celiac disease;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 2011, as “CELIAC DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina and commend its observance to our citizens.

BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this fourteenth day of March in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit: May 4th, 2011 in Washington, DC

2011-04-29T12:44:00.007-04:00

Hopefully by now, you've heard of the upcoming Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit being held on May 4th, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The event, organized by 1 in 133.org, will feature the world's largest Gluten Free cake (13 feet tall) on Capital Hill in an effort to finally get the FDA to finalize what the term "Gluten Free" means on product packaging. Wouldn't it be great if you could pick up a product that had the term "Gluten Free" on it and know exactly what that meant? Kind of a no-brainer if you ask me. But who am I - just some guy who must follow a medically required Gluten Free diet for life in order to be healthy due to my Celiac Disease. It's not that important, right? Wrong.

We all know that the FDA missed the August 2008 deadline to finalize the FALCPA law as well as the 2010 deadline to enact the law which was proposed in 2004 and passed in 2006. The law states the following for Gluten labeling...

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with appropriate experts and stakeholders, shall issue a proposed rule to define, and permit use of, the term ``gluten-free'' on the labeling of foods. Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a final rule to define, and permit use of, the term ''gluten-free'' on the labeling of foods.

Ever thought about what can be accomplished in ten years (by the time this is actually passed it will probably be ten years - hopefully not more). See below for some examples of what can be done in ten years.

A band of colonists organized and defeated the strongest military in the world. Remember the US Revolution? In less than 10 years, the “shot heard ’round the world” transformed the way the world viewed freedom and liberty.
The US put a man on the moon. Our country accepted the challenge issued by President John Kennedy and, using computer systems that had less computing power than a cheap digital watch today, we left Earth and set foot on another celestial body.
The Transcontinental Railroad was completed and what was a six month trip from coast to coast was reduced to about 6 days
The Panama Canal, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Hoover Dam were all completed in 10 years or less. You learned to speak your native language in less than 10 years. You learned to walk in less than two!

I think you get the point. Too bad the FDA doesn't. So, why can't the FDA decide on Gluten Free labeling - now going on 7 years? Dang it, set the standard to 20 PPM and hold companies accountable for using the term Gluten Free - it is not that hard. Maybe if we had some of the fine folks from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture working instead for the FDA, things might be different. Just a reminder of their involvement in investigating and prosecuting the fraudulent Gluten Free Baker - Paul Seelig. Hopefully, before Seelig gets out of prison 10 years from now for poisoning Gluten Free consumers, this will finally be passed.

So what can you do to help? Visit 1in133.org for more details on the summit and how you can support their efforts. You can sign a petition to the FDA (currently has nearly 6,000 signatures), send a letter, you can donate money (I donated $133 to be a sponsor) or you can go the summit yourself and shout some cool chants at lawmakers on Capital Hill. Special thanks to Jules Shepard for organizing the event and building the cake (which was built by Lee Tobin at the Whole Foods GF Bakehouse here in the Triangle)! Click here to read an interview with Jules conducted by Hajo at Custom Choice Cereal. Click here to read various media mentions of the event.

Event Details - Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Join us to watch construction of the World’s Largest Gluten Free Cake
Embassy Suites Convention Center
900 10th Street NW, Washington, DC
Phone: 1+(202) 739-2001

5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Donor and Sponsor Reception
Individuals, organizations, and companies who graciously provided support for the GF Labeling Summit are invited to join us to celebrate Awareness Month, the unveiling of the cake, and hear guest speakers.

6:15 p.m. Program begins
7:00 p.m. VIP / Summit reception (private room)
7:30 p.m. Closing remarks by event organizers (main room)

All Day – Individuals are encouraged to make appointments with their Representative and Senators to discuss the need for gluten-free labeling standards. Not sure how to do this? See "Coming to the Summit" by clicking here.

Best of luck to all those attending - let's hope this issue is finally resolved very soon.

NFCA Webinar: 60+ Meeting the Needs of the Mature Celiac

2011-04-29T11:24:00.000-04:00

60+: Meeting the Needs of the Mature Celiac

Join us for a Webinar on May 18

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/943219350

Announcing NFCA's Webinar, 60+: Meeting the Needs of the Mature Celiac, on Wednesday, May 18th at 1pm Eastern.

Join NFCA as Veronica Alicea, M.B.A., R.D., a well-known dietetic consultant in the celiac and gluten-free fields, leads an hour-long discussion on the increasing number of celiac diagnoses in the mature adult population during which she will provide expert advice for fellow dietitians on how to best care for this unique population.

Sponsored by Crunchmaster crackers, this webinar is free of charge and the only requirement is a working Internet connection!

Veronica will:
* Discuss the growing prevalence of celiac disease among adults who are 60+
* Address the unique needs of mature celiacs, such as diet compliance
* Offer tips on how best to adjust to a gluten-free lifestyle when diagnosed later in life
* And more!

Title: 60+: Meeting the Needs of the Mature Celiac
Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Gluten Freely Deal Alert

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000-04:00

Act by April 30th! Visit Gluten Freely.com for more details.

$10 off orders of $50 or more ~ Free Shipping ~ Instant Savings of 10% - 20%

Examples include the following

Buy 6 boxes of GF Bisquick for $26.94 (10% savings)
Buy 6 boxes of GF Betty Crocker Brownie Mix for $24.79 (10% savings)
Chocolate Chex for $3.19 per box (20% savings)
GF Betty Crocker Cake Mix for $3.90 per box (15% savings).
Free Shipping (Discount will be applied automatically at Checkout).
$10 off your order of $50 or more (Discount will be applied automatically at Checkout).
Trial Box - Save over $5 when you purchase your favorite gluten-free products packaged in an elegant gift box and receive a free Betty Crocker Red Spoon.
All offers can be combined!

Harmony Farms 35th Anniversary Celebration - April 30th

2011-04-29T10:59:00.000-04:00

Celebrating 35 Wonderful Years, serving the Raleigh community... We hope to see you all at this spectacular event.

Be sure to stop by for:

Bags filled with goodies (While supplies last)
Samples
Product merchandise (buttons, etc).
Several gift baskets given away by drawing.
Chair massage will also be available.
Additional savings on clearance items!!
20% off ALL purchases during the event!

Where & When
Harmony Farms - 5653 Creedmoor Rd, Raleigh
Saturday, April 30th
10:00AM-3:00PM

In Harmony,
Nancy & Steve Long, & Co-Creators

Quick Update From Happy Tummy Baking Company

2011-04-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Tummy Baking Company is now available at the new North Raleigh Whole Foods. Happy Tummy's crusts, in addition to being gluten-free, do not contain yeast or any of the 8 major allergens.

The product is 12" round and can also be found in the freezer section at the Raleigh Wade Ave, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill Whole Foods.

Maria Hopper
Happy Tummy Baking Company

Fake Gluten Free "Bread Man" Guilty; Receives Decade Long Sentence

2011-04-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

In 1996, Paul Seelig and his young son set off on a trip to Cleveland, Ohio. At the urging of his 5 year old son, they were on their way to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At some point during the trip, Paul decides to take the scenic route through the Amish country of Ohio. Somewhere near Millersburg, Ohio, they see a sign for a farm/bakery called Risn' Bakeries. Even more intriguing, the company is offering an extensive array of Gluten Free products like bread and bagels, grown and baked right there. Paul and his extended family have a history of digestive diseases and eat wheat free/Gluten Free. Paul pulls in and meets with the owner of Risn' Bakeries, Jonas Jones. After a discussion, Paul and Jonas strike a deal where Risn' Bakeries will supply Paul's company Great Specialty Products with Gluten Free baked goods. Although Paul's company is not currently selling GF goods, he takes a typed letter from Jonas promising those goods at any point in the future and keeps it in his back pocket. Although it is often difficult because Jonas does not have electricity, email, phone, text messages, fax, Facebook, twitter, cell phone, internet or even an address other than SR 77, Paul and Jonas keep in touch over the years. They develop a routine where Paul sends emails and then waits for Jonas to ride in his horse and buggy over to Kinko's where he checks his email. Paul uses the email address risnbakeries@yahoo.com to reach Jonas.

Fast forward to the fall of 2009. Paul is preparing for the 2009 North Carolina State Fair where his company Great Specialty Products has been a vendor for the past several years. Although Paul is very familiar with Gluten Free products, he is beginning to hear more buzz about it. His long time customers are beginning to ask him to carry them. He wonders what to do for a minute and then reaches into his back pocket and pulls out that 13 year old letter from Amish farmer/baker Jonas Jones. "Eureka" Paul exclaims as dollar signs form in his eyes. Per their normal routine, Paul sends Jonas an email to order some Gluten Free goodies. Before you know it, Jonas is over at the Kinko's checking his email and receives Paul's order. Jonas gets to work immediately and begins shipping Paul COD deliveries of Gluten Free bread and bagels straight to his booth at the state fair in October 2009. Word of mouth quickly spreads through the Gluten Free/Celiac community around Raleigh, North Carolina which is home to the state fair. One thing is for sure, despite not having electricity, that Jonas can bake some delicious Gluten Free baked goods. State fair customers repeatedly call them "Too good to be true".

Paul immediately gets started on his marketing plan for the NEW Great Specialty Products now featuring Gluten Free items. He decides to keep the Amish and Gluten Free parts of the story, but then makes a few modifications. Instead of Jonas growing and baking all the goods, Paul decides that he'll tell customers that he is growing and baking everything himself. How about a 150,000 square foot dedicated Gluten Free facility? Sure why not, sounds like an impressive facility. Hmm, wait, what if someone wants a tour? That's easy; it's located at RDU airport behind tight TSA security - that will deter them. Maybe a 400 acre family owned farm in Ohio where all the ingredients are grown and no outside suppliers? Great idea. How about some patented recipes and baking processes? Sounds great. Military, State and Federal government contracts? Yep. Constant testing of his products for the presence of Gluten keenly detailed on a calendar hanging in his office? Most definitely. Company history of 12 years because family cannot eat Gluten due to Crohn's Disease and other digestive issues. He's got it all figured out now. With the hype built in the Gluten Free community as a result of the state fair, Paul sets off to rework his Web site. Since Jonas doesn't know what a camera is and Paul doesn't have any good photos of the GF products for his Web site, he decides that he'll borrow some from the Internet. Nothing wrong with that, right? He finds some great pictures on a website for a company that makes gluten-filled baked goods in New Jersey called Tribecca Oven. He finds some more pictures that represent the Gluten Free desserts Jonas is making on another website for Bindi. The new and improved website for Great Specialty Products featuring Jonas' awesome GF products hits the web on November 20, 2009.

About this time, Paul meets up with a local Celiac/Gluten Free blogger (yours truly). Paul tells the "story" of his company and gives samples to the blogger. The products are amazing and the story is convincing enough that the blogger writes a detailed post highlighting Great Specialty Products to the 300 daily readers of his blog. These GF products are unbelievable; tasting and feeling just like the gluten containing baked goods that the blogger remembers before he went GF. The blogger usually waits about a week to see if any side effects from the products occur - acting as a guinea pig - before he posts. He does not have any testing policies in place as the need has not arisen and testing kits are expensive. The sales begin streaming in and Paul struggles to make all the necessary deliveries. Dozens of Raleigh area GF consumers are ordering and enjoying Paul's (Jonas') products. They all are so happy they can have normal tasting Gluten Free products. They all are told the same story by Paul as outlined above. No longer do they have to eat differently than their friends or family, these products are good enough for gluten addicts too. The Gluten Free community rejoices!

Then tragedy strikes for Paul on November 25, 2009. An unhappy customer leaves a comment on the blog warning others that she has become sick from Paul's products. Paul is beside himself. He must get to the bottom of this. He immediately visits the customer to retrieve product so that it can be tested for Gluten. He tells the customer that he will have the EPA and Health Department immediately test the product while he tests via swab in his 150,000 square foot facility down to the delivery trucks themselves. He informs the customer the next day that the product tested for 19 PPM. The customer is not convinced and decides to call the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to file a complaint. Over the next several days, two more customers complain to the Department of Agriculture (the agency responsible for regulating bakeries - not the EPA or Health Department). The Department of Agriculture attempts to contact Paul to investigate the complaints. Paul attempts to contact Jonas to get to the root of the problem. After receiving no response, Paul hops on a plane on December 16, 2009 to Millersburg, Ohio. He informs Jonas of the complaints. Jonas is bewildered. Together they tour the fields where oats are growing. Paul immediately points out to Jonas that a neighboring Amish farm is growing wheat. They investigate further to find that both farms are sharing wagons and buggies to haul harvested wheat and oats. Uh oh. Paul instructs one of his employees to call all customers to warn them of the cross contamination. Customers can cancel orders if they so choose or receive a refund if the delivery has already been made. The NC Dept of Ag continues to turn up the heat on the investigation as more and more complaints are received. They eventually receive "an unprecedented number of complaints" against Great Specialty Products. The GF community here in Raleigh is well connected and the word has spread quickly. Paul is now scared and decides to stall the investigation as much as possible by inventing fake aliases, facilities and an array of illnesses until he and Jonas can get the situation under control.

FACTS
Do you believe the story that has just been told? No, well neither did 12 citizens of Wake County who served as jurors (I'll call them "The Gluten Free 12") during a criminal trial featuring Paul Seelig as the defendant. Believe it or not, what has been told above is a summary of the actual story Paul Seelig testified to (under oath) while on the stand in his defense during the trial. Now let's get to the facts (as uncovered by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the North Carolina Department of Justice, the Wake County District Attorney's Office and the Celiac/Gluten Free community of the Raleigh area) shall we?

Jonas Jones and Risn' Bakeries were never proven to exist by either the prosecutors or Paul himself. Fake invoices from Risn' Bakeries that contained no address, contact information or product descriptions were submitted as evidence during Paul's defense. Paul testified that he willingly offered to drive up to Ohio to show them where the farm was located. The investigators had already done exhaustive research with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Holmes County Health Department, the FDA and USDA and found no record of Risn' Bakeries or Jonas Jones. Paul's defense attorney pointed out that no one ever went with Paul prompting the Wake County Assistant District Attorney Jason Waller to counter, "You don't go to the North Pole to find out whether Santa Claus exists do you?" While Paul testified that his company has been in business for 12 years, Great Specialty Products was actually registered in Durham in 2007. Additionally, the nearest Kinko's (Now FedEx Office) to Millersburg, Ohio is located in Canton some 34 miles away. Quite a trip on a horse and buggy for Jonas, huh?

Testimony and invoices from International Gourmet Foods and Tribecca Oven showed deliveries of gluten containing bread to both the state fair and Paul's "facility" which was actually his home in Durham. Lonnie Williard from Tribecca Oven testified that her company "is a Gluten machine" and that Paul had no authorization to use its product photos or sell its products as Gluten Free. Paul sent a letter from a fake legal firm threatening to sue Tribecca Oven unless it paid him money for slander/damages after representatives from the company left blog post comments in an attempt to inform customers of the truth.

Testimony from 27 of Paul's former customers occurred during the 2 week, 2 day trial. Testimony ranged from victims getting violently ill to breaking out in painful DH rashes to delivering a 3.5 pound pre-term baby at 30 ½ weeks. In several cases children were sickened by Paul. One three year old child who was recently diagnosed with Diabetes was also damaged by Paul's misrepresentation of the number of carbohydrates in his bagels. The misrepresentation of carbs (10g instead of 57g) caused the child's parents to dose the child with the incorrect amount of insulin.

Testimony from one of Paul's former employees was particularly interesting. She testified to going to stores like BJs, Costco and Sam's Club with Paul and purchasing gluten containing bagels which she then repackaged and sold under Paul's direction to Great Specialty Products customers as Gluten Free. She also testified that Paul instructed her to not talk to customers as she made deliveries and to redirect all questions to Paul himself. Paul also told her to tell customers that the products were indeed Gluten Free at the state fair.

Paul testified that he made a trip to Ohio on December 16, 2009 and personally sees wheat and oats growing - his entire defense is based on this cross contamination. Anyone else been to or lived in Ohio during December? I lived there for 23 years, less than 2 hours from Millersburg. Not too many crops growing during the winter with potential snow on the ground that I recall.

I personally called Bindi in early December 2009 after reports that Paul was delivering its specialty desserts as GF to determine whether they were indeed GF. The company said no, so I showed it Paul's website featuring Bindi's stolen photos. Bindi said it would "take care of this" and a few days later Paul had removed all the GF specialty desserts from his website.

Paul sent a threatening email to me on December 6, 2009 stating "if I hear that kind of bull again, I will take appropriate action" and "I would and more importantly will start a law suit against you" after I informed him and others that I was testing his products for Gluten with the EZ Gluten home test kits. My intent was to share the test results (positive or negative) with the readers of my blog. Believing his law suit threat, I was unable to provide a warning post or email response to what I knew about the situation. Thankfully others in the community could and did.

Paul attempted to stall the investigation by the Department of Agriculture by using an alias of Jeff Gleason. As Jeff Gleason, he informed the investigators that Paul Seelig had suffered a massive heart attack and was flown to Cedars Sinai in California for treatment. He did not believe that Paul would live. On other occasions, he dodged investigators by saying he had been quarantined for 14 days due to H1N1 infection or was unable to meet due to his chemotherapy treatments for cancer. The Department of Agriculture received 29 complaints in total although it is assumed there were many more affected customers who did not file complaints. In January 2010, investigators grew tired and moved on shutting down Great Specialty Products. Under the Jeff Gleason alias, Paul also sent threatening emails to customers blaming bloggers for the situation. Great Specialty Products would no longer donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to local food banks, the University of North Carolina Celiac Research Center or Military toys for tots. Quotes like "I guess little Johnny won't be getting any toys this year because of these bloggers trashing our name" and "the last thing you want to do is make a company with a large bank account mad at you". Bloggers including myself were also compared to KKK members and Nazi Germany soldiers who unduly persecuted Paul's family during WWII. When did UNC start a Celiac Research Center? Court evidence showed that Paul Seelig made less than $4,000 from this scam.

In an especially low blow, Paul contacted the Raleigh Police Department to turn in a completely innocent person (some enemy of his) for the murder of State Board of Education member Kathy Taft in an attempt to get his GF fraud charges dropped. Unbeknownst to Paul, detectives had already arrested a suspect. My guess is that this kind of payback is what everyone involved in his trial has to look forward to in 10 years when Seelig is released from prison.

Paul has twice before been convicted of related crimes (grand theft and wire fraud), once in 1991 in California and again in 2002 in Federal Court in Montana. He has presented fake documents in court in the past. These charges fall in line with a long history of fraudulent and dishonest behavior.

Experts from the University of Nebraska's Food Allergy Research & Resource Program (FARRP) provided expert testimony in court about their testing procedures on multiple products submitted by Paul's customers that returned Gluten content > 5,000 PPM. Testimony from the Director of FARRP, Dr. Steven Taylor, highlighted how his lab is a leader in the U.S. for testing Gluten in products for a consortium of 57 companies. His lab tested 12,000 products in 2010 with 25% of those tests being for Gluten. He had not previously seen a submitted product score > 5,000 PPM Gluten. While doing testing for Quaker Oats, Dr. Taylor stated that his lab found results of no detectible Gluten to around 1,000 PPM in various samples. Quaker knew it had cross contamination of its oats and sought out FARRP testing to determine the level. This testimony on a proven study of cross contamination debunks Paul's story of cross contamination at Risn' Bakeries as the reason why his customers were sickened. Even if Risn' Bakeries really existed.

The defense attorney in this case made a motion to dismiss all charges due to the fact that there is currently no law stating what the term Gluten Free means for consumer products. This was particularly irritating because of the fact that the FDA has not acted on the proposed labeling term Gluten Free of > 20 PPM even though it was supposed to finalize the term in 2008 and enact law around that term in 2010 (per FALCPA passed in 2006). With no final ruling on Gluten Free labeling, the door is open to companies like Great Specialty Products to defraud and sicken GF consumers. Each company can determine what putting a Gluten Free label on a product means to them, rather than being held to a standard. If you are interested in helping to nudge along the FDA, please visit the site 1in133.org for more information. The organizers (including Jules Shepard) are planning the first ever Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit in Washington, D.C. on May 4, 2011 that will feature a 12-foot tall Gluten Free cake. There are 3 actions you can take to help the cause. Until this regulation can be finalized, it's best to consume products that have been certified Gluten Free (GFCO for example).

THE VERDICT

After deliberating for less than 2 hours, "The Gluten Free 12" came back with a verdict of guilty on all counts against Paul Seelig for Obtaining Property by False Pretenses. Because Seelig has a related history of fraud and deceit with 2 previous convictions, the prosecution asked the court for a stipulation on all the convictions of an aggravating factor. This allows the judge to sentence in the maximum range of punishment (10 to 12 months per charge). Wake County Superior Court Judge Carl Fox then proceeded to offer some harsh words for Seelig including– "The hardest crime to break someone of is dishonesty", "Stealing money from people is one thing, but poisoning them to the point where they cannot absorb nutrients or deliver a pre-term baby is a whole other level", "It's probably a good thing that your children haven't had contact with you while you've been in prison the last 9 months. I've seen it too many times where parents are in and out of court and the children end up there at some point in the future", "It appears that being dishonest is just part of who Paul Seelig is" and "You might as well have just stabbed or beaten these people, I've seen attempted murder victims who were less hurt than these victims". The judge ended with telling Seelig "I'm not sure if this is the last time you'll be in court or not, but if you don't change your ways you will die in prison". Judge Fox then sentenced Paul Seelig to 110 – 132 months in prison (9-11 years) as well as paying restitution to the victims should he ever be granted work release (although he cannot work in anything involving commerce). Judge Fox also ordered that Seelig repay the nearly $12,000 of attorney's fees for his defense lawyer as well as undergo a full mental and health evaluation. Unfortunately, Seelig was not sentenced to 10 years of having head to toe poison ivy – something my wife wanted for him after she watched me endlessly itch my DH reaction to his fake Gluten Free products. You can learn more about DH and see pictures of my outbreak in this post.

MANY THANKS

I'd like to take a brief moment to thank the many folks involved in this case. I know I am forgetting some, so my apologies. The folks from the NC Department of Agriculture – Joel Keith, Bret Weed, Jim Melvin, Kay Snipes, Joan Sims, Shirley Burch, Amy Alford and Anita McMullen. The two fine Wake County Assistant District Attorneys prosecuting this case – Jason Waller and Shawn Evans as well as Wake County Superior Court Judge Carl Fox. The folks at the NC Department of Justice – Anne Brown, John Corne and Faison Hicks. Thanks also to the 45 witnesses (many of whom were victims) who testified in this trial on behalf of the Celiac/Gluten Free community. I'd also like to thank the various media members who have covered this case, especially Andrea Weigl from the Raleigh News & Observer. Andrea has been following the case closely, and wrote the first media story on this case, and was a receptive ear when I first called her back in December 2009. Finally, big thanks to "The Gluten Free 12" – the 12 jurors who gave up 2 weeks and 2 days of their normal lives to hear a twisted story about Paul Seelig poisoning Gluten Free consumers. I'm sure you've heard enough about Gluten Free and Celiac Disease to last the rest of your lives.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sorry for the long recap, but this story is one and a half years in the making. While I'm not overjoyed that someone will be spending the next decade of his life in prison, people have to be accountable for their actions. Whether or not the FDA has finalized the term Gluten Free for product labels, companies cannot lie about the ingredients or origins of its products. The safety of the food supply for those of us with dietary restrictions is absolutely critical. I've seen a lot of uproar over the fact that Seelig got a decade sentence while murderers and drug dealers get much less time. Paul Seelig is actually lucky in my opinion that he didn't kill someone during this 3 month fake Gluten Free fiasco. He very easily could have fed these products he advertised as wheat free/gluten free to someone with a severe wheat allergy and killed them. Hopefully this post will help educate those of you making those comments on just how serious the crimes Paul Seelig committed were. Celiac Disease is a serious health concern and requires a lifelong Gluten Free diet. Failure to adhere to this diet causes damage to our bodies which can result in death. This is not some group of whiny consumers who got sick while trying to purchase products for the latest fad diet. For those of you still in doubt, I invite you to attempt a Gluten Free diet for a period of time so you can walk a mile in our shoes – then get back to me.

Paul Seelig Trial Recap Coming Soon...

2011-04-12T21:42:00.002-04:00

Ok, I definitely have a lot to say about the 2 week, 2 day Paul Seelig (Fraudulent Gluten Free Baker) Trial that concluded this morning. I attended every day of the trial (except one). My gag order has been lifted so look for the post very soon. How's that for a cliff hanger?

In the meantime, here is an article from WRAL and another from the News & Observer (both of whom followed the trial pretty much the entire time).

Additionally, here is the statement I read in court this morning before sentencing from Judge Fox. My intent was to speak for the victims in the case and for Celiac Disease suffers in general. Hope I did you all justice.

Paul Seelig Statement
April 12, 2011
Wake County Superior Court

I’d like to start by saying thank you to the court for this opportunity to speak today. Also, thanks to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the North Carolina Department of Justice and the Wake County District Attorney’s office.

My name is Zach Becker and I am the author of the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. I started the blog in 2008 after receiving a diagnosis of Celiac Disease. I quickly figured out that a lifelong Gluten Free Diet was not an easy thing to follow and there were minimal local resources for successfully living Gluten Free. After 700 posts and nearly 200,000 visits over the last two and a half years, the blog has become a trusted resource for the Raleigh area Gluten Free Community. It is my passion and hobby to help others who must follow this medically required diet in order to live a healthy life. I strive to help local companies who cater to Gluten Free consumers – many of which are start-ups with minimal marketing budgets. I never ask for anything in return other than safe products for our community.

In early November 2009, I met Paul Seelig of Great Specialty Products. I reached out to him in an effort to also help promote his Gluten Free business - the same opportunity I offer everyone else. He gave me samples of what he led me to believe were Gluten Free bread products. He sat across a table from me and watched me eat poison while he described his Gluten Free Company, his patented recipes, his military contracts, his 100% dedicated Gluten Free bakery located at RDU, his family-owned 400 acre Amish farm in Ohio where he sourced all his ingredients, his extensive testing for Gluten. All things we have come to find as deceitful and damaging lies.

For the better part of 2 weeks until becoming ill, I consumed products from Great Specialty Products. I promoted his company on my blog. I spread the word around the Gluten Free community about his company who in turn made dozens of people sick. Celiacs were poisoned; small children, adults, men and women of the Triangle. Mr. Seelig knowingly used my blog as a vehicle to make others sick. To date, I have not heard of any remorse or regret, nor have I or anyone else received an apology from Mr. Seelig. He has taken every opportunity to defend his actions, to continue to deceive; rather than to seek forgiveness.

While eating his gluten containing products, I had several health issues. I had and continue to have periods of outbreaks of Dermatitis Herpetiformis also known as “Celiac of the skin”. This blistering and bleeding rash is the itchiest known to man. Back in December 2009, I suffered from multiple sleepless nights before I could get a prescription for a drug called CLOBETASOL. This class 1 super potent steroid was originally created to treat leprosy and has all kinds of side effects. The drug is so potent that it cannot be taken for more than 2 weeks consecutively. I have also suffered from weight loss and fatigue during this period – the original symptoms that led to my Celiac Diagnosis.

In addition to affecting myself and dozens of others in the Triangle, I’d like to note that this case has reached national notoriety. There are an estimated 3 million Celiacs in the USA who are passionately watching the outcome of this case. The FDA has yet to state what is required for a company to label a product as Gluten Free. This has left it open to companies to determine their own labeling. This has left the Gluten Free community vulnerable to fraudulent companies like Great Specialty Products. The state of North Carolina has the spotlight on it here today. This case needs to stand as a deterrent to others who might follow in Paul Seelig’s footsteps and defraud and poison Gluten Free consumers. Companies need to know that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

It is clear that Mr. Seelig has done damage to me and other Celiacs by fraudulently selling us gluten containing products marketed as Gluten Free. He has intentionally poisoned the Celiac community in the name of making a profit for his bogus company. Celiac Disease has over 300 known symptoms, many of which are extremely annoying but livable. However, too much Gluten ingestion over a period of time causes inflation in the intestines which will ultimately result in Lymphoma. I am often left wondering just how much time off my life this man has taken from me and others. Just how much damage was done?

Moonlight Bakery Update

2011-04-04T06:17:00.002-04:00

Moonlight Bakery now has a bakery shelf available daily at the Dinner Savvy in Apex. Call Dinner Savvy at 303-3119 for more information including store hours.

We will no longer be available for home deliveries. But we will still take orders throughout the month for pick-up at the store whenever we have our ON-LOCATION event once a month. Be sure to visit us on Facebook or our Web site for those dates!

We are also beginning to make Cupcake Towers for birthday parties and other such events. We have just added some new products to our website as well. Please check them out and let us know if there are any other products you would like for us to work on.

Shanah,
Moonlight Bakery

Quick Update From Happy Tummy Baking Company

2011-04-01T11:13:00.001-04:00

Happy Tummy Baking Company is offering a 10% discount on all pizza crusts sold at Whole Foods now through April 12th. The discounted price is $6.29/ crust. Happy Tummy's crusts, in addition to being gluten-free, do not contain yeast or any of the 8 major allergens.

The product is 12" round and can be found in the freezer at the Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill Whole Foods. It is available by request (temporarily not on display in the freezer but they have a supply in the back) at the Wade Ave. Raleigh Whole Foods. Not available yet at the new North Raleigh store.

Try it while it's on sale for a quick, easy meal and satisfy your pizza cravings!

Maria Hopper
Happy Tummy Baking Company

Gluten Free Hour On QVC

2011-03-23T21:42:00.003-04:00

Not sure if you saw this or not, but the home shopping giant QVC had it's first hour long show dedicated entirely to gluten free products today. The show featured many gluten free products ranging from baked goods to crab cakes to cookbooks to snacks to ribs from Shane's Rib Shack.

Some facts I picked up on are below.
-more than 1500 of the cookbooks sold at $20 each according to the counter at the bottom of the screen.
-nearly 22,000 Boomi bars sold in a few minute segment (a sell out).
-over 7,000 crab cakes sold at about $7 a pop.

Overall, this was a pretty interesting show and featured some good tidbits and facts about Celiac and gluten free living. QVC said they did the show due to high customer demand. Anyone order? I must admit that this is the longest I've ever watched a home shopping channel. Has gluten free officially gone mainstream?

Gluten Free Cooking Class - March 24th @ Whole Foods Wade Ave

2011-03-22T06:41:00.002-04:00

Cooking With Gluten Free Grains, with Jean Wright, Certified Health Coach

6:30 - 8:00 pm $5, Pre-Register

Are you looking for inspiration on ways to jazz up a gluten free diet, or just looking for new and delicious ideas to add more ancient grains to your menu? Then this is the right class for you! Join us for an intriguing workshop with Jean, where we’ll learn about the wide variety of gluten free grains available here at Whole Foods Market, how they are so good for you, and what to do with them. She will discuss tips on selection, storage, and preparation of grains. Jean will also share some recipes that are simple and delicious, and family-friendly, too! As an added treat, we will get to sample a yummy recipe at the end of class.

If you are moving toward cooking more gluten free meals, then you won’t want to miss this educational and delicious experience!

Jean, AADP Board Certified Health Coach and Speaker, is the founder and director of Health From Inside Out, a successful health coaching company located in Raleigh. She works with clients who are looking for balance in their lives, who want to explore new foods, gain confidence in their own cooking skills, reduce stress levels, and experience renewed vitality. To learn more, please visit www.healthfrominsideout.com

Fraudulent NC Gluten Free Baker Update - Criminal Trial Begins March 28th

2011-03-18T16:26:00.001-04:00

All Gluten Free and Celiac eyes will be on Raleigh very soon as the criminal trial against Paul Seelig, former owner/operator of Great Specialty Products, is scheduled to begin on March 28th, 2011. If you are not familiar with the situation, please read the following posts for all the juicy details and history. At a high level, the state of North Carolina has charged Mr. Seelig on at least 25 felony counts of Obtaining Property via False Pretenses arising from his fraudulent sales of fake Gluten Free baked goods to Raleigh area consumers in late 2009/early 2010. Mr. Seelig has been charged with purchasing regular wheat baked goods and repackaging and reselling those goods as Gluten Free. He has been jailed (in lieu of $1.5 million bail) on those charges since June 2010 while awaiting trial.

You all may know that the FDA missed the August 2008 deadline to finalize the FALCPA law as well as the 2010 deadline to enact the law which was proposed in 2004 and passed in 2006. The law states the following for Gluten labeling...

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with appropriate experts and stakeholders, shall issue a proposed rule to define, and permit use of, the term ``gluten-free'' on the labeling of foods. Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a final rule to define, and permit use of, the term ``gluten-free'' on the labeling of foods.

This case is important on a national level because it clearly highlights the void left by the indecision of the FDA to finalize Gluten Free labeling. With no final ruling on Gluten Free labeling, the door is open to companies like Great Specialty Products to defraud and sicken GF consumers. Hopefully, North Carolina shuts that door and sends a message nationally while we continue to wait for action by the FDA. A big thanks to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services for defending Gluten Free consumers.

Stay tuned for more details over the next few weeks.... in the meantime, here are some stores that came out in December 2010.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

2011-03-16T11:39:00.001-04:00

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, March17th at 7pm at Rex Hospital, Private Dining Room, located in the rear of the cafeteria. Member Thomas Munn, will talk to us about his newest flour and bread mixes.

Check your calendars for our April 21st meeting. We will be touring Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse in Morrisville. Lee Tobin has the tour scheduled for 6:30PM - 8:30PM and will need to know the number attending in early April.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.

Trying To Locate....

2011-03-16T11:20:00.001-04:00

If you see your name in the list below, please email me as soon as you can.

Sonya and Frank McRoy
Ashlyn Bradshaw
The Palmer Family
K J and Liz Hill
Charles Cox
Salina Russel
Sheila McVeigh
~~Kelcey Beech~~

Whole Foods Market North Raleigh Location Opens Wednesday 3/16/2011

2011-03-15T10:39:00.003-04:00

Attention all Whole Foods Market fans in Raleigh... A much needed second (and larger) location which has been in the works for nearly ten years will finally open on Wednesday, March 16th, 2011. I've been following this story since September 2008 when a neighborhood grassroots effort began the process of attracting the grocery chain to North Raleigh. The store officially broke ground in February 2010 and is now ready to open. The new store is located at 8710 Six Forks Road near the intersection of Six Forks and Strickland just south of the I-540 Outer Loop.

I had the opportunity to take a sneak peak tour of the new location yesterday, a nice preview of the store before it opens to the public. At first glance, the store appears very well done, incorporating new concepts, great signage and organization and many "green" building techniques. But how will this new location serve Gluten Free consumers? If you have previously been to the Wade Avenue location, you know two things - 1) the store is too small, cramped and busy and 2) if you are a Gluten Free shopper, you really only need to visit 2 aisles. The majority of the stores GF items are grouped together which to me makes the often difficult task of GF shopping much easier. I've always enjoyed the dedicated section approach - something that other area stores like Kroger and Harmony Farms also do. Then there is the other approach that stores like Earth Fare, Lowe's Foods or Food Lion take - that is to mix in all the Gluten Free items with regular groceries. Which do you prefer?

If you plan on shopping the new NRal Whole Foods location, hopefully you prefer the mixed in approach because that is exactly what they've done. To me, it's a mistake and makes shopping much more difficult, especially for brand new GF'ers. When you first start shopping GF, you don't recognize any of the brands and must re-learn all of your brand loyalty. When GF pasta is mixed in with regular wheat pasta, it makes the possibility for mistakes much higher. Additionally, you must rely on store employees to correctly put that little Gluten Free tag on the shelf under the GF product to draw your eye along with very careful reading of labels (you should do this regardless). When GF goods are in their own dedicated section, this issue is eased somewhat.

Putting that aside, another location for Whole Foods which carries a huge selection of GF products, is a huge win for Raleigh area GF consumers. I saw many of the products I've become loyal to over the past 2+ years along with some new products that are hard to find in other stores. Not all of the shelves were stocked yet, but I'm assuming this location will probably carry the largest selection of GF products in Raleigh once it is fully stocked. In addition, the location will stock excellent meat, seafood and produce sections with products from local vendors - all of these items are naturally GF.

While this location is not really any more convenient for me personally than the Wade Ave location (it took me 30 minutes and about 50 stoplights to get there from downtown Raleigh), I will definitely stop in when I am in the area. The only other item I'd like to mention is that in the 40,000 square foot store, they did not include a classroom or education center. At the Wade Ave location as well as at Earth Fare in Brier Creek, these rooms can serve as meeting spaces, classrooms or cooking demonstrations for Gluten Free topics. I'm a little disappointed there is not a space like this in the new NRal location - a space they could have used to put on Gluten Free events to draw in hungry GF consumers.

Overall, this is an awesome addition for the Gluten Free Raleigh consumer - let me know your thoughts.

Gluten Free Raleigh Goes Mobile

2011-03-09T11:43:00.000-05:00

The formatting around reading Gluten Free Raleigh on a mobile device has been an issue for me since getting my first smart phone nearly two years ago. The entire blog loads into that little window and you must pinch & zoom just right to be able to see anything. Unfortunately, the Blogger software behind this blog has not been very nice to those of you (including me) viewing GFR on a mobile device. According to my Google Analytics for GFR, that's about 5% of my total pageviews so far for 2011. Well, that has recently changed and I've been able to update GFR to use a new feature in Blogger to show a better format when browsing mobile. See the picture for a preview or browse the blog from your smartphone now to see for yourself. Hope this helps.

Sad Day For Raleigh Gluten Free Consumers: Rosie's Plate Closing Today

2011-03-04T12:59:00.004-05:00

In some very sad news, Rosie's Plate will be closing today after serving Raleigh Gluten Free consumers since 2008. Rosie's Plate was a pillar of the Gluten Free community here in Raleigh and this move takes us back several steps. See letter below from owner Rose Waring. Thanks for all you've done over the last several years and best wishes.

March 4, 2011

Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that Rosie's Plate will be closing today. For a number of personal reasons Emily and I have both decided that it's time to move on.

From students at Duke University to patients, visitors and employees at Rex Hospital and all the families in between celebrating birthdays and other special occasions Emily and I, and our wonderful staff, are so gratified to have the opportunity to help so many people.

Five years ago when we concepted Rosie's Plate there weren't many options for people on gluten free diets and even less for those that live with multiple food allergies but today as I look around I see many more choices. So, as I turn off the lights I feel a little better knowing that those with restricted diets are in a much better place today with an abundance of options out there.

We thank you for letting us into your homes these past few years and wish you good health and many, many wonderful meals ahead!

Take care,
Rose Waring

Juno Nutrition: Reference for the RTP Gluten Free

2011-02-25T10:09:00.001-05:00

Introduction:
Zach has reached out to several of us with area Gluten Free and Celiac related businesses to do guest posts. If you are interested, or have comments for him, please let him know.

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease in 2006, right before the birth of our first child. Like, Zach, I have DH. I'd had symptoms for over 15 years by the time I was properly diagnosed (that in itself is a painful story). In 2009 I first met Zach and we talked about ways to make it easier to find GF foods. Result #1 is below.

This map is put together from all of the area GF information that Zach has captured over the past several years, as well as data we've gathered from setting up maps at GF events at Whole Foods and Earth Fair. Click on any of those locations in our system and you'll see the local menu. You'll see which items are known to be gluten free and which are not, as well as how we sourced the information.

That's just the start. We also make it easy to add new information, be it on packaged goods (like what you'd find at a grocer) or on prepared foods (like what you'd find at a restaurant) for anyone who is a registered member. We've been focused on adding locations and products for the greater triangle area. At this point we've got most of the information from Zach's site imported in, easy to search and posted to maps where relevant.

The site is now free for area users and we would greatly appreciate your feedback. We took the name Juno Nutrition, for the Roman Goddess Juno, who was defender of the community. Her epithet (your literary professor's term for slogan) was "Juno warns."

Fred Lybrand
Founder - Juno Nutrition

Gluten Free Focus Group - UNC CH Study

2011-02-23T21:35:00.002-05:00

My name is Kelsey Merlo and I am a student at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. I am working on a class project for my business degree in the Kenan-Flagler Business School, and I was wondering if my team and I could enlist your help.

We are hoping to complete a focus group to explore people's perceptions of gluten-free foods and the various competitors. We hope to meet with a group of people (6-10) who have gluten-free lifestyles to discuss the different types of food available to them.

We would be willing to meet at the Caribou Coffee in Raleigh (3300 Duraleigh Road, Raleigh NC 27612) on Thursday, March 3^rd at 6pm.

As my team and I are a group of students, we are unable to provide monetary reimbursement for participation. However, we would greatly appreciate anyone who is interested in participating, and they may contact me at the information below for any questions and/or concerns they may have.

Additionally, if anything is unclear or you have any questions and/or concerns, please let me know as well. I greatly appreciate your thoughtful consideration of that matter.

Thank you,
Kelsey Merlo
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Kenan-Flagler Business School
Kelsey_Merlo@kenan-flagler.unc.edu
919.272.1134

Celiac Disease Research News

2011-02-19T16:03:00.006-05:00

Since starting Custom Choice Cereal for a gluten-intolerant friend in 2009 there has rarely been a day where I didn't learn something new about celiac disease. However, I am again and again amazed by how little is known about the triggers for celiac disease and why exactly it is on the rise, as research by Dr. Alessio Fasano from the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research indicates.

I also like to stress that unlike many other conditions, a strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is an (the only!) effective treatment for the autoimmune disease. While that sounds stressful and can initially be overwhelming we like to look at the bright side of things: absolutely no medication is needed!

Researchers from the University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center used mice to identify a biochemical interaction that may trigger an autoimmune reaction in the intestines of genetically susceptible people. Specifically, they found that the compound retinoic acid in combination with high levels of the a pro-inflammatory substance known as interleukin-15 was able to break the body's tolerance to gluten.

Study author Dr. Bana Jabri and her colleagues examined the records of patients at University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center, which showed that many of them had high levels of IL-15 in their intestines. Then they conducted experiments using a new mouse model of the disease developed in Jabri's lab. When the researchers increased levels of IL-15 in mice, the animals developed all the early symptoms of celiac disease. Adding retinoic acid only worsened the disease. But when the researchers blocked IL-15 in the mice, their symptoms improved and they could tolerate gluten again.

Dr. Bana said that "This is the first time that we actually show how inducing a specific dysregulation in the intestines can lead to losing tolerance to a food antigen, and in particular to gluten." She continued that this represents a key finding because they now know what to target for a re-introduction of tolerance to gluten.

Dr. Fasano added that he was really intrigued by the new discoveries about the role of retinoic acid, "which we've always thought helped to prevent the immune response rather than make it worse. It's a most provocative finding."

While these are promising and important research discoveries in the understanding of celiac disease, much more research is needed. It also needs to be noted that promising research done with animals often fails to produce beneficial results for humans.

__________________________
Hajo Engelke
Founder
Custom Choice Cereal, LLC
www.customchoicecereal.com
919-484-9757

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Want To Contribute To Gluten Free Raleigh?

2011-02-18T14:17:00.000-05:00

Are you a reader of Gluten Free Raleigh that has always wanted to contribute a story or blog post?

Did you always wish that the blog would feature a certain topic you are particularly interested in but it never did?

Do you work for or own a local business that caters to Gluten Free consumers and you want to spread the word?

Are you tired of waiting so long for Zach to write about something?

If any of the above describes you, then keep reading. In the interest of making Gluten Free Raleigh more of a community, I've decided to open up the content creation of this blog. With this concept, more topics can be covered and the content can stay fresh.

Additionally, if you work for or own a local business that caters to Gluten Free consumers, contributing to Gluten Free Raleigh is the most direct form of marketing. The blog has an established readership and receives thousands of page views each month. You can speak directly to your customers!

Please contact me if you are interested by clicking the button below and I'll get you setup as a guest contributor.

New Whole Foods GF Bakehouse Light White Bread

2011-02-14T09:19:00.002-05:00

I recently received word from Lee Tobin at the Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse that a brand new product is now available throughout the Southern Region. The product has been in testing for quite some time (I had originally tasted this back in August 2010) but is now ready for prime time. See more information below from Lee Tobin.

Our new Light White Sandwich Bread is now for sale in all of our South Region stores! This is a softer, lighter and dairy-free version of our regular sandwich bread. We have performed extensive R&D to formulate this bread with a longer shelf life, and a texture that stays soft at room temp. The slices are larger than our existing breads for making a fuller sandwich, and do not require toasting. We expect our Light White to become our most popular bread.

We are running an 2 week intro price of $3.99 that is $2 off the regular $5.99.

Be sure to stop in at Whole Foods and try this new bread out - especially while it is $2.00 off the regular price! I'd love to hear your feedback on how you think it stacks up against either Udi's or Rudi's. In case you didn't know, the Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse is located right here in Morrisville, NC. It produces all the in house Gluten Free baked goods sold at every Whole Foods store throughout the USA. Big thanks to Lee Tobin and his team for making such great, safe Gluten Free products.

Support Group Meeting Reminder - Solas

2011-02-12T19:36:00.001-05:00

Support group meeting reminder, this Thursday, February 17th, Solas Restaurant Lounge and Rooftop, 419 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, 7:00PM - 9:00PM, for a g-f tasting. RSVPs by tomorrow, Sunday, February 13th.

While the hor d'oeuvres are complimentary, we will each be responsible for our individual beverage tabs.

Thus far, we have 18 RSVPs.

Post Cereals Certified Gluten Free???

2011-02-11T06:47:00.002-05:00

Check out this interesting and alarming blog from Jules Shepard.
http://blog.julesglutenfree.com/?p=566
It appears that Post has been a little misleading in their use of the term "Certified Gluten Free" for their recently reformulated Fruity Pebbles & Cocoa Pebbles. Doesn't the use of that term infer that a third party is involved in the certifications?
Thanks to Jules for pointing this out.
What are your thoughts?

Happy Tummy Baking Company Expansion

2011-02-10T21:04:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick update about Raleigh based Happy Tummy Baking Company. I was recently informed by owner Maria Hopper that the company's Gluten Free, allergen free frozen pizza crusts are now available at the Brier Creek Earth Fare in Raleigh.

New Blogger- Kristen!

2011-02-08T11:49:00.003-05:00

Hello! I just wanted to post to introduce myself as one of the new bloggers for Gluten Free Raleigh! My name is Kristen, and I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease this past September. Having always been a foodie and loving to cook and go out to eat, I was at first devastated with my diagnosis. However, I have learned to not let being restricted to gluten free foods stop me. Instead, its become my hobby to find new restaurants that accommodate to gluten free, exploring and testing new gluten free products, and find new ways to make my old favorite foods taste just as good without the gluten (which is surprisingly not that hard, even though I am Italian and my world pretty much revolved around pasta, bread, and breaded things).

As I am new to the whole Celiac thing, my "focus" for the blog will be on converting life to gluten free in the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area- from locating new GF foods at grocery stores, to finding GF health/beauty products you can find around here (how is gluten in almost ALL of my old makeup, styling products, and medicines!?!), to seeking out new restaurants both with a gluten free menu and those with an extensive knowledge of safely preparing gluten free foods.

Additionally, my fiance and I are currently planning our NC wedding- completely gluten free! I will also be sharing our experiences with finding local venues that can accommodate, a gluten free wedding cake, etc.

I look forward to posting!

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

2011-02-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, February 17th at 7pm at Solas Restaurant Lounge and Rooftop, 419 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, for a gluten-free "tasting". Carrrie Le Chevallier, Marketing Director for Hibernian Restaurants, has arranged this evening to familiarize us with their restaurant's gluten-free items. (I think we are "tasting" appetizers.) I do know some of our members have been to Solas, and it is a restaurant to which they return. Pat will need RSVPs by Sunday, February 13th..

Carrie indicated parking on the street should be available at the time we are planning to be there. Upon arrival, we are to check in with the hostess, who will direct us to our meeting room/area.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.

Raleigh CSA Support Group 1-20-2011 Meeting Recap

2011-02-06T15:37:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 1-20-2011. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
January 20, 2011 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina

Pat welcomed everyone, including a half dozen new members, to the start of 2011 meetings. She also introduced our guest, Leslie A. Gaillard, MPH RD LDN, a specialist in Celiac Disease and GI Disorders from Durham, NC. www.lgnutrition.com

With the meeting focused on newly diagnosed celiacs, several quick-start handouts were distributed. Materials included updates from local gluten-free resources, as well as general cooking substitution solutions for additional food sensitivities. Many celiacs have to avoid other common allergens such as dairy, soy or nuts. Group discussion addressed the need for some people to investigate other food intolerance when symptoms continue after the removal of gluten from the diet.

Leslie Gaillard spoke of the very individual path the gut takes in healing after diagnosis. She noted that it can initially be very emotional, but the focus should become optimal nutrition, not just gluten-free food. Diets should be 80% naturally gluten-free and only 20% GF foods. We need to open up our eyes by always reading labels and re-learn how to eat. There is a learning curve, and we will make
mistakes, but with increasing information becoming available, the gluten free diet can be a healthy diet.

Leslie recommends everyone should have nutritional blood testing of various vitamins and minerals. About 95% of celiacs have suboptimal iron, Vitamin D, B12, Folate and Omega3 levels. However, she advised supplementation with only USP evaluated products since the industry is not well regulated. “Nature Made” is a popular brand she recommends. Also discussed was the need for follow-up care with a gastroenterologist to monitor health since cross contamination remains a problem
both in the food industry without defined labeling laws and in food service due to lack of education and understanding of gluten intolerance.

Everyone is invited to join our on-line Yahoo group. A Charlotte area support group is sponsoring a Gluten Free Expo.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 17, 2011 at Solas Restaurant in downtown Raleigh for tastings of their GF menu.

Submitted by,
Gail Harris

Moonlight Bakery On Location February 11th

2011-01-31T16:32:00.000-05:00

NHL All Star Weekend - Gluten Free Raleigh Style

2011-01-28T10:41:00.001-05:00

As you may know, this weekend Raleigh will host the NHL showcase event All Star Weekend. If you are from out of town visiting Raleigh, see some tips below to help you have an excellent Gluten Free weekend, Raleigh style.

Obviously, two big events are occurring at the RBC Center, home of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. On Saturday at 7pm, the NHL SuperSkills competition takes place followed by Sunday at 4pm by the All Star Game. See my previous posts about GF eating and drinking here.

If you are out by the RBC Center and hunting for a good Gluten Free meal, be sure to stop by Bella Monica Italian Restaurant. This place is one of the best and safest Gluten Free places to eat in the entire city. Bella Monica is located at 3121-103 Edwards Mill Road (yes the same road the RBC Center is located on). Be sure to stop in for the tops in GF eating that Raleigh has to offer..

Some of the other events of the weekend, like the NHL Fan Fair, are occuring in Downtown Raleigh at the Convention Center. Some great places to stop by in downtown Raleigh are listed below.

Z Pizza - located at 421 Fayetteville Street next to the Marriott - be sure to stop in a get an excellent Gluten Free Pizza.
Rosie's Plate - located north of the Convention Center at 701 North Person Street - Rosie's Plate offers Raleigh's only completely Gluten Free kitchen and has take out options available.
Mellow Mushroom - need some more Gluten Free pizza, check out MM in Raleigh's Glenwood South district (lots of bars, clubs and restaurants) at 601 West Peace Street.

If you need to do some grocery shopping, Raleigh has numerous locations that offer wide selections of Gluten Free items.

Whole Foods Raleigh - located between downtown and the RBC Center at 3540 Wade Ave.
Earth Fare Raleigh - located out by the airport at 10341 Moncreiffe Road.
Harmony Farms - located a few miles down Edwards Mill Road from the RBC Center (Edwards Mills turns into Creedmoor Road as you cross over Glenwood Ave) at 5653 Creedmoor Rd.

Click here for Restaurant Reviews.
Or here for menus at Raleigh area fast food chains & sit-down restaurants.
Check out the Gluten Free Raleigh Quick Reference Guide for more information.

Have a great weekend!

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

2011-01-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, January 20th at 7pm at Rex Hospital (Private Dining Room in rear of Cafeteria). As always, the focus of our meeting will be information and discussion related to the newly diagnosed, which includes those "not so newly diagnosed" who are still struggling with the g-f diet.

This month's meeting will also feature a
a visit from Registered Dietician, Leslie Gaillard - who also has CD. Leslie will be our guest speaker, with time for group discussion/questions/answers.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.

Bloggers Needed

2011-01-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

Obviously, I have not been able to keep up with blogging as much lately. Things in my life have gotten more and more busy since 2008 and 2011 looks to increase that trend. In addition, my comfort level with being Gluten Free has also grown to the point where the thirst for knowledge has leveled off. I've pondered this many times since starting Gluten Free Raleigh in 2008 and have finally decided to open this blog up to other authors. Being Gluten Free is being part of a community - a community that is always there for the newest members. This blog has been a vehicle for that community to educate and spread awareness for Celiac Disease and Gluten Free living. Rather than shut this blog down because I cannot pay it the attention is deserves, I've decided to take this step. I will still contribute from time to time, but adding additional bloggers will allow for this blog to continue to serve its original intended purpose. There is still much going on in this market and with Gluten Free living in general. Anyone living GF will tell you it's still not easy.

If you are living Gluten Free in the Raleigh, NC area and are interested in sharing your experiences as an author on this blog, please send me an email. I know there are many others out there who can pick up where I have left off and continue to spread the education and awareness that has come from this blog to date.

For those of you interested in joining Gluten Free Raleigh, you'll find a well established blog with nearly 300 subscribers and nearly 100,000 page loads in 2010.

Thanks for your time and it has been a pleasure being a blogger for you.

Carolina Hurricanes Treat Food-Allergic Kid To First Live Hockey Game

2010-12-22T08:48:00.002-05:00

I've written numerous times about Raleigh's professional sports team - The Carolina Hurricanes - on this blog. As a season ticket holder for several years, it was important to me to be able to enjoy games like a normal fan. That means enjoying food and beverages that are safe for those eating Gluten Free. As you can see from the link above, the Hurricanes and the fine folks at the RBC Center have been extremely accommodating to those of us with special diets. But what is more important to me is that children with special diets are taken care of and made to feel like other normal kids.

So this story I found in the current issue of Living Without magazine doesn't surprise me in the least. The story is about a 7-year old boy named Joseph, who gets to attend his first Carolina Hurricanes game live at the RBC Center. With the help of All star center Eric Staal and his organization called Eric's Entourage, Joseph was able to safely attend a hockey game without the worry of coming into contact with food he is allergic to. Joseph gets to attend his first game with his dad by his side - what a special treat!

So allow me to offer a special thank you to the Carolina Hurricanes, Eric Staal and the folks at the RBC Center. We are lucky to have you here in Raleigh.

Article text is below.

Scoring for Food-Allergic Kids
November 30, 2010

The red, black and white bright lights flashed, the music thumped and the crowd bellowed with cheers. In the seconds before the opening faceoff, Joseph finally experienced the thrill of being at a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game. He held onto that excitement throughout the game, and when he returned home, he basked in the glow of his home team's victory.

My 7-year-old son Joseph was able to safely attend his first NHL game, thanks to the generosity of Hurricanes all-star Eric Staal and his wife Tanya. They created Eric's Entourage to provide a luxury suite during each home game for nonprofit organizations that serve children. In addition, another wonderful local family made sure the suite was free of allergens and that Joseph even had his own snack bag with food free of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and soy.

The generosity we felt that night was touching and special on so many levels. The suite allowed Joseph to experience a pro hockey game without worrying about a fan eating peanuts next to him or someone spilling ice cream behind him. And my husband Gary, who is a huge sports fan, was able to share special time with his son cheering for our team, something most fathers take for granted. Gary and Joseph are best buddies, competing against each other on the basketball court, golf course and game room floor (also known as our hockey zone), plus any variety of Wii games. They also enjoy cheering on the Hurricanes from our couch.

But nothing compares to experiencing a game live. Joseph was so proud to wear his Staal-autographed shirt while he sat with his Dad and talked about each play, cheered for their favorite player (Staal) after each of his two goals that night, laughed at mascot Stormy's antics and munched on safe chips.

I’m so thankful for the kindness and generosity of the people who made this sporting event possible for my food-allergic son. They provided an unforgettable experience for my family.

Have you ever felt this way?

Tonight's Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting Canceled

2010-12-16T09:58:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know that tonight's Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting has been canceled due to the wintry weather the Raleigh area is experiencing today.

Raleigh CSA Support Group 11-18-2010 Meeting Recap

2010-12-16T09:57:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 11-18-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
November 18, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina

Pat distributed Celiac Sprue Association membership applications and welcomed new members to join our national organization. Membership includes a subscription to Lifeline their quarterly publication which provides useful, reliable, and easy-to-understand health and diet information for those on a gluten-free diet. Their web site is www.csaceliacs.org or e-mail at celiacs@csaceliacs.org.

The Meeting Dates for 2011 have been set: January 20, February 17 (at Solas Restaurant), March 17, April 21, May 19, June 16, September 15, October 20 (special location to be announced), November 17, and December 15. All meetings begin at 7:00 PM in the Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, unless otherwise indicated. The focus of the June and December meetings will be for the newly diagnosed.

Special guest for the meeting was Lee Tobin of Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Bakehouse. He gave a brief personal history of his celiac diagnosis in 1996 in Chapel Hill and the eventual founding of the dedicated bakery located in Morrisville, NC. Lee described some of the process necessary to develop and bring products to market. This one bakery supplies fresh baked and frozen gluten-free items to about 300 stores nationwide. Lee noted the Whole Foods Market website lists gluten-free products and has some recipes for special diets. www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Bakehouse is trying to meet the growing demand for both gluten-free and dairy-free baked goods. Lee provided a tasting of many current Bakehouse items as well as their new gluten-free/dairy-free sandwich loaf. Lee is looking for feedback on how the new Light White Sandwich Bread is received by our members. His e-mail is Lee.Tobin@wholefoods.com. Lee is looking for comments regarding taste, texture, appearance, shelf life and how much you are willing to pay to purchase a loaf.

Harmony Farms offers our support group a discount of 5% and cards will be distributed. The Raleigh Cel Kids group has quarterly events and they are having a High Tea on December 11 at 3:00 which is open to all.

Pat gave everyone a copy of her recipe for gluten-free/dairy-free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Gail mentioned some tips used while traveling in the U.K. this year, but most important is to plan ahead and pack something safe to eat in case of doubt about food content.

A G-F Holiday Cookie Exchange is planned for our next meeting on Thursday, December 16, 2010. Please bring three dozen gluten-free cookies of any kind to share, holiday recipes for cookies or other special items, the name of any purchased product, and a container to carry food home.

Submitted by,
Gail Harris

Z Pizza - Downtown Raleigh Location Now Open

2010-12-06T15:24:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note that the brand new Z Pizza location in Downtown Raleigh is finally open. The prime City Plaza location has been under construction since late May. I checked in today and have confirmed they are serving Gluten Free pizza. The location is the 3rd area Z Pizza (all under the same owner).

421 Fayetteville Street

Suite 103

Raleigh NC, 27601

P: (919) 838-0681

LiveGlutenFreely.com Giveaway Winner

2010-12-06T15:09:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Mike Hall - the winner of the LiveGlutenFreely.com giveaway! Mike, you've been emailed, please respond ASAP with your address so you're prize pack can be shipped.

LiveGlutenFreely.com - Product Giveaway

2010-11-15T12:04:00.002-05:00

I was recently contacted by MyBlogSpark.com about an opportunity for another Product Giveaway - this time with some awesome General Mills Gluten Free products. See below for full details.

LiveGlutenFreely.com is an online community created by General Mills that offers gluten-free product news, articles and real-life stories from people just like you. The site also provides great-tasting recipes ranging from breakfast treats like Blueberry-Corn Muffins to delicious dishes like Favorite Chicken Nuggets to indulgent desserts like Brownie Ganache Torte with Raspberries and Carrot Cake.

General Mills is proud to offer more than 300 affordable gluten-free products, available in grocery stores nationwide. Keep up with new additions to the gluten-free list by subscribing to the LiveGlutenFreely Newsletter. Every month, you'll receive great “goodies” like yummy gluten-free recipes, tips, coupons for gluten-free items, new product information and more delivered directly to your inbox. Click here to sign up today!

Also, be sure to visit Live Gluten Freely on Facebook at Facebook.com/glutenfreely. “Like” the page and check out recipe ideas, product news and tips about living without gluten…freely!

If you have not had a chance to try the some of these General Mills products, now is your chance. Big thanks to MyBlogSpark.com and General Mills for providing me a sample and for providing the goodies in this giveaway. The winner will win the following items (see picture above).

How To Enter
In order to win, you must be a Raleigh area resident. I will have to get the physical address from the winner to provide to MyBlogSpark (they will be shipping you your prize). Please enter your comment by Friday, November 19th, 2010.
Leave a comment below that details your tips/recipes for hosting a Gluten Free Thanksgiving. The idea is to share your ideas/successes with others! Please leave your email address in your comment (if you are not comfortable doing so, please email me your comment). I need a way to select and contact the winner.

NOTE
If you are also a Subscriber to this blog via RSS, you'll get your email address entered twice.

And if you also follow Gluten Free Raleigh on Twitter, you'll get your email address entered a third time. Please send me a direct message with the email address you are using in your comments.

To summarize -> Leaving a valid comment with a valid email gets you 1 entry in the drawing, being a subscriber gets you a second entry and following me on Twitter gets you a third.

16,860

2010-11-09T15:47:00.001-05:00

In March 2009, I wrote a blog post entitled 15,900. The post was an explanation on the estimated number of Triangle residents with Celiac Disease. See below for my new estimate - almost 2 years later and we've added approximately 1,000 Celiacs to the count. We're almost to the capacity of the RBC Center.

16,860 - That's my estimate on the number of Celiac's in Triangle area.

16,354 - If you go by the NFCA's estimate that 97% of Celiacs are undiagnosed, this is my estimate of undiagnosed Celiac Disease cases in the Triangle.

So here we are, more than 500 diagnosed Celiacs - with more coming each day thanks to increasing awareness and better diagnosis. From the statistics kept on visitors to The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog and the number of RSS subscribers, I estimate that more than half of the 500+ are reading my blog each day. I didn't just make these numbers up of course; new information was released in an August 2010 article from the Triangle Business Journal about Triangle population estimates. The Raleigh-Cary area continues to lead the nation in growth.

“The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area, which includes Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties, is calculated the population as of Aug. 4 at 1,173,716 – 47th largest among U.S. metros. The Raleigh-Cary area was ranked 59th in 2000. The Triangle has been near the top of the nation's growth chart for more than a decade, as newcomers poured into the area to take jobs in technology, tourism and academia. The resulting building boom, and the jobs that came with it, drew hundreds of thousands of new residents. The Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area, which includes Durham, Orange, Chatham and Person counties, didn't make the Top 100, but its population continued to swell to 512,446.”

So there are 1.686 million Triangle residents. Studies have estimated that 1% of the population in the United States has Celiac Disease. So what does this mean to all of us? The Triangle has a formidable number of Celiacs and this information should help drive the market for Gluten Free products. I hope to see more and more restaurants, grocery stores, etc... catering to us in the future. With almost 17,000 of the most loyal customers ever created, how could they not?

Raleigh CSA Support Group 10-21-2010 Meeting Recap

2010-11-04T11:07:00.000-04:00

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 10-21-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
October 21, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina

To open the meeting, Pat welcomed everyone, requested help with our printing fund, and announced a guest for the evening.

Pat introduced a student from North Carolina State University who represents a team that is investigating options available for gluten testing as an engineering class project. Current methods are expensive and can be complicated. At NCSU they are looking into developing a gluten testing system that uses disposable, single-use refills, similar in concept to those used by diabetics to test blood sugar. The support group expressed many ideas regarding testing and offered best case ideas for the students to investigate. Cost per test was a major issue with the group.

More gluten-free products are coming to market and our group receives many of them to try. Whole Foods is developing a new gluten-free and dairy-free sandwich loaf. Many samples of Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse products, in addition to the new bread loaf, were tasted. Eco-Planet Organics brochures and samples were also shared.

Miltons, a local North Raleigh restaurant, provided delicious tastings of their new gluten-free pizza which is produced in a dedicated area. The feedback on the “Choice Batter”, the gluten-free food coating mix distributed last month was positive. One tester even baked the chicken with excellent results.

Rosie’s Plate has scheduled many upcoming happenings. Please check out her website at www.rosiesplate.com to review all the classes, demos, tastings and contests.

General discussion followed all the great food.
Our next meeting will be held at Rex Hospital on Thursday November 18, 2010.
Submitted by,
Gail Harris

Raleigh CSA Support Group 9-16-2010 Meeting Recap

2010-11-04T11:01:00.000-04:00

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 9-16-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
September 16, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina

Pat welcomed everyone back after the summer break and collected outstanding printed materials belonging to the support group library.

Whole Foods will host another Gluten-Free Vendor Fair on October 23, 2010. Several members volunteered to staff an information table about our support group.

Pat distributed several copies of Living Without magazine to new members. Pamphlets and samples of Choice Batter gluten-free coating mix were distributed for home taste testing and feedback to the group.

Solas, a locally owned, downtown Raleigh restaurant, has offered to host one of our meetings. They feature an extensive gluten-free menu including seafood, beef, chicken, lamb, duck, salad and other items. A gluten-free pizza tasting has been requested from Mellow Mushroom, a multi-location, local restaurant.

A new study published by the American Dietetic Association questions the safety of many foods that are inherently gluten-free but not labeled as such. “Gluten Contamination of Grains, Seeds and Flours in the United States” warns that any inherently gluten-free food can become contaminated with wheat, barley and/or rye while being harvested, transported, and/or processed. This potential risk of contamination is a health concern for people with celiac disease. The FDA might want to modify their proposed rules for labeling of gluten-free food. Without an FDA regulation in place, there is still no hard-and-fast government definition of what gluten-free means.

There is a notion that the gluten-free diet can help people lose weight or avoid carbohydrates. Several recent articles have exposed this myth. Many packaged g-f products are even higher in carbs, sugar, fat, and calories than their regular counterparts and they tend to be lower in fiber, vitamins and iron. Regular pasta contains 41 grams of carbohydrates per serving versus 46 grams of carbs in g-f pasta.

Our next meeting will be held at Rex Hospital on Thursday October 21, 2010.

Submitted by,
Gail Harris

Gluten Free Dining Guides Updated

2010-11-03T16:58:00.000-04:00

Most of you have probably visited my Quick Reference Guide (link located at the top of the blog). It contains information on all the Raleigh area Gluten Free companies as well as Gluten Free dining information for area restaurants. I've recently reviewed the restaurant guides and made some updates. See below for more information.

Fast Food Listing (updated)

Sit Down Restaurant Listing (updated)

Greensboro & Winston-Salem Updates

2010-11-01T16:12:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that activity has recently picked up on our sister blogs Gluten Free Greensboro & Gluten Free Winston-Salem.

A big thanks to Amanda in Greensboro and Deb in Winston-Salem for taking on the important role of sharing their Gluten Free adventures with us. The concept around all the Gluten Free blogs I have launched hinge on the dedication of volunteer bloggers. It take time to research and blog about Gluten Free life in a city. Thanks to all the dedicated folks out there who write about their cities in North Carolina and welcome to our newest members.

If you are interested in blogging for your city, please email me and I'll get you set up. There can be more than one author per city (in fact it is highly encouraged to help spread the work). The links to existing blogs around NC can be found at the top of this blog. If you'd like one created for a city not listed, please let me know.

Gluten Free Halloween 2010

2010-10-28T13:01:00.000-04:00

Halloween is just a few days away - see below for a collection of several great Gluten Free sources of information regarding Halloween so you don't end up like the Glutened Pumpkin in the picture to the left.

2010 Halloween Gluten Free Candy List from Gluten Free Life with Jen

Enjoy Halloween and Fall Traditions Gluten-Free Style from Triumph Dining

Halloween Candy List - Gluten-Free Allergen-Free Status - 2010 from Sure Foods Living

Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010
Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010

Gluten Free Halloween Candy Lists 2010 from Gluten Free Food Reviews

Safe Gluten Free Halloween Candy from Celiac Family

Gluten-friendly and Gluten-Free Candy and Treats for Halloween 2010 from Celiac.com

Gluten-Free Candy List: Just in time for Halloween! from Be Free For Me Blog

Gluten-Free This Halloween? Five Tips To Enjoy the Holiday from About.com

I also thought the Web site called No Trick Treats was a good idea - although there are not any houses yet around the Raleigh area.

Celiac Research Benefit Tasting @ Rosie's Plate

2010-10-26T12:13:00.000-04:00

Friday, October 29 ~ Celiac Research Benefit Tasting at Rosie's Plate

Come from 6pm to 8pm to mingle and taste the new Fall menu and spooky Halloween treats menu.
25 % donations plus 10% all store sales goes toward the University of Chicago Celiac Research Center.
(Suggested Donation $10.00/person).

Please email Rosie's Plate and let them know you're coming!

Other news from Rosie's Plate
1) Check out the video recap of Rosie's Plate from a recent airing of NBC 17's My Carolina Today.

2) Saturday, October 30 and November 6
Gluten Free Cooking Demo @ Rosie's Plate featuring Thanksgiving Fare

Join the fun in Rosie's kitchen with our chefs Emily and Seth for a entertaining, interactive cooking demo. Lots of tips on how to make meal preparation easy and bring life and energy to your gluten free meals! You'll be able to easily recreate these delicious recipes in your own kitchen. Lots of food...lots to learn...lots of fun!

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Cost: $50

3) Saturday, November 12 ~ Thanksgiving Holiday Tasting @ Rosie's Plate

4) Saturday, November 20 ~ Gluten Free Pie Baking Contest @ Rosie's Plate

Click here for all the details.

Carolina Hurricanes: 2010-2011 Gluten Free Update

2010-10-25T10:08:00.000-04:00

I have previously written about Gluten Free options at the RBC Center during Carolina Hurricanes games over the last couple seasons. See below for the 2010-2011 season update.

A few weeks ago, I checked in with the food & beverage department again to gather updates on the GF options available this season. One big complaint I heard often was the people had difficulty finding RedBridge. It appears that they are working on some signage this year which should help folks in that area.

I'm happy to report continued support of Gluten Free options for the upcoming 2010-2011 season which kicks off this Wednesday, October 27th, 2010. The Food & Beverage Department at the RBC Center has done a great job accommodating those on a Gluten Free Diet. I'd like to send a huge thanks to Chris Diamond and all the folks responsible for these GF options.

If you are interested in tickets, check out the following page. Also a reminder that this years NHL All Star Game will be held at the RBC Center the weekend of January 28-30th. Any visitors to the RBC Center that are looking for Gluten Free options should be pretty pleased.

2010-2011 Carolina Hurricanes Gluten Free options @ RBC Center

1) RedBridge beer will be carried at the following locations. It will be carried on all 3 levels of the arena (hopefully signage coming soon).

The bar @ Section 124
Lower Level - Bud Light Deck
Club Level (2nd Deck) - All private Suites, Arena Club Restaurant, Ledge Lounge bar and Champions Club
Upper Deck - Section 312 - Pub 300

2) The following Gluten Free food options are available.

Call in advance (at least 4pm on game days) 919-861-5479 and request a GF meal from Executive Chef Flood. This special menu option includes a plate of grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and carrots and will run in the $15 range. You can coordinate the details on picking up the GF dinner when you call.
Carvery Cart Meat Option with Salad - Sections 104 & 124
Philly Steak Cart, order without bun - Sections 123 & 324
Sausage Stop Cart, order without bun - Sections 105, 120 & 306
Many concession stands throughout the arena serve candy options like Skittles, M&Ms and Snickers as well as popcorn - all Gluten Free.
Soft serve ice cream from the Twisted Waffle Ice Cream Company is Gluten Free, Lactose Free and Cholesterol Free (no cone) - Section 116 & 322
Dippin’ Dots (I checked their Web site and they are gluten free - does not include Birthday Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Cookies n Cream) - Sections 105,110,120, 308, 316, 324
Sunset Slush (I checked their Web site and they are gluten free) - Sections 127

In addition to all these awesome options, each concession stand will also have a Food Allergy Ingredient Listing document which details the ingredients of each concession item. If something is in question, please ask the concession worker for this document and you can review all the ingredients yourself to be 100% sure. The listing should include ingredient warnings for the following; wheat & gluten, milk, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts as well as MSG. I've shown an example below - the red letters will indicate the allergen.

Butter - Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, soybean lecithin, natural and artificial butter flavor, TBHQ, and Citric acid, vitamin A, and palmitate. Colored with beta cartone. S

Cheddar Cheese - Maltodextrin (corn), whey powder, cheddar cheese, salt, sugar, sodium, phosphate, lactic acid, yellow #5 (E102), citric acid, yellow #6 (E110), partially hydrogentrated soybean oil, silicon dioxide, FD&C Yellow #6 (E110), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate. M S

Gluten Free 101 Class - Saturday 10/23/10

2010-10-21T10:36:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to toss out a quick reminder that the next Gluten Free 101 Class will be held this coming Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 1pm. The class is normally held at Rosie's Plate but we will be moving venues this time. The class will be held at the Raleigh Whole Foods Market location in the classroom during the Gluten Free Fair. Call Rosie's Plate at 833-0505 now to sign-up, there are only a limited number of seats available. Note: All sign-ups for this class are being handled by Rosie's Plate and not Whole Foods. Whole Foods was generous to allow us to use their classroom so we could make this class more convenient for those of you who wish to attend the GF Fair and the GF 101 Class - thanks Whole Foods! They will also allow us to sample some GF goodies during the class that they offer for sale in the store.

The GF Fair at Whole Foods will begin at 11am and run until 2pm. The GF 101 class starts at 1pm and will run for 2-3 hours. So, stop in for the GF Fair and stay for the Gluten Free 101 class. If there are still seats available, you can sign-up for this class during the GF Fair - see the Rosie's Plate table for more information.

I have taught this class several times in the past to a total of 75 people. The class is great for those transitioning to the Gluten Free diet after a Celiac or Gluten Intolerance diagnosis or those who have been GF for awhile and are looking for the latest information. We talk about restaurants, grocery shopping, reading labels and the latest and greatest news and products. If you know someone new to GF or struggling, please pass this information along.

A portion of the class fee will be donated to Gluten Free week 2011 @ Camp Kanata in Wake Forest, NC. Rosie's Plate has donated nearly $400 from previous classes already.

Class Information
Gluten Free 101 Class

If you've just been diagnosed with Celiac or wheat allergies this class is for you. Learn firsthand from someone who's been there. Taught by Zach Becker from the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog, you'll learn how to segue your kitchen to a gluten free lifestyle with tons of information from transitioning your kitchen to Celiac-friendly restaurants in the Triangle area.

1:00 PM - 3:30 PM Cost: $45 A portion of donated to Camp Kanata GF Summer Camp.

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

2010-10-20T11:33:00.002-04:00

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, October 21st at 7pm at Rex Hospital (Private Dining Room in rear of Cafeteria). As always, the focus of our meeting will be information and discussion related to the newly diagnosed, which includes those "not so newly diagnosed" who are still struggling with the g-f diet.

This month's meeting will also feature a pizza tasting compliments of Milton's Pizza and Pasta. They want to share their new pizza as well as the steps they take to safely prepare Gluten Free pizza. Milton's is now offering a 10" Gluten Free crust for a $1.99 up charge. They also offer Gluten Free pasta substitutions for their pasta dishes. Note: I have not eaten at Milton's yet.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.

2010 NC FACES/FAAN Raleigh Walk for Food Allergies – Sat 10/23/2010

2010-10-19T10:30:00.001-04:00

2010 NC FACES/FAAN Walk for Food Allergies

Sorry for the short notice, but I wanted to share with you an important event coming up this weekend. A local support group for families and children with food allergies – called NC FACES – is holding a fundraising and awareness walk this coming Saturday, October 23, 2010. NC FACES (Food Allergic Children Excelling Safely) is a volunteer support group that provides a social and emotional support network for over 250 families dealing with food allergies in the RTP area of North Carolina. They strive to provide safe, fun environments for our children to excel as well as to educate others about food allergy dangers.

This is the second year for the walk which is part of the FAAN Walk for Food Allergies. FAAN (The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) is a national group that provides information and support for the estimated 12 million Americans (1 out of every 25 people) that deal with food allergies. The purpose of the walk is to raise funds (and awareness) with the hopes of finding a cure for food allergies. While we all know that Celiac Disease is not an allergy but rather an incurable auto-immune disease, there are many readers of Gluten Free Raleigh that are allergic to Gluten. The 2009 version of the walk rose over $20,000 and had over 300 families participate. This year's version is surely to be just as big of an event – if not bigger. Click here to read an article from WRAL (there is also a video) for more information.

If you suffer from a food allergy or know someone who does, this walk is an important chance for you to get out and support the effort to find a cure. See below for all the pertinent details.

Information

NC FACES Web site -> http://www.ncfaces.org/

NC FACES FAAN Walk page -> http://www.ncfaces.org/faanwalk

FAAN Walk page (make a donation or sign up for the walk) -> http://www.foodallergywalk.org/site/TR/2010Walk/2010Walks?fr_id=1821&pg=entry

Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010
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
Restrictions: No pets, glass bottles, bikes, roller skates or skate boards. Baby Strollers and wagons are welcome.
Activities: Appearances by local mascots, and Halloween-themed games and crafts. Children are also invited to wear kid-friendly costumes.

Other notes -> This year's walk is sponsored by the following groups: Carolina Hurricanes, Dey, NC Children's Specialty Clinic, Northwestern Mutual, Red Robin & Sunbutter and will feature the following mascots to entertain the kids: Red (Red Robin), Baeko (White Tiger Taekwondo), Scooby Doo, Stormy and the Storm Squad (from the Hurricanes) and Wool E Bull (from the Durham Bulls).

As participants finish the walk this year, they'll have the opportunity to participate in Halloween crafts and games such as Halloween theme tattoos, ring toss, bean bag toss, and coin toss, and there will be fun prizes! Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes for the duration of the walk and post-walk festivities.

Gluten Free Fair - Raleigh Whole Foods Market - Saturday 10/23/2010

2010-10-19T07:52:00.001-04:00

Raleigh Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Fair

Be sure to swing by the Raleigh Whole Foods Market location (Wade Avenue) this coming Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 11am to 2pm. Check the calendar for more details but Whole Foods will generally do one of these Gluten Free Days or Vendor Fairs twice per year (once in the spring and once in the fall). If you stop in, you'll get to meet a lot of folks from the Raleigh area Gluten Free community as well as sample many GF treats.

Jules Shepard - Gluten Free Thanksgiving Class 10-29-10 @ Raleigh Earth Fare (and more...)

2010-10-18T13:26:00.003-04:00

Want to host a perfect Gluten Free Thanksgiving?

Just wanted to let you all know about an upcoming wonderful opportunity - Jules Shepard will return to Raleigh on Friday, October 29th, 2010 from 6pm to 8pm for another Gluten Free cooking class.

much more after the jump...

Details
When: Friday, October 29th, 2010
Where: Earth Fare Brier Creek Raleigh - 919-433-1390
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Cost: $40 per person; $70/same household couple

During this class, you'll be schooled by a top Celiac expert and Gluten Free cooking guru. You can ask questions, sample delicious food and learn to make all the Thanksgiving fixings you want - dinner rolls, easy stuffing and pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust. There will also be a free Gluten Free beer tasting featuring Green's Gluten Free beer.

Seating is limited. Please contact Earth Fare today (919-433-1390) or visit Jules' Web site @ http://julesglutenfree.com to sign up. Register before October 25th, 2010 and receive a FREE signed copy of Jule's first book -> Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten Free Eating.

OTHER JULES NEWS
I have a bunch more exciting updates about Jules!

1) Speaking of Jules and Thanksgiving - Click here to download her 2010 Gluten Free Thanksgiving e-Book for FREE. This 52 page e-Book is normally $12.95 and features more than 20 recipes along with tips to have a perfect GF Thanksgiving! After clicking the link, enter coupon code "thanks10gfr". The offer is good for Gluten Free Raleigh readers for the rest of this week.

2) JulesGlutenFree.com is now selling a Gluten Free bread mix. If you've tried any of her other products, you'll surely love this new one (especially if it is as good as the cookie mix). I've ordered some and will soon do a full review after I try it out. Until then, if you click this link, you can order a 5lb. bag of her all purpose flour and receive a new bread mix for free for $19.95. This offer expires tomorrow - October 19th.

3) I've written in the past about Jules first 2 books - both are excellent. Her much anticipated third book is now available on Amazon.com. The book is called "Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy". It's going for $12.78 right now on Amazon. I'll be sure to check this out ASAP.

4) And finally to top it all off... Jules has now entered the wonderful world of blogging. You can check out her new Jules Speaks Gluten Free Blog here to stay up to date with everything going on in the world of Jules Gluten Free.

Bisquick Gluten Free Giveaway Winner

2010-10-15T11:07:00.001-04:00

For the past week, I've been hosting a giveaway that includes a Bisquick Gluten Free prize pack. To win, all you had to do was live in the Triangle area and leave a worthy comment about your favorite Gluten Free product. We had lots of great comments, but I can only pick one winner. That winner is
poster Sarah Elizabeth who shared her thoughts on Bob's Red Mill biscuit and baking mix (the winner was chosen by a random process). Sarah also follows me on Twitter and got an extra entry.

Sarah - you've been emailed. I'll need you to reply to me with your address so I can enter your information into the MyBlogSpark system (they are the ones who ship your prize pack).

STAY TUNED - another giveaway is coming soon - again from General Mills!

Bisquick Gluten Free - Product Giveaway

2010-10-08T14:55:00.003-04:00

Some of you may have already found the new Gluten Free version of Bisquick (thanks for more awesome GF products General Mills) which was released earlier this summer. If not, I've been able to find it at Raleigh area Kroger, Target and Lowe's Foods. I'm sure there are more places that are carrying it as well. The trick is to usually look for it in the flour isle, and not with the pancake mixes.

I've had several opportunities to use the new GF Bisquick - for pancakes, waffles and as a breading for oven baked chicken. All were pretty successful. Our first attempt with pancakes was a little dissapointing actually, they came out still uncooked in the center. The next time I left them on the griddle longer but the same result. Finally at the third attempt, I made the pancakes much thinner and turned down the temperature and viola, done all the way through to perfection. Click here for more helpful tips on how to use the GF version.

If you have not had a chance to try the new GF Bisquick, I'm hosting a product giveaway. Big thanks to MyBlogSpark.com and Bisquick for providing me a sample and for providing the goodies in this giveaway. The winner will win the following items (see picture) -> 1 box of Gluten Free Bisquick, 1 spatula, 1 pancake griddle and 1 pancake pencil. The pancake pencil was pretty cool - I was able to spell out names and make shapes - a big hit with my daughter.

In addition, you can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/8b49/ to download a printable coupon for $1 off Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix!

How To Enter
In order to win, you must be a Raleigh area resident. I will have to get the physical address from the winner to provide to MyBlogSpark (they will be shipping you your prize). Please enter your comment by Friday, October 15th, 2010.
Leave a comment below that details your favorite Gluten Free product. The idea is to share your experience with others! Please leave your email address in your comment (if you are not comfortable doing so, please email me your comment). I need a way to select and contact the winner.

NOTE
If you are also a Subscriber to this blog via RSS, you'll get your email address entered twice.

And if you also follow Gluten Free Raleigh on Twitter, you'll get your email address entered a third time. Please send me a direct message with the email address you are using in your comments.

To summarize -> Leaving a valid comment with a valid email gets you 1 entry in the drawing, being a subscriber gets you a second entry and following me on Twitter gets you a third.

Local Yogurt – Gluten Free Fro-Yo Heaven

2010-10-01T16:01:00.003-04:00

I recently made a trip out to a new dessert spot called Local Yogurt. We visited the North Raleigh location at 6106 Falls of Neuse Road. Local Yogurt got its start in Durham as the city's first independently owned frozen yogurt shop. In addition to being a locally owned business, the shop features toppings from area farms and vendors (more on that in minute) – thus the name Local Yogurt.

The shop currently offers four flavors of yogurt; original, lemon, chocolate and peanut butter. The frozen yogurt contains no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and is processed in accordance with U.S. Public Health Service Grade A pasteurization standards. In addition, the yogurt is certified Gluten Free by the GFCO which is awesome. They have the logo on their Web site and on signage in the store as a helpful reminder that the yogurt is safe for consumption by Celiacs and those eating Gluten Free.

Now for toppings… there is pretty much your pick of anything you can imagine. Candy, fresh seasonal fruit and much more. I was really pleasantly surprised when I saw a bag of Custom Choice Cereal granola as a topping choice. Another excellent local company who caters specifically to those who love cereal – Gluten Free style. For more on Custom Choice Cereal – please click here.

So what did I order? I went for the original yogurt topped with fresh blueberries and some Custom Choice Cereal granola. It was very yummy. I do want to point out that the original (hate to call it plain) yogurt was sort of tart. If you are a big plain yogurt fan, then jump right in, but if you like things a little sweeter, you may want to try the other flavors like chocolate or peanut butter (or mix the two). The choices and possibilities are endless really. Just as an FYI – there are some topping choices that are not Gluten Free. The store is not 100% Gluten Free. Be sure to ask the server and use your best judgment when ordering the toppings. You certainly cannot go wrong with fresh fruit and some Custom Choice Cereal.

More on ingredients

"Plain" low fat frozen yogurt contains: Yogurt cultured Grade A milk, sugar syrup, yogurt cultured nonfat milk, corn syrup, sodium citrate, mono diglycerides, carbohydrate gum, locust bean gum, polysorbate 80, guar gum, and diocityl sodium sulfosuccinates. (Contains active yogurt cultures.)

All natural base ingredients (for "flavored" frozen yogurt): Grade A nonfat milk, sugar syrup, corn syrup, yogurt cultured nonfat milk, milk, whey protein concentrate, egg yolks, guar gum, carob bean gum, carrageenin. (Contains active yogurt cultures.)

"Flavored" All natural frozen yogurt contains one or more of the following: Fruit juice concentrate, natural flavor, cocoa, vanilla extract, peanut butter, citric acid, malic acid, fruit extracts (for color), beet extract (for color), and/or annatto extract (for color).

NOTE: Ingredients listed above represent all flavored frozen yogurt and are not specific to one flavor.

Special Deals & Twitter/Facebook

If you visit the Flavors & Toppings page on their Web site, you'll find a current rotating list of flavors along with special deals offered. For example, if you visited on the 9-30 and were wearing scrubs or had a medical ID, you would have received $1 off your order. Sometimes it's a high school or college ID. You can also follow Local Yogurt on Twitter using @LoYoRaleigh to get all the latest news and specials. Check out their Facebook page here.

Information

Local Yogurt currently operates two stores in addition to the N.Ral location – one in Durham @ 2501 University Drive and another in Greenville @ 2205 W. Arlington Blvd.

Web site: http://www.localyogurt.com

North Raleigh phone number -> 876-1118

Hours of Operation

Monday-Thursday 11:00am - 10:00pm

Friday and Saturday 11:00am - 11:00pm

Sunday 12:00 - 9:00pm

Gluten Free 101 Class Rescheduled to October 23rd

2010-09-10T14:35:00.000-04:00

Due to scheduling conflicts, the Gluten Free 101 class I was supposed to teach at Rosie's Plate tomorrow (Saturday, September 11th, 2010) has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 23rd, 2010. Please contact Rosie's Plate to sign up if you would like to learn more about the Gluten Free diet or Celiac Disease in a hands on class.

Rosie's Plate Web site (sign up)

Restaurant Review: Pei Wei Asian Diner

2010-09-08T15:19:00.009-04:00

Pei Wei Asian Diner is a fast-casual (guests order from a cashier, and the food is brought out to the table) restaurant offering up around 10 menu items for Gluten Free consumers. The restaurant originally opened in 2000 and is owned by P.F. Chang's. There are now more than 100 locations in the US. Pei Wei offers a modest selection of freshly prepared Asian items influenced by the cuisines of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand. All of Pei Wei's dishes are made to order and offer customization. We all know how Gluten Free friendly P.F. Chang's can be, so how does the little brother rate?

I recently visited the Pei Wei on Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh (there are 3 Triangle area locations – Brier Creek and 1107 Walnut St. in Cary are the other 2) for lunch. I ordered the Gluten Free Pei Wei Spicy Chicken (think General Tso's) which features Wok seared chicken, chile vinegar sauce, scallions, garlic, snap peas and carrots. See the picture above for a visual. The chicken in this meal is breaded with potato starch and gives it the taste and feel of normal a spicy chicken dish. I must say that I was really impressed with the meal. I had not previously been to Pei Wei before and was pleasantly surprised. The taste and quality was very similar to what you are used to from P.F. Chang's. The portion sizes were large enough to have leftovers for another meal the next day. I would definitely return for a visit.

FYI – I did ask to speak to one of the chefs about how preparation is handled for Gluten Free items. They were very willing to speak with me, show me the process and fully explain the preparation and ingredients which made me feel very comfortable. I encourage you to speak with a chef when you visit as well. Also, you must ask for the Gluten Free menu from the cashier. The Gluten Free items are not on the menu boards. You will be given a small laminated Gluten Free menu to make your choice.

Gluten Free Menu Choices
*Gluten Free Edamame Picture of Gluten Free Edamame
Salted soybeans in the pod

*Gluten Free Asian Chopped Chicken Salad
Sliced chicken, assorted lettuce, Napa cabbage, carrots, Thai basil, tomatoes, toasted sesame seeds, lime vinaigrette

*Gluten Free Pei Wei Spicy Chicken Salad
Wok seared chicken, assorted lettuce, Napa cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, scallions, cilantro, rice sticks, tomatoes, lime vinaigrette

*Gluten Free Pei Wei Spicy Shrimp Salad
Wok seared shrimp, assorted lettuce, Napa cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, scallions, cilantro, rice sticks, tomatoes, lime vinaigrette

*Gluten Free Vietnamese Rolls
Chicken, butter lettuce, Napa cabbage, mint, carrots, scallions, peanuts, rice noodles, sweet chile sauce, lime vinaigrette, wrapped in rice paper and served with sweet chile sauce

*Gluten Free Pei Wei Spicy Chicken
Wok seared chicken, chile vinegar sauce, scallions, garlic, snap peas, carrots

*Gluten Free Pei Wei Spicy Shrimp
Wok seared shrimp, chile vinegar sauce, scallions, garlic, snap peas, carrots

*Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken
Wok seared chicken, Cantonese sweet and sour sauce, red ginger, onions, green bell peppers, pineapple

*Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Shrimp
Wok seared shrimp, Cantonese sweet and sour sauce, red ginger, onions, green bell peppers, pineapple

Click here for the Pei Wei Gluten Free menu.

Click here for a review from Gluten Free Cary from January 2010.

Raleigh Locations
1) Brier Creek
10251 Little Brier Creek Ln. Suite 112
Raleigh, NC 27617
(919) 484-4113
STORE HOURS:
Mon-Thu: 10:30 AM-9:00 PM
Fri: 10:30 AM-10:00 PM
Sat: 10:30 AM-10:00 PM
Sun: 10:30 AM-9:00 PM

2) 4408 Falls of Neuse Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27609
(919) 227-3810
STORE HOURS:
Mon-Thu: 10:30 AM-9:00 PM
Fri: 10:30 AM-10:00 PM
Sat: 10:30 AM-10:00 PM
Sun: 10:30 AM-9:00 PM

Gluten Free 101 Class - September 11th 1pm @ Rosie's Plate

2010-09-03T09:55:00.006-04:00

~RESCHEDULED TO OCTOBER 23, 2010~

Just wanted to put out a quick reminder to those of you who are recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease or have gone Gluten Free for one reason or the other. I will be teaching a Gluten Free 101 class on Saturday September 11th at Rosie's Plate in downtown Raleigh. Please call Rosie's Plate @ 919-833-0505 today if you are interested in attending. There are a few spots remaining and best efforts will be made to accommodate all who wish to attend. It is important if you are learning how to be Gluten Free that you attend this class or one like it. The class really fills the void between your diagnosis and beginning to get healthy again. A portion of the class fee will be donated to Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata for 2011 as well. I have taught more than 70 people in this class over the past year or so and raised nearly $400 for Kanata!

Gluten Free 101 Class
Saturday, September 11, 1 - 330pm
If you've just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or wheat/gluten allergies this class is for you. Learn firsthand from someone who's been there. Taught by Zach Becker from the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog, you'll learn how to easily segue into a gluten free lifestyle.
We'll cover practical topics including:

* How to transition your kitchen into a safe gluten free kitchen
* What every gluten free person needs in their pantry
* How to read labels & find hidden ingredients
* Tips on how to eat away from home
* What to watch for with personal care products & medications

We'll also discuss the many resources available including

* GF friendly grocery stores & restaurants
* GF knowledgeable Dietitians
* GF Support Groups
* GF Cookbooks & Magazines

This is a wonderful introduction to living successfully, and happily, without gluten!

Fifteen501 Magazine: Celiac Article

2010-09-01T21:20:00.001-04:00

Fifteen501 is a quarterly lifestyle magazine dedicated to covering the topics readers care about, from Hometown Stories and community spotlights to fashion, food, home interiors, and travel. The magazine is published by Weiss & Hughes Publishing Inc. of Raleigh, and is available via subscription or at one of several hundred newsstand locations throughout Chatham, Durham, and Orange counties.

I was recently interviewed by freelance writer Jonathan Tuttle at Fifteen501 about Gluten Free Raleigh and Celiac Disease. The output is an excellent, well researched article about Gluten Free living in the Triangle area. Click here for the full article. I think the quote from Chris Taylor really is great - we truly have the power to be healthy...

“It’s an illness without surgery or chemotherapy,” she says. “The cure is in my hands. I make the decisions every day that make me healthy.”

FYI -> Fifteen501 has a circulation of 30,000 (source is visitraleigh.com). That's 30,000 more Triangle households that hopefully know a little more about Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free lifestyle.

Weiss & Hughes Publishing Inc. also produces Wake Living, a quarterly lifestyle publication dedicated to covering life in Wake County; and Triad Living, a quarterly lifestyle publication serving Alamance, Forsyth and Guilford counties.

Paul Seelig (Fraudulent Gluten Free Baker) Update

2010-08-30T12:46:00.007-04:00

Okay, so I've been away for a little while contemplating the next steps for Gluten Free Raleigh (and taking a rest). The fact that summer is pretty much over has led me to begin to shake the cobwebs off. In addition, I've just returned from the Wake County Courthouse with the latest on the case of Paul Seelig (a.k.a. the fraudulent gluten free baker). Hearing the latest on the case has pulled me out of hibernation so look forward to more frequent posting here. Sorry for the absence. I believe the Gluten Free market in Raleigh is thriving with numerous businesses and more and more Celiacs – there is much more to report from my point of view.

Paul Seelig Update (Great Specialty Products)

Click here for the entire history (I'll quickly recap since it's been some time). Last October at the 2009 NC State Fair, a new (too good to be true) vendor come onto the Triangle Gluten Free scene called Great Specialty Products. They had some really awesome tasting Amish GF bread products that basically turned out to be repacked wheat bread sold as Gluten Free. Numerous customers became sick on the bread (including me) that was tested at > 5,000 PPM Gluten. The NC Department of Agriculture and NC Department of Justice became involved and eventually brought 9 Felony cases of Receiving Property under False Pretenses against the bakery owner, Paul Seelig of Durham.

The first court activity occurred in late January of this year. At that time a temporary restraining order was brought against Great Specialty Products which in essence shut down the company. In effect, the state of North Carolina was enforcing the Gluten Free claim of a product while the FDA has yet to act on what it actually means to label something GF. Huge kudos to this state for protecting its citizens. Within a few days the temporary restraining order turned into a permanent injunction against GSP conducting business. The case proceeded through February where Seelig was given a court appointed attorney due to his dire financial situation. In April, a Wake County Grand Jury indicted Seelig on the felony counts and confirmed that the case against him should proceed. In early June, Seelig again appeared in Wake County court with the expectation that he would take a plea deal (plead guilty to the felonies already brought against him so no further charges could be brought). Seelig surprised all by refusing the deal – the decision means that instead of facing 9 charges, an additional 20 or so could also now be brought against him. In addition to that, Seelig also decided it was a good idea to lie to law enforcement officers investigating the Kathy Taft murder case (a high profile Raleigh case) and turn in a completely innocent person in order to get out of the GF fraud case. One smart cookie. Seelig has been in jail on a $750,000 bond since early June. Anyone visited?

The latest update comes from the Wake County Courthouse this morning. Paul Seelig was again on the calendar today. I attended to get the latest scoop. Seelig's name was called (he was not present) and his newly appointed attorney (I'm guessing he fired his first one as a stall tactic) said that the case needed to be continued. Seelig is currently undergoing "competency evaluation" to determine if he is capable of standing trial. Once that is complete, a trial date may be set. Stay tuned.

Winner - Jules Gluten Free - Cookie Mix Giveaway

2010-07-30T15:11:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Holly who posted about her recent trip to Pei Wei in Cary! She'll be receiving THREE free cookie mixes from Jules Gluten Free.

For the remaining 6 people (bookworm, Kelley, C Claiborne, Wendi, John & Laura) who left a comment and entered the contest... if you would like your $5 off coupon for Jules Gluten Free products, I'll need your email addresses. Please shoot me an email. Thanks to everyone that shared their GF restaurant experiences.

Just a quick note - Yes, I am still alive. Posting here at Gluten Free Raleigh has been a little light lately. I've been very busy with life and am also attempting to enjoy my summer. In addition, the last 2 years of blogging nearly 650 posts has worn me out a little I guess. I do post tweets pretty often though about new products I am trying or dinner I am having out and about in Raleigh. It's just easier than doing a full blog post. Click here to follow me on twitter. Hopefully, the activity on this blog will return soon but who knows.

Jules Gluten Free - Cookie Mix Giveaway

2010-07-09T12:01:00.003-04:00

I've previously written about the brand new Gluten Free Cookie Mix now available from Jules Gluten Free.

I'm happy to now offer a product giveaway to one lucky reader. Actually, there is something in it for everyone who participates - keep reading. Thanks to Jules Shepard and Jules Gluten Free for sponsoring this giveaway.

Giveaway Details

One reader (randomly selected by me) who follows the Rules below will win 3 free Gluten Free Cookie Mixes from Jules Gluten Free.
All entrants who follows the rules below will receive a "Save $5 Coupon” for use on any Jules Gluten Free product.
The contest will run until Friday, July 30th, 2010 with a winner selected shortly thereafter.

Giveaway Rules

In order to win, you must be a Raleigh area resident. I will have to get the physical address from the winner to provide to Jules Gluten Free (they will be shipping you your prize). I will be sending only your email address and name to Jules Gluten Free for the $5 coupon which will in turn be emailed to you by Jules Gluten Free.
Leave a comment below that details a recent restaurant experience in the Raleigh area (can be anywhere in the Triangle). Please share where you ate (restaurant name and location), what you ate and how they handled your Gluten Free meal. The idea is to share your experience with others! Please try to keep the negativity of your comments to a minimum. Please leave your email address in your comment (if you are not comfortable doing so, please email me your comment). I need a way to select and contact the winner.

NOTE

If you are also a Subscriber to this blog via RSS, you'll get your email address entered twice.
And if you also follow Gluten Free Raleigh on Twitter, you'll get your email address entered a third time. Please send me a direct message with the email address you are using in your comments.

To summarize -> Leaving a valid comment with a valid email gets you 1 entry in the drawing, being a subscriber gets you a second entry and following me on Twitter gets you a third. Winner gets 3 free mixes, everyone else gets a $5 off coupon.

Camp Kanata Gluten Free Week Recap

2010-07-08T13:40:00.003-04:00

Check out this summary of the 2010 Gluten Free Week @ Camp Kanata from Gluten Free Durham.

Unfortunately, I did not make it out to the camp this year - last year I went to camp with Trevor from Bella Monica and cooked dozens of GF pizzas! However, I was able to donate $360 to the camp this year which was great (since the cost to provide Gluten Free food is about $500 per day). The funds were raised by $5 donations from those of you who have attended a Gluten Free 101 Class I taught over the last year @ Rosie's Plate. FYI - look for another one in September - call Rosie's Plate 833-0505 for more information. Doing some quick math, that means I've taught 72 Gluten Free newbies how to successfully (hopefully) transition to the GF diet - not bad, but there is always more work to be done.

Anyway, I wanted to give a shout out to those area vendors who donated goods or services to this years camp (in no particular order) - Rosie's Plate, Mellow Mushroom, Bella Monica, Custom Choice Cereal, Happy Tummy Baking Co, Whole Foods Gluten Free Bake House, Harmony Farms, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Kroger, Harris Teeter, and Target. Thanks for your assistance in helping 30 Gluten Free kids have a "normal" summer camp experience.

Also a thanks to the camp organizers - they do an awesome job!

Rosie's Plate Gluten Free Food Now Available @ Earth Fare

2010-07-07T13:04:00.002-04:00

Two local Gluten Free providers have teamed up!

Rosie's Plate is now stocking their Gluten Free food in the frozen food section @ Earth Fare. Check out the http://www.earthfare.com/OurStores/Raleigh.aspx where you'll find items like Blueberry Buttermilk Scones, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cinnamon Rolls, Pita Bread and Sugar Cookies!

Also, be sure to stop by the store this Saturday, July 10th from 9am to 1pm to sample some of these items.

2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines - Submit Your Comment

2010-07-06T21:03:00.000-04:00

Check out the following Web site from the USDA. They are in the midst of collecting public commentary as they prepare to develop the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.

The Dietary Guidelines are jointly issued and updated every 5 years by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). They provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines (which mention nothing about living Gluten Free) remain the current guidance until the 2010 Dietary Guidelines are published.

Harmony Farms/Cafe Harmony - Gluten Free Updates

2010-07-02T13:45:00.001-04:00

Attention Harmony Farms fans... be sure to stop into the store during the month of July for their buy one get one free special deal on Country Life Vitamins! If you are not familiar with Country Life, they are certified Gluten Free by the GFCO. Buy one get one free is a great deal on these vitamins and this offer is a great time to stock up.

Also, Cafe Harmony will have gluten free beer available to go along with their expanded hours of 8am - 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays. This begins July 10th.

Rosie's Plate 10% This Week

2010-07-01T20:44:00.001-04:00

Be sure to stop into Rosie's Plate in Downtown Raleigh this week and weekend for all your Fourth of July Gluten Free food needs.

E NT R E E S
*Rosie's BBQ Ribs*
*Portobello Pizza*
*Ham and Cheddar Frittata*

B R E A D S
* New! Rosie's Hamburger Buns*
*Rosemary Focaccia Bread*

S I D E S
* New! Baked Beans* (made from scratch...not from the can!)
*Deviled Eggs*
*Rosie's Potato Salad*
*Rosie's Cole Slaw*
* New! Watermelon Cucumber Salad*

D E S S E R T S
* New! Cupcake Cake*
*Star Sugar Cookies*
* New! Rosie's Sandwich Cookie*
*Coconut Cake*

B E V E R A G E S
*Sweet Tea with Agave Nectar*
*Fresh Squeezed Lemonade*

Click here for their special July 4th menu.

Save 10% off on all pre-orders and in-store purchases (until 7/3).

Jules Gluten Free - New Cookie Mix Now Available

2010-06-27T21:13:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know about a newly available treat from Jules Gluten Free. Jules Shepard has been to Raleigh many times for Gluten Free cooking classes and she usually brings along a favorite - cookies. The item was requested so much by her following that a brand new cookie mix based on her frequently used recipe was released.

Today was nearly 100 degrees in Raleigh, way too hot to be outside. A perfect day to stay cool inside and make some chocoloate chip cookies. The mix certainly lives up to the Jules Shepard standard and is easy to make. It also offers the flexability to add your own goodies - like chocolate chips, M&Ms or whatever else you like. Jules Gluten Free products are made for folks with multiple food issues in mind and this cookie mix is no different - in addition to being Gluten Free, it's also dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and is certified kosher.

For our cookies, we chose to add Enjoy Life chocolate chips - a family favorite, safe product. The cookies came out perfect and the taste was awesome. This mix is definitely one we'll use again and certainly rivals any GF cookie mix already on the market. Another bonus was that the mix produced 60 cookies - a claim on the bag that I wasn't too sure about until I saw for myself. I'm not talking quarter sized cookies either - these were 60 cookies as big as the palm of your hand. The majority of other mixes don't make nearly as much. With the flexibility to add your own goodies along with the Jules Gluten Free qualtiy, we were very pleased.

The good news is that you can get some of this new cookie mix and take advantage of a special offer - for a limited time (offer ends Monday, June 28th), buy 2 or more bags of Jules Gluten Free Cookie Mix, and the shipping is free! Plus, the FREE shipping extends to your entire order... a great chance to stock up on All Purpose Flour and our Graham Cracker/Gingersnap mix, as well! Click here to order via the special offer.

Also, stay tuned for a giveaway of the new Jules Gluten Free cookie mix here on Gluten Free Raleigh very soon.

LG Nutrition

2010-06-21T07:37:00.002-04:00

I've written in the past about a local Dietitian named Leslie Gaillard who is very familiar with Celiac Disease (she is a Celiac). Leslie has formed her own dedicated private practice to help those with Celiac Disease successfully navigate the Gluten Free diet. See below for more information.

I now have a dedicated private practice that I have established to provide nutrition counseling for those who have celiac disease and gluten intolerance. I am particularly passionate about providing this service as I am a celiac myself and know how important proper nutrition is to heal the gut and the body.

While I specialize in gastrointestinal disorders, I am also available to see individuals for various other types of conditions which I detail further on my web site.

Individuals can learn about me and my services on my web site http://www.lgnutrition.com/ at the number or email listed below.

Thanks,
Leslie Gaillard, MPH RD LDN
Registered Dietitian/Nutrition Counselor
LG Nutrition
415-606-7407
leslie_gaillard@yahoo.com
http://www.lgnutrition.com/

Discount On Celiac Genetic Testing From Prometheus

2010-06-18T07:05:00.002-04:00

Please see below for more information on a discount running until September 1st, 2010 for genetic Celiac Disease testing from Prometheus Labs. This is for their saliva-based product called MyCeliacID. FYI - the test normally cost $329 so this is a $100 discount! Read my previous articles about genetic testing here.

DO YOU HAVE THE GENES FOR CELIAC DISEASE?
MyCeliacID™ helps make finding answers easier.

Prometheus Laboratories Inc. brings you MyCeliacID, the first do-it-yourself, saliva-based genetic test for celiac disease. This easy saliva-based test is the only test that lets you know if you carry the genes that may put you at risk for developing celiac disease. It can be taken in the privacy of your home and does not require your doctor to order*.

Some of the other benefits of MyCeliacID are:
• Highly accurate
• Noninvasive
• You order it directly
• Results are confidential
• Results are not affected by diet

The test can be ordered online at http://www.myceliacid.com/ for a discounted price of $229 if ordered by September 1, 2010. All you need to do is enter the Promotional Code “CeliacSupportGroups” when ordering the test online. Additional discounts can be taken for multiple family members. Please call 1(800) 610-1525 or email myceliacid@prometheuslabs.com for more information.

Remember, celiac disease has over 300 symptoms and manifestations making it difficult for physicians to diagnose. These symptoms and manifestations include:
• IBS type symptoms
• Anemia
• Type 1 diabetes
• Migraines
• Rashes
• Thyroid disease
• Infertility
• Recurrent miscarriages
• Down syndrome

Many people with celiac disease state that support group members are actually the source of their information about the disease, so please forward this information to your family and friends.

Thank you for your assistance.

*A licensed physician will review your request, place the order and review your test results, prior to releasing your results to you.

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

2010-06-16T22:03:00.000-04:00

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, June 17th at 7pm at Rex Hospital. The focus of our meeting will be information and discussion related to the newly diagnosed, which includes those "not so newly diagnosed" who are still struggling with the g-f diet.

Reminder: July and August are vacation months. Following this month's meeting, September 16th will be our next meeting.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.

Raleigh CSA Support Group 5-20-2010 Meeting Recap

2010-06-16T22:01:00.001-04:00

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 5-20-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
May 20, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina

Pat welcomed five new members to the group. She again requested that if anyone has books or other items that belong to our CSA Group to please return them. A new check out system has been adapted in order to track the group’s increasing resources of printed materials.

Several copies of “Living Without” magazine were distributed, and past copies of G-F related magazines will be added to our library. http://www.livingwithout.com/.

Member Marcel Pusey introduced the group to a new G-F meal replacement “Kenzen” Body Balance. www.nikken.com/pusey. It is a vanilla or chocolate flavored vegetable protein powder which is mixed with water or milk for a rich shake. The mix contains fiber, prebiotics and probiotics, no preservatives, dairy, soy, whey or lactose. It can be used in a weight loss or weight maintenance program as well as for weight gain, depending on the number of meals replaced.

The safety of vinegar in a gluten free diet is a constant source of confusion, especially to newly diagnosed celiacs. Pat distributed a reprint “The ABC’s of vinegar” from “GIG Magazine”. The article puts to rest the question of all distilled products, including spirits such as rum, gin, whiskey and vodka as being G-F. However, if products are “flavored” they could contain wheat, rye or barley.

Further discussion centered on autoimmune diseases. It affects 23.5 million Americans and available treatments target 10 or fewer of the 149 unique autoimmune-related diseases. Research funding from the NIH is far less than that for cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
If there is enough interest, Emily Rupp will organize a summer meeting. A G-F meet up group is being organized by Beth Reeves.

Trader Joe’s will present a Gluten-Free Luau with tastings to introduce customers to their many products. The store is well labeled throughout to highlight G-F.

Our next meeting will be held at Rex Hospital on Thursday June 17, 2010. The focus will be basic information and discussion for the newly diagnosed.

Submitted by,
Gail Harris

Raleigh CSA Support Group 4-15-2010 Meeting Recap

2010-06-16T21:57:00.000-04:00

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 4-15-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
April 15, 2010 7:00-8:30 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina

Lisa Noto chaired the meeting in Pat’s absence. Lisa requested that if anyone has materials (books or other items) that belong to the Support Group to please return them at next month’s meeting.

The recent Raleigh Whole Foods Gluten-Free Fair was larger and better supplied that previous events. Thank you to group members Mark LeSaint and Judy Eise for volunteering.

Our special guest was Nancy Long, co-owner of Harmony Farms Natural Foods. She introduced the group to several new G-F products which have been added to their already extensive selection of special items and gluten-free foods. She talked about natural enzymes in raw foods and “Vega” a plant based, protein supplement. Nancy also discussed the opening of Café Harmony. www.cafeHarmony.net. They serve breakfast and lunch daily and are dedicated to the best of organic and locally supported food. Gluten-free options in addition to other diverse dietary needs can be provided.

Zach Becker announced that North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue has proclaimed May 2010 as Celiac Awareness Month. Several events including a six course g-f wine dinner and a food drive of non-perishable, gluten-free, foods in support of the North Carolina Food Bank on May 8, 2010, have been planned. Further details are posted on Zach’s blog http://glutenfreeraleigh.blogspot.com/.

In other local news, Custom Choice Cereal’s new website is up and running. The N.C. Dept. of Agriculture has not made any further contact regarding Paul Seelig and the investigation into his former bread company. A new Cameron Village restaurant, Café Caturra, is planning to offer g-f menu items.

A general discussion regarding late onset celiac disease and symptoms was held. Neuropathy is an issue for many as is difficulty sleeping. Several options, including over the counter supplements was discussed. Food safety is another concern. Zach noted that the total group order for EZ Gluten testing kits is 175.

Our next meeting will be held at Rex Hospital on May 20, 2010. Group members Eileen and Marcel Pusey will share information and tasting of a g-f meal replacement.

Submitted by,
Gail Harris

FREE Celiac Disease/Gluten-Free Diet Webinars

2010-06-14T06:03:00.002-04:00

Check out a great opportunity to learn about Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet from two experts in the field - Shelley Case & Dr. Daniel Leffler. The FREE webinars are sponsored by riceworks & befreeforme.com.

If you could ask Dr. Leffler and Shelley Case ANY question you wanted about Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet, what would your question be?

Back by popular demand, GlutenFreeSnacksForMe.com and riceworks® presents two of North America’s most acknowledged celiac disease authorities to answer your questions on the gluten-free diet during their upcoming web simulcasts this summer.

Join Shelley Case for two live webinars:
June 15th, 2010 at 8:30pm EST.
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:30pm EST.

Shelley Case is a leading international nutrition expert on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. A popular speaker and educator, she is a frequent guest on television and radio. Her book, The Gluten-Free Diet is the most comprehensive resource on the market.

Shelley will be covering information on celiac disease and gluten sensitivity in addition to all her tips and facts for managing a gluten-free diet.

Join Dr. Daniel Leffler for a live webinar:
July 13th, 2010 at 8:30pm EST.

Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, Instructor in Medicine, HMS, and Division of Gastroenterology at BIDMC, has just launched his book Real Life with Celiac Disease.

Dr. Daniel Leffler, will cover a wide range of topics from his book Real Life with Celiac Disease including screening and diagnosis, associated conditions, food allergies and intolerances, complications, nongastrointestinal manifestations, and celiac disease vs gluten intolerance.

Click here to register.

Gluten Free Charlotte Blog Update

2010-06-11T06:28:00.000-04:00

Great news for those of you living (or visiting) Charlotte, NC - a brand new author has taken over the blog to provide you with Gluten Free information. Please click here to read the introductory post from Leah - a Charlotte resident living with Gluten Intolerance since childhood.

Welcome aboard Leah and thanks for blogging Gluten Free about your city and helping others out.

Gluten Free Fayetteville Blog Update

2010-06-10T16:25:00.002-04:00

Great news for those of you living (or visiting) Fayetteville, NC - a brand new author has taken over the blog to provide you with Gluten Free information. Please click here to read the introductory post from Michelle Butzgy- a Fayetteville resident living with Celiac Disease since March 2010.

Welcome aboard Michelle and thanks for blogging Gluten Free about your city and helping others out.

Gluten Free Greensboro Blog Update

2010-06-10T06:22:00.002-04:00

Great news for those of you living (or visiting) Greensboro, NC - a brand new author has taken over the blog to provide you with Gluten Free information. Please click here to read the introductory post from Shelby- a Greensboro resident living with Celiac Disease since August 2009.

Welcome aboard Shelby and thanks for blogging Gluten Free about your city and helping others out.

Gluten Free Wilmington Blog Update

2010-06-09T16:22:00.000-04:00

Great news for those of you living (or visiting) Wilmington, NC - a brand new author has taken over the blog to provide you with Gluten Free information. Please click here to read the introductory post from Jennifer - a Wilmington resident who has a child with Gluten sensitivities.

Welcome aboard Jennifer and thanks for blogging Gluten Free about your city and helping others out.

Update: Fraudulent Gluten Free Baker Criminal Case

2010-06-07T14:02:00.004-04:00

Earlier today, Paul Seelig had his latest court hearing before Wake County Superior Court in the ongoing criminal case of fraudulently selling Gluten containing bread as Gluten Free. You can read all the history on this case here. A quick recap; Durham resident Paul Seelig started a company called Great Specialty Products which sold repackaged regular wheat bread as Gluten Free to dozens of GF consumers in the Triangle. After numerous complaints, he was investigated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture which shut his business down and brought 9 felony charges of Obtaining Property by False Pretenses. Testing done by the NCDA found the bread contained > 5,000 PPM Gluten. A Wake County Grand Jury indicted Seelig on those charges in early April.

It was believed that Seelig would take a plea offered which reduced the 9 felonies to 6 and would halt the bringing of 22 additional felonies against him. He would also not be ordered to pay restitution to the defendants. In a shocking development, Seelig in fact turned down the deal and instead pleaded Not Guilty to those 9 counts. We had been waiting since early May for Seelig to put his affairs together in preparation for pleading guilty but this was apparently just more stalling.

Wake County Assistant District Attorney Jason Waller then asked Judge Donald W. Stephens to arraign Seelig on those 9 felony counts. Judge Stephens encouraged Waller to get to the Grand Jury quickly and then said "Try It... Try It... Try It". Strong and condemning words from the Wake County Superior Judge indicating this case is going to a trial. Seelig was immediately placed in the custody of the sheriff deputies and given a $750,000 secured bond. At this time, Seelig is currently in the Wake County jail awaiting trial. I guess when you are this crazy, 31 felony counts are better somehow than 6. Who knows.

Over the next few weeks, the DA will head back to a Grand Jury to indict Seelig on the additional 22 felony counts. In another shocking development, Waller informed the court that Seelig had offered to supply information about a suspect in an ongoing homicide investigation in exchange for getting his current charges dropped or reduced. Seelig then turned in a completely innocent man as the suspect in the homicide. You may have heard of this case - State School Board Member Kathy Taft - who was killed in Raleigh in March. Of course, another suspect has been arresting in that case.

At this point, nothing should really surprise you about Seelig. His past, including several federal and state convictions (wire fraud, forfeiture and grand theft property), along with his more recent deceitful actions again the Gluten Free community certainly indicate a long history of poor behavior.

I'll keep you up to date with all the latest as this case proceeds and the additional charges are brought. You can also read the latest from Andrea Weigl from the News & Observer here. More from WRAL & NBC17.

Celiac Sprue Association Needs Your Help In North Carolina

2010-06-04T14:56:00.001-04:00

This is for CSA members and friends living in North Carolina. You can help all celiacs! Contact your Senator! Your US Senator Richard Burr has yet to support adding barley, rye and common oats as hazards in a “Managers Amendment” to S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act. Allergen designation will only cover WHEAT. This bill is expected to come out of committee for a Senate vote very, very soon. PLEASE contact your Senator on the Health Committee. Urge YOUR Senator to agree to include the food hazards for those with Celiac Disease. It is your turn, we have done what we can on the national level.

Add WORDS TO THE LIST on page 129, line 9 of S. 510 - - -
Hazard Analysis – (A) “gluten as related to celiac disease.” This simple revision would mean food companies would be required to have information from ingredient suppliers on to presence of wheat AND also gluten sources of barley, rye, common oats AND risk of cross contact potential. Knowledge is the lifeblood of the lifelong management of celiac disease.

Please take the time NOW – THIS WEEK to contact your Senator and tell him how much this can help YOU and your family. Email or Fax your letter. Here is the link to the text of the bill posted on the CSA website. S510 Bill.

Webpage of Senator Richard Burr – United States Senator for North Carolina
To phone Senator Burr’s Washington Office: (202) 224-3154 His staff will carry your message.

SAMPLE LETTER BELOW
Scroll down copy and paste and personalize. Please share this with a friend. For more information call the CSA Office for Executive Director Mary Schluckebier. Thank YOU!

[Date]

The Honorable Senator Richard Burr, North Carolina
217 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510

REF: S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act

Dear Senator Burr,

As your constituent, I am seeking your leadership and support for an amendment to S.510, the FDA Food Safety Management Act to include the hazards affecting the food choices of those with celiac disease.
S. 510, page 129, line 9 Hazard Analysis – (Add the words, such as)
“gluten as related to celiac disease.”

Celiac disease, is an autoimmune disease, thus excluded from the food allergy aspects of the bill. A Manager’s Amendment would recognize this hazard and protect the 1% of the population coping with this autoimmune disease. My family lives with celiac disease. The only treatment for celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet.

It is not always possible to determine the RISK of a food being free of wheat, barley, rye, common oats, their crosses and their derivatives either directly as an ingredient or through cross contact. Such information is rarely available. The lack of documentation creates a health hazard for those requiring gluten–free foods and an unclear liability for food companies.

Please include our food hazard in this bill. At this time:
*No safe gluten threshold has been established for those with celiac disease.
*The FDA regulation for volunteer gluten-free food labeling is pending.
*The gluten–free segment of the food industry grew 74% between 2004 and 2009 and is projected to continue growing at a rate of 15–25% per year, according to the Nielson Company.

Thank you in advance for your leadership.
Sincerely,[Your Name]

Celiac Disease Awareness Month Recap - May 2010

2010-06-03T11:37:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to send out some updates about Celiac Disease Awareness Month now that May is over. We had quite a few activities going on this year - thanks to all who helped and/or participated. You can see my official announcement about these events here. Overall, I think we had a pretty good month of raising awareness and having good events. See below for details on each.

Gluten Free Wine Dinner @ Bella Monica Italian Restaurant
This excellent event was held on Sunday, May 16th. Bella Monica hosted an awesome six course Gluten Free wine dinner exclusively for their Raleigh-area Gluten Free consumers (about 50 people). The menu featured items from the Bella Monica GF menu along with specially prepared dishes from a new cookbook by Vanessa Maltin. The cookbook, called The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing Up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes, was given to each participant of the dinner which was a nice touch. We've already used it a few times at home and the recipes are easy to prepare and taste great.

If you follow me on Twitter, I was posting tweats during the meal with pictures and commentary on each course. See below for some of the pictures I took during the event.

Overall, the event was really well organized and the food and wine were awesome. Kudos the the folks at Bella Monica, they really know how to run a top notch restaurant and how to safely serve GF patrons. Let's hope they put on another one of these events!

Gluten Free Food Drive
There was also a Gluten Free Food Drive which benefited the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. This food bank serves 34 counties in NC and handles 500,000 people daily. That means they likely see around 5,000 Gluten Free consumers each day as well! The idea was to stock the Food Bank with some GF food and I think we did pretty good. There was an all day physical food drive on Saturday, May 8th at the following locations (Bella Monica, Rosie's Plate, Earth Fare, Whole Foods, Harmony Farms, Cafe Harmony, Mellow Mushroom and ZPizza (Raleigh and Cary locations)). A huge thanks to the participating locations for helping me collect the food and for offering special discounts to you for donating. You donated 193 pounds of GF food to the food bank - that translates to 162 meals or $690.

In addition, there was a month long virtual food drive as well so that folks could donate money in case they were not able to participate in the May 8th drive. I had set a goal of $500 and received just shy of 50% of that goal - $235. In total, we collected nearly $1,000 worth of GF food for the Food Bank! Pretty good - probably could have done better but it's a start. If you'd like to donate to the Food Bank, they accept donations all the time at their Raleigh warehouse located on 3808 Tarheel Drive. You don't need me organizing anything.

Governor's Proclamation
One of the biggest accomplishments was the declaration by Governor Bev Purdue marking May 2010 as North Carolina Celiac Disease Awareness Month. I believe there were 3 states in total that took this action (New York and Georgia as well). We are doing our part here in NC of course so that's a good thing. Thanks to Pat Berger for putting the weight of the CSA North Raleigh Celiac Support Group behind the proposal I made to the Governor. Hopefully we can do this each year until the US Congress declares May as National Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Unfortunately, the local and state media did not give this much press. Locally, NBC 17 did a story that touched on it (thanks to Shirley Min). Click here for the story. I'm a little disappointed that more media coverage did not take place which would have raised more awareness.

Food Allergy Poster
A food allergy poster was created to educate kitchen workers at restaurants about the top common food allergens (including Gluten). The original idea was to involve Wake County officials from the Environmental Health & Safety Department, but this effort has stalled. I'd love to have this poster in every one of the 2,500 Wake County restaurants at some point - wouldn't it be great if restaurant workers were required to know about food allergies? Most of you have signed my petition for this. A start would be for Wake County to have the poster available for download on their site http://www.wakegov.com/food - specifically here. For now, the poster will be hosted here at Gluten Free Raleigh. If you'd like to let Wake County officials know of your desire to have this poster in restaurants (or available for download on Wake County's site), you can contact them by calling 919-856-7400. Let them know there are over 450 signatures on the petition. You can also print off the poster and take it to your favorite restaurants and ask them to post it in their kitchen as well.

Z Pizza Opening Downtown Raleigh Location

2010-05-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

Z Pizza fans rejoice! A third Triangle area location is opening this summer in Downtown Raleigh. If you have not read about Z Pizza's Gluten Free options, click here. I have confirmed with the franchise owner that the new location will open in the July/August time frame and will feature outdoor seating for 100, a bar and indoor seating for 60. The location is at 421 Fayetteville Street, right on the new City Plaza by the Bank of America Building. Great location! Z Pizza also currently has a store in Cary and in North Raleigh.

On a side note, from now until June 30th, 2010, order a Gluten Free pizza from Z Pizza and they will donate 30% of the sale to Autism Speaks.

In addition to that, our local franchisee was just awarded the "Franchisee of the Year" award at the corporate Z Pizza conference. Their efforts in providing Gluten Free products in a safe way no doubt contributed to the award. They are also looking into expanding their Gluten Free offerings by carrying GF wings and RedBridge.

Rosie's Plate Two Year Anniversary Sale

2010-05-25T10:30:00.000-04:00

The last two years have definitely been interesting for me to say the least. The time has certainly gone by really fast as the Gluten Free Lifestyle (and this blog) dominated my life. The further you get from your Celiac diagnosis, the easier it becomes and the less dominating it becomes - but your life is truly never the same. Many of you have heard me say in the past that I have a special connection to Rosie's Plate. The day my doctor called to give me my Celiac diagnosis, I read an article in the News & Observer about the very opening of Rosie's Plate. Reading that article gave me a sense of hope that I could find safe places to eat Gluten Free. Now, two years later as I type my 600th post to this blog, Rosie's Plate is still going strong and always improving.

Rosie's Plate is currently celebrating their two year anniversary! Not sure exactly how many times I've been to Rosie's Plate over the last two years, but I know I'll be stopping in this week to pick up some great GF food and say a big THANK YOU. I encourage you all to do the same thing as well! As an added bonus, for this week only, stop into Rosie's Plate and receive 15% off all in-store purchases (5/24 thru 5/29). And be sure to pick up a free "thanks for being our customer" cupcake as well!

Thanks Rosie's Plate, Rose Waring and the excellent staff for all you do for the GF community.
Happy Anniversary! The Triangle Gluten Free community is extremely lucky to have you!

Gluten Free Luau @ Raleigh Trader Joe's

2010-05-24T12:23:00.004-04:00

Be sure to stop into the Raleigh Trader Joe's store this Wednesday (5/26) from 7pm until 9pm for a Gluten Free Luau! Store representatives let me know that the event will include some of the store's employees discussing the Gluten Free Diet, Gluten Free products for sale at Trader Joe's as well as a product sampling. No word on if there will be hula dancers, but sounds like fun.

The Raleigh Trader Joe's is located at 3000 Wake Forest Road near I-440. You can check out their extensive "No Gluten" list here.

Gluten Free Food Drive Update

2010-05-20T17:06:00.000-04:00

During the month of May, several events have been taking place in honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month. One of these events was a Gluten Free Food Drive benefiting the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

I'm happy to report that the physical food drive held here in Raleigh on Saturday, May 8th collected 193 pounds of GF food that went to helping those less fortunate folks who need access to Gluten Free food. That translates to around 162 meals or $690. I'd like to say a big thank you to the locations that participated - Bella Monica, Rosie's Plate, Earth Fare, Whole Foods, Harmony Farms, Cafe Harmony, Mellow Mushroom and ZPizza (Raleigh and Cary locations). The nearly 200 pounds of food collected will go to help serve the estimated 5,000 folks daily who are fed by the food bank that may require a Gluten Free diet (1% of the 500,000 folks they feed daily in 34 NC counties). Obviously this is nowhere near the demand there but it's a start. Thanks to all who donated!

If you did not get a chance to partcipate in the physical food drive, there is a month long virtual GF food drive going on as well. All proceeds from this virtual drive will go towards purchasing Gluten Free food for the food bank. We've collected $110 so far towards our goal of $500. Please visit this link or click the picture at the top of this blog to make your donation. All donations are done securely via the food bank's web site and are tax deductible. Take a moment to make a donation and have an impact on someone's life who is struggling to get access to Gluten Free foods. Is $5 (one meal) too much to part with to help someone else need?

Let's get to that $500 goal - click here for the Virtual Gluten Free Food Drive - going on until May 31st.

Happy Tummy Baking Company Expansion

2010-05-19T12:52:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update to let you know that Happy Tummy Baking Company pizza crusts can now be found at the Cary, Durham and Chapel Hills Whole Foods Markets as well as Harmony Farms. The allergen free pizza crusts made their official launch/debut in the Raleigh Whole Foods Market location only one month ago. Good to see this expansion. If you've tried a crust (thanks for supporting a local Gluten Free company), feel free to leave a comment.

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

2010-05-18T17:13:00.000-04:00

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, May 20th at 7pm at Rex Hospital. On this month's agenda, members Eileen and Marcel Pusey will share information about and have a tasting of a g-f meal replacement.

If anyone has borrowed one of the group's shopping guides or the small "...Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Living," from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, please return it on the 20th, or, if you have a book but are unable to attend on Thursday, please email Pat. (There are two Columbia University books out.) Pat has set up a "check-out" system so she can more easily track borrowed books. Thank you for your help with this.

Looking ahead - our June meeting will focus on "basics" for the newly diagnosed. Come "armed" with questions/concerns. We will cover as much ground as possible.

FYI: While July and August are our vacation months, Pat is working with Nancy Long (Harmony Farms) to hold a weekday, late afternoon information session/meeting at Cafe Harmony, for those newly diagnosed, whom may or may not be members of our group. (It is not unusual for the newly diagnosed to be hesitant to take that first step to join a group.) As seating will be limited, she will post a sign-up sheet a few weeks prior to our scheduled meeting. Anyone wanting to attend from our group will need to sign up or contact Nancy to add your name to the list. We have not yet set a date and still need to work out some details. Pat will keep you posted.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.