Reading Food Labels

On a recent shopping exercise with one of my clients, I was reminded that reading food labels is one of the most important steps in learning to live gluten-free and/or allergen free. Reading food labels is second nature to me now BUT it was not always that way. 

My goal with this post is to make this as simple as possible. I have 2 references below for a more detailed explanation. 

This random label is a great example of what to look for when reading food labels. There are some correct things about this label and some blatant mistakes. Reminder, the * Top Allergens are (wheat, soybean, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, fish and crustacean shellfish.)

1. The 1st thing I do when looking at labels is look under the main ingredient list for the word: "CONTAINS." This immediately alerts me to the food allergens in the ingredients. 
Note:WHEAT after the word "CONTAINS".
Stop...I do not have to go any further. WHEAT=GLUTEN

2. If there is no "CONTAINS" then I go back to the beginning of the           ingredient list. 

3. I look for words in BOLD. These are usually allergen alerts.
 Note: WHEAT on the first line.
 Stop... WHEAT=GLUTEN.

4. Let's pretend that neither the "CONTAINS"  or BOLD is there. Can you find any mistakes? 
 a) Line 7 & 8: palm oil, soybean oil, and/or 
                                 interesterified soybean oil
 SOY is a top 8 allergen and should have been either be BOLD or Under "CONTAINS"

 b) The last line for all us Gluten-Free people out there. 
                                malted barley flour, yeast
Though barley is most definitely gluten (wheat, barley and rye.)The FDA does not consider it a top 8 allergen therefore it doesn't need to be BOLD or under "CONTAINS." 

c) Barley is one of the most difficult ingredients to spot since it can fall under several names:
                      Barley Grass
                      Barley Hordeum Vulgare
                      Barley Malt 
                      Malt or Malt Flavoring
                      Malt Barley
                      Pearl Barley
                      Caramel Coloring ( Can be made with malt barley)

I have written in detail about the pitfalls of reading food labels for allergens and gluten-free foods on pages 22-24 in my book, Gluten-Free Living 101: A Step by Step Guide. 
The FDA has very specific details about allergen labeling on their website: this can be found at Guidance for Industry: A Food Labeling Guide (6. Ingredient Lists.)  For specific information about gluten-free food labeling go to the FDA website, Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods. The FDA has detailed explanations of how foods must be labeled. Below is an example of the label requirements from FDA site. 

"FALCPA requires food manufacturers to label food products that are made with an ingredient that is a major food allergen in one of the following two ways:"

To learn about gluten-free labeling for restaurants and bakeries, please go to my post written in January 2015, Gluten-Free Labeling in Restaurants and  Bakeries detailing the new FDA laws labeling laws in reference to gluten-free foods for restaurants and bakeries.  

Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse

You think I had been through enough after being ill for almost 8 weeks with a gluten reaction to construction materials.  BUT no - I decided I needed a 21 day colon cleanse and another 21 day liver cleanse and Dr. Costa agreed. 

I am on day 17 of the colon cleanse, Repairvite, which I have done several times before.  This is the first time I am finding it a real challenge to stay on. For those who don't know this cleanse, a person uses Apex Energetic supplements made specifically for this cleanse. Food is limited to chicken, turkey, fish and beef, all veggies except nightshade, yams, and low glycemic fruits. In addition fermented food helps the process.  The food should be prepared simply and preferably organic. 

I had such a strong detox reaction during the first week. I barely wanted to leave the house. I suffered from the jitters, brain fog, fatigue, and intestinal issues (I save you the details). The second week was better but far from being pleasant. This week I am so tired of eating meat or fish for breakfast and eating the same kinds of food. I rarely eat beef ( maybe I taste it 3 times a year) but I decided to make a beef stew to change things up. Guess what- I don't like most beef and the stew was no exception.  So I find myself eating butternut squash curry soup for breakfast this morning. 

The liver cleanse is much easier. I get to start the day with a Clearvite cleanse and vegan protein powder. I can eat any gluten-free grains, beans, nuts and seeds (NO peanuts). I am looking forward to it. The reason I am doing a liver cleanse is because I had to take antibiotics and other medication will I was ill. Since my liver was kind enough to deal with all that I thought I should return the favor and clean it out. 

Sweet Potato Hash Recipe by eZG

 

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Hash by eZG

Ingredients:

Olive oil
6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in small cubes
1 medium onion (red or yellow) diced in small pieces
1 garlic clove crushed or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
raisins optional

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Place onions in heated skillet, cook until they start to caramelize.
3. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
4. Add sweet potatoes and saute until tender. This takes approximately 30 minutes. 
5. Stir occasionally so that the mixture cooks evenly. 


Notes:
The smaller the sweet potatoes cubes, the faster this will cook. 
My husband added golden raisins to the last batch and it worked very well. 
This can stay in the refrigerator for up to a week, so you can cook it ahead of time.