{"id":12228,"date":"2015-11-05T08:09:36","date_gmt":"2015-11-05T16:09:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/green-mom.com\/?p=12228"},"modified":"2019-12-11T22:30:47","modified_gmt":"2019-12-11T22:30:47","slug":"what-about-wheat-in-gluten-free-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zerowastefamily.com\/what-about-wheat-in-gluten-free-foods","title":{"rendered":"What About Wheat in Gluten Free Foods?"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Emma Grace Fairchild:<\/strong><\/p>\n Many people have sensitivities, and avoid gluten in an attempt to prevent gastrointestinal issues and other health complaints. Others have chosen to remove gluten and wheat products for weight loss, to follow a paleo style diet, or for any number of other reasons. While everyone has an opinion about going gluten free, wheat free, or grain free, an estimated 3 million people in the U.S. living with Celiac disease don\u2019t have the luxury of choice. If someone with celiac disease consumes the gluten protein found in wheat, they run the risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, anemia, and many other serious health conditions<\/a>. This can make eating at restaurants and buying groceries very difficult for people all across the gluten-free spectrum.<\/p>\n Due to an increased consumer demand for manufacturers to respond to the needs associated with gluten<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n sensitivity and celiac disease, it is becoming more common to find certified gluten free items for purchase. This is especially true for alternatives to those foods no longer available to eat, such as breads, pastries, crackers and snacks. Manufacturing and testing is strict and supposed to be transparent, and labeling guidelines are monitored by the Food and Drug Administration<\/a>. The recognized standard for a product to be labeled and sold as \u201cGluten Free\u201d is 20 parts per million \u2014 in other words, for each kilogram of product, there are fewer than 20 grams of detectable gluten. This is a fairly common acceptable number on an international level and suits the needs of the affected population.<\/p>\n Having lived in the United States and Europe, I\u2019ve noticed a major difference in the ingredients of certified gluten free foods. Primarily, the answer I have received when asking servers and bakers \u201cWhat is in this that makes this so yummy?\u201d is that the gluten free products are made with wheat that has had the gluten protein removed. The gluten free breads, doughs, sweets, and the like that I\u2019ve eaten in the U.S. are made with a combination of flours from any number of wheat replacements \u2014 garbanzo bean, rice, millet, psyllium husk, tapioca, and many more.<\/p>\n