Sure Foods Living - for celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and food allergies

Getting ready for a gluten-free 4th of July? Need to be allergy-free this Independence Day? Here are the answers to your questions about avoiding gluten, dairy or other allergens this holiday…

Does barbecue sauce contain gluten?

Barbecue sauce may contain gluten, which is why it is so important to check the label or the recipe before eating it. Here are some ingredients to watch out for:

• Some barbecue sauces contain gluten from barley in the form of beer or malt.
• Some barbecue sauces contain soy sauce, which contains wheat.
• Many barbecue sauces contain Worcestershire Sauce, which could contain gluten. Lea and Perrins brand Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free, while Annie’s Naturals Worcestershire Sauce is not.
• Some sauces contain mustard, which could contain gluten. Some mustards contain beer or wheat flour, so be sure to check the brand of mustard being used. (Mustard flour is gluten-free.)
• Most sauces contain ketchup, which should not be a problem because the major brands of ketchup are gluten-free.

Which brands of barbecue sauce are gluten-free (dairy-free, soy-free)?

The number of barbecue sauces on the shelves is overwhelming but here is some information to guide you:

• Daddy Sam’s is gluten-free and free of all top allergens. It is spicy and delicious!
• Bone Suckin’ Sauce is gluten-free and free of all top allergens. It’s got a sweetness along with a spiciness that is so good.
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauces are both gluten-free and dairy-free. I haven’t tried them yet, but I have read good things!
• Annie’s Naturals barbecue sauces are gluten-free and dairy-free. Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce is also soy-free.
• Any Kraft and Nabisco products will list ingredients that contain gluten (in addition to the required top 8 allergens) on the ingredient statement. These items will be listed using commonly known terms such as Wheat, Barley, Oats or Rye. This includes Bull’s Eye Barbecue Sauce and Kraft brand barbecue sauces.
• Avoid KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauces unless you can be sure from the ingredient list that they are gluten-free. They must legally list wheat on the label but they do not have a policy about listing other gluten-containing ingredients.

Can I make my own barbecue sauce?

Yes, of course! It’s really pretty easy. Go ahead and search the web for barbecue sauce recipes and you will find a whole bunch. Or, you can try Elana’s recipe for gluten-free dairy-free bbq sauce.

Do hot dogs contain gluten and/or dairy?

Hot dogs and sausages could contain gluten and dairy. See my list of gluten-free and dairy-free hot dogs and sausages!

What do I do about buns?

Some specialty gluten-free bakeries like Mariposa Baking Company, The Sensitive Baker, and The Grainless Baker make buns, but generally gluten-free hot dog buns and hamburger buns aren’t easy to find. Some stores are now carrying Kinnikinnick brand hamburger and hot dog buns, which are gluten-free and dairy-free. But my favorite buns are the ones I make myself… and you can too!

You can use any gluten-free bread mix to make hamburger or hot dog buns. You just need molds to shape them. For hamburger buns, English Muffin rings work really well and are easy to use. If you don’t have them, you can form your own molds out of aluminum foil. I did this using Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix. You can see exactly how to do this and the results in my article: A gluten-free hamburger bun = happiness.

I have made hot dog bun molds out of aluminum foil and they also turn out great. My advice is to make the molds skinny — mine turned out a little too big. I followed the bread directions, filled my molds and let them rise. I sprinkled sesame seeds on before baking and baked until they were done (normally the bread I was using takes 60 minutes, so I think I baked them for 30 or 40, but it depends on the size of the buns). The result was a soft, not crumbly, bread-y bun.

Can I eat potato salad?

Potato salad is usually safe for gluten-free people and even dairy-free people, but if you are allergic to eggs or soy, avoid traditional potato salads as they are made with mayonnaise containing eggs and soybean oil. (Mayonnaise does not usually contain dairy even though it is white and creamy!)

If you need a potato salad recipe, Kalyn of the blog Kalyn’s Kitchen, posted a nice summary of potato salad recipes, including ones that don’t contain mayonnaise!

What about dessert??

Here’s the easiest red, white and blue dessert ever: vanilla ice cream (can use non-dairy), topped with strawberries and blueberries.

If you are looking for something a little more creative, make a delicious Peach Crisp or an Apple Pie. Or how about an Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich?

Need easy treats for the kids (or yourself)? Check out the Allergen-Free Summer Treats Guide.

Wishing you a safe holiday!

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of visiting gelateria cici in Mill Valley, CA (11 miles north of San Francisco). After meeting friends in the square in the center of town, we walked up to cici, specifically because I had heard that they have gluten-free cones — quite a rarity in ice cream or gelato shops!

Indeed, there were gluten-free cones. In fact, there were only gluten-free cones. And not only that, but they were WAFFLE cones! I was actually a bit confused at first, making certain that they understood I wanted the gluten-free cones. The people working there must have thought I was kind of slow! It took me a little while to get it that all the cones there are gluten-free. Got it? (Note: if other allergies are a concern, the cones do contain dairy and eggs, and may contain traces of soy, but other types of gluten-free cones may be in the works for the future.)

Even someone with a dairy or nut allergy would find something here. The traditional gelato contains dairy of course, but they always offer dairy-free sorbets. In the summer they usually have 4 or more sorbet flavors (in the winter there are less because they use seasonal ingredients). At the time I was there, there was even a chocolate sorbet made with Guittard chocolate! Regarding nut allergies, the owner herself is allergic, so although there could be a gelato that contains nuts, the employees are well-aware of cross-contamination issues and know how to serve up a safe treat!

Other wonderful things about this gelato shop are that the gelato is made from scratch and is seasonal, meaning that they make flavors according to what is available fresh at a given time of year. They also use local ingredients, meaning they source ingredients from as close as possible. And, the gelato is organic (except for the Guittard chocolate, which they chose to use because it is nut-free). The owners belong to Marin Organic which is an organization that supports local farms and they make a commitment to buy from these farmers when they can.

You just can’t go wrong in this gelato shop — there is something for everyone! I look forward to making this a regular pitstop for my family.

Related articles:
Allergen-Free Summer Treats Guide 2009
Product Review: Coconut Bliss Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Do you love or hate the tinny tune of that ice cream truck cruising through your neighborhood or past the local park? At some point you are going to give in to your crying, begging children. It is best to learn which treats are okay for those everybody-else-gets-to-have-one-so-why-can’t-we-have-one-too ice cream truck moments. After all, you don’t want to be the Mean Mom — at least not in public!

Every ice cream truck is going to pack different treats, but fortunately there are always some that are just basically sugar, color and water. Not that I am a big fan of corn syrup or Red Dye #40, but once in a while I let my kids have a snow cone or frozen pop. If your child has an allergy to either of these ingredients, steer clear of commercial popsicles. Hopefully in that case, they can opt for an ice cream bar (be careful of nuts!)

In my fantasy world, an ice cream truck stocks real fruit juice popsicles, organic non-dairy ice cream bars and shaved ice with natural flavorings and colorings. Don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon, but at least you can buy some healthier options at the store, or make your own.

TREATS YOU CAN BUY

• Popsicles
  Many commercial frozen pops are gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens. (They do however contain corn syrup, which is a problem for individuals allergic to corn, and food coloring, to which some kids are sensitive.) A page of Popsicle brand treats that are free of the top 8 allergens can be found here: Popsicle (always check the ingredients before consuming).
• Fruit Bars
  For a healthier option, look for bars made with fruit juice that contain no corn syrup, like Breyer’s Pure Fruit bars.
• Snowcones
  Most snowcones that you find at fairs and amusement parks are gluten-free and free of the top allergens. Usually they are made with crushed ice and a flavoring syrup (corn syrup). Same with packaged snow-cones.
• Dairy-free ice cream treats
  Most ice cream treats, including Fudgesicles, are off-limits for kids with dairy allergies, but there are some dairy-free options:
  • Soy Dream ice cream sandwich (not gluten-free)
  • Rice Dream ice cream pies and bars (not gluten-free)
  • Rice Divine ice cream bars and sundae cups (gluten-free, contain soy).
  • Turtle Mountain soy ice cream bars and fudge bar and soy ice-cream sandwiches (not gluten-free),  dairy-free and soy-free fudge bar (gluten-free), coconut milk ice cream bars. For a complete list of Turtle Mountain allergens, see Gluten-Free Frozen Products & Allergen Identification Table.
  • Smooze Fruit Ice push-up bars are made with coconut milk and real fruit. My kids love them! Flavors: Mango, Passion Fruit, Guava, Pineapple. I find them in Whole Foods.
• Gluten-free ice cream cones
  Use your favorite ice cream or sorbet to make ice cream cones at home, or take your own gluten-free cones into your local ice cream shop. There are lots of cones to choose from (click to see ingredients):
  • Let’s Do… Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones
  • Barkat Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones
  • Barkat Waffle Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones
  • Goldbaum’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones
  • Goldbaum’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Sugar Ice Cream Cones

TREATS YOU CAN MAKE

• Frozen juice pops
  Put any kind of fruit juice into fun pop molds - use white grape juice or apple juice if you don’t want to stain their shirts! Mix juices to create a new flavor. This is a great option for kids who can’t have corn syrup or food dyes.
• Frozen fruit pops
  If you want a chunkier, thicker pop, put frozen fruit in your blender, add liquid and freeze. The liquid could be juice, milk, coconut or other non-dairy milk.
• Smoothie pops
  Make a fruit and spinach smoothie and put it into the pop molds. Yes, your kids will eat frozen spinach!
• Snowcones and slushes
  Make your own snow cones with snow cone supplies! Otherwise, you can make a “slush” or “slushie” in your blender by blending ice with juice. Serve it in a fun cup with a straw or spoon.
• Dairy-free ice cream treats
  • Take your favorite non-dairy ice cream, let it soften a little, put it in a mold and refreeze to make an ice cream bar
  • Try this recipe for Strawberry-Vanilla Swirled Frozen Pops - could be made with any fruit and a non-dairy ice cream
  • Make an ice cream sandwich using your favorite gluten-free cookies or try this gluten-free dairy-free egg-free ice cream cookie sandwich.

Any more summer treat ideas or products? Let me know!

Before I tell you the winner of the gluten-free cereal giveaway, I want to thank Erewhon for their generosity, not just with this contest, but because they send me boxes of cereal to give out whenever I do a talk or have a GIRG meeting.

And now for the winner…

But wait! I want to share with you some of interesting (and not so interesting) ways that people eat cereal, as shared in the comments on the contest post. Here are some ideas, but read the comments for more recipes and details!

How to eat gluten-free cereal:

• with milk — cow, rice, almond, soy, coconut, hemp!
• in yogurt
• dry, out of a ziploc bag or straight out of the box (in a car, on a bus!)
• mixed with other cereal to make a new kind of cereal — get really daring and mix 3 or even 4!
• in homemade trail mix or granola or “snack balls”
• in crispy marshmallow treats — variations include: adding peanut butter, chocolate in or drizzled on top, died red & green for the holidays, cut into different shapes, with brown rice syrup instead of marshmallow, and more!
• used in a topping for a fruit crisp or crumble
• with stuff dipped into it — banana, spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter, anything sticky
• in cookie bars
• on top of an ice cream sundae
• made into a bar for the top and bottom of an ice cream sandwich treat
• used in a cookie pie crust
• as a coating when baking — chicken, chicken nuggets
• as a coating when frying — more chicken!
• share it with your cat!
• give it to your dog!

Okay, noooowww I can tell you that the randomly selected winner is…

Alison! Wow, does she have a great name! And with 3 kids, it sounds like she could really use 3 free boxes of cereal. Congratulations Alison and thanks to everyone who participated. Be sure to sign up (in upper right) to get updates on new articles and more giveaways!

One of the foods you have to watch out for when on a gluten-free diet is cereal. Most are made of a gluten-containing grain, like wheat, barley, or oats (oats themselves are gluten-free, but the oats used in most cereals are contaminated with wheat). Even if the cereal is made from a gluten-free grain like rice, corn or buckwheat, barley in the form of malt is often added for flavor — this is the case with Rice Krispies, for example.

Not to worry, for Erewhon (pronounced Air-whon) gluten-free cereals are here! Their Gluten-Free Crispy Brown Rice Cereal goes snap, crackle, pop and is perfect for making rice crispy treats. They are a staple cereal in my house, along with a few other Erewhon flavors.

Now they have 2 new flavors of gluten-free cereal to choose from: Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice and Strawberry Crisp. Both are sweet and delicious!! I have been snacking on the Strawberry Crisp for days and my daughters love it. I haven’t let them try the Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice yet because I know that I will never hear the end of their begging for more. I’m saving that one for a special treat… maybe even for chocolate rice crispy treats! Yum!

YOU CAN WIN!

What’s that you say? You would like to try them too? Well, here’s your chance to win, courtesy of Erewhon:

• 3 boxes of gluten-free cereal of your choice:
  - Gluten Free Crispy Brown Rice
  - Crispy Brown Rice with Mixed Berries
  - Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice
  - Rice Twice
  - Strawberry Crisp Flakes
  - Corn Flakes
  - Aztec Crunchy Corn & Amaranth
• a Patagonia T-Shirt (available in Adult L, XL & Kids L)
• an Erewhon Coupon Keeper with coupons for $1 off next purchases

HOW DO YOU WIN?

In  the comments section of this post, let me know the 3 flavors of gluten-free cereal you would like to win and your favorite way to eat cereal or use cereal (maybe it’s just in a bowl with milk, but I know some of you will share some creative ideas!)

Make a comment by this Thursday, June 4 at noon PST, and I will randomly pick a winner (please only comment once!) I will announce the winner on Friday.

More about Erewhon:

Erewhon cereals are available wherever natural foods are sold including the natural food section of many supermarkets, and on Amazon!  For more information visit www.ErewhonGlutenFree.com.

Original painting by Tara Himler

I want to share a correspondence I recently had with a woman named Chanel in Atlanta, Georgia. It really touched me and also brought to my attention a problem that doesn’t get talked about — in fact, it is practically ignored in the celiac community. Chanel has given me permission to use both her story and name because she hopes that others will relate to her story.

Here is the first email I received:

May 7, 2009
“I have read your story and the info on your site. I just want to say, thank you so much for sharing your story and all the helpful information you have made available to the public. My symptoms sound exactly like yours, right down to the vitiligo. I am 26 now and I began having horrible stomach pain when I turned 21. The pain literally started on my birthday. I had symptoms which my doctor diagnosed as IBS aggravated by stress (this was not good news considering I had a very high stress job at the time). He told me there was nothing he could do for me. He said all I could do is try to get my stress level under control, eat more fiber and hope for the best. It was like my concerns were just brushed aside and forgotten. Like my pain didn’t matter to anyone but me. It seemed so unfair.

That summer I took up meditation in an attempt to get my obsessive compulsive behavior and stress under control. So I sat in the sunshine practicing my deep breathing techniques. This helped a little with the stress… until I started getting spots! As my shoulders began to tan I realized there were spots of my skin that wouldn’t. This fact was not conducive to my stress levels. I lost a lot of weight because the pain was so bad I just couldn’t eat! People thought I had an eating disorder because I was already thin to begin with. Finally the pain and stress was so bad that I had to quit my job.

I tried diets, I tried cutting out dairy, I tried exercise programs (which wouldn’t work because the pain would prevent me from exercising), I tried going back to doctors, I tried food combining, dietitians and books and supplements and everything under the sun!! Nothing worked!! Finally I saw the book, G-Free diet and found your review. I then went to your site and read pretty much everything there. I will be scheduling an appointment to be tested for gluten allergy and Celiac Disease. I have already started the “G-free diet” and have been G-free for about 3 days. I hope this is the answer because I can already tell a difference. I don’t know how long it took for you, but my pain level has already decreased. After 5 years of pain, discomfort, stress and tears, I finally have some hope… Thank You, Thank You, Thank You….”

What a wonderful feeling to get an email like that! After I wiped tears from my eyes, I realized that I should let her know that if she is going to get tested for celiac disease she should NOT be on a gluten-free diet before getting tested because it can produce a false negative result. I asked her if she had insurance and suggested that she get the test for celiac disease right away before she continues with the gluten-free diet. Her reply:

May 8, 2009
“No I do not have insurance. Unfortunately when I left my job for one less stressful, I also left my benefits behind. I am also about to go back to school. I start May 19, so you can imagine how difficult the idea is for me to start eating gluten again. If that is what is causing my problems, I definitely do not want to cause pain that could pull me out of class. For the time being, I plan on staying gluten-free until I can afford to go back to the doctor. I wish I could go tomorrow just to have a definitive answer but for now, I am on the 4th day of being gluten free and so far the pain has decreased every day. I couldn’t believe how good I felt this morning! My boyfriend says it is just good to see me smile again. Thanks!”

When I emailed her a week later to see how she was feeling she replied:

May 17
“I am still G-free and I am still smiling!”

I know how she feels. I know EXACTLY how she feels. When I first read about celiac disease, I knew I had found the answer and went gluten-free that very minute. I called my doctor’s office and told them that I wanted to be tested. The doctor called me back to tell me not to stop eating gluten yet. At that point I had already been gluten-free for a few days, and like Chanel, already felt better, and knew that I never wanted to eat gluten again. I was lucky that a) I had medical insurance, and b) I was able to see my doctor right away and get the tests, because if those two things hadn’t happened, I’m not sure I would have ever tested positive for celiac disease. I was not about to eat gluten again — it simply hurt too much.

I always tell people they should get the celiac blood test, but clearly there are cases where this is difficult for the person financially. My cousin ended up paying $500 out of pocket for the celiac panel for her daughter (which turned out to be negative despite her many health problems). I have received many emails from people without insurance asking for help because they are sick and want to try the diet.

There aren’t many options that I know of for people who can’t afford the testing. The Celiac Disease Foundation didn’t have any suggestions for me on the phone when I inquired about testing options for people without insurance. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness suggested that there are sometimes free screenings like at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. This is a good option, if one can get to Chicago on that particular day of the year. They also suggested contacting the closest celiac support group to see if they know of any opportunities offered through local health care providers. This is a good idea if such programs exist, if they are convenient, if the person would have any way of knowing about them and if they are running at the time the person is seeking testing.

Unfortunately, without that celiac test, many people are not given credibility for choosing to be on a gluten-free diet, even if it is for health reasons. People like Chanel are not doing it to follow a fad, or to lose weight (many are actually trying to gain weight). They are doing it because they are sick, and they are sick of being sick.

And yet, although they are dedicated to the diet,  they feel left out of support groups, conferences, etc. because they were never diagnosed with celiac disease. (I have received many emails telling me this.)

So, please — doctors, relatives, friends, colleagues — don’t hold it against Chanel and others like her that they are not officially “celiac.” Understand that the world of celiac testing is not perfect and not available to everyone. Believe them when they say they feel better being gluten-free. Welcome them into your support groups, include them in your research and your causes, and most importantly, share with them your gluten-free love!

Thank you, Chanel, for your story. I hope you continue to feel better!

“Enjoy it, Mom. Don’t eat it so fast.”

Those were the wise words of my 4 year old as I wolfed down my ice cream sandwich — a special treat we made for my birthday last weekend. To hear her echo those words of mine put a huge smile on my face, because even though our diets are limited by my celiac disease and her food allergies, I have tried to instill in her an appreciation for food, to taste it and enjoy it. But I mainly smiled because it was just so darn cute!

Anyway, enough of the chatter you say! Get to the sandwich! Okay, okay…

But first, for those of you who don’t know Babycakes Bakery in NYC, it is a very hip, mostly-gluten-free,  vegan (so no dairy or eggs) bakery with delectable treats that even non-gluten-free and non-vegan people love. Erin McKenna, the founder of Babycakes, recently came out with a cookbook and appeared on Martha Stewart and shared her recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Vanilla Frosting.

I had been wanting to try this recipe, and finally decided to make it on my birthday… but the thought of baking when it was 95 degrees outside wasn’t too appealing — unless it ended up being an ice cream sandwich! So we skipped the frosting and opened the freezer instead.

The cookies are delicious. Really. And so easy. This will be my go-to recipe for gluten-free dairy-free egg-free chocolate chip (or any other add-in) cookies from now on. The recipe can be found on Martha’s website here: Babycakes Chocolate Chip Cookies. I have some tips of my own for making these cookies:

• You have to melt the coconut oil and then let it cool, as the recipe states. The coconut oil takes a looong time to cool, so definitely do this step first, ahead of time. Especially if you are making the cookies with kids who are waiting patiently (ha ha) to eat some dough. I ended up putting it in the refrigerator for a while.
• The cookies flatten out a lot — at least mine did. Make sure you space them out enough.
• The recipe makes a lot of cookies. It says it makes 24, but I made about that many and had dough left over. It is now in my freezer, ready to be made into more cookies, added to ice cream, or eaten frozen by the spoonful right out of the bag (who me?)
• I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips, which are mini. I love these chocolate chips, but I think next time I would use a regular size chip, or more of the minis.
• I cooked mine for longer than the recipe stated — obviously each oven is different, but these are soft cookies that stay soft, so you might want to cook longer if you want them to be more crispy.

Like I said, I didn’t make the frosting (recipe here: Vanilla Frosting), but put ice cream in them instead. I am kind of obsessed with coconut milk ice cream these days, and highly recommend putting either Coconut Bliss Vanilla Island or Purely Decadent made with Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean. My husband prefers good old Haagen Dazs Vanilla — that works too!

And remember: Enjoy it. Don’t eat it so fast!

As promised, here is your list of gluten-free and dairy-free hot dogs and sausages. Fire up your grills and enjoy!

Note: This post was written on 5/14/09. Ingredients can change, so always read the label.

Aidells Sausages

Aidells Sausages has many sausages that are gluten-free and dairy-free. They also make a line of organic sausages. Gluten-free products are clearly labeled.

All products are gluten-free EXCEPT: Spicy Mango & Jalapeno Sausage, Teriyaki Meatballs, Spicy Bacon & Bleu Cheese Char-Broilers and Bacon & Cheddar Char-Broilers (these contain soy sauce).

All products are dairy-free EXCEPT: Pesto Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomato & Mozzarella Sausage, Spinach & Feta Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomato & Parmesan Cheese Meatballs, Spicy Bacon & Bleu Cheese Char-Broilers and Bacon & Cheddar Char-Broilers.

Applegate Farms

All of Applegate Farms beef, chicken and turkey hot dogs are gluten-free and dairy-free. All sausages are gluten-free, all are dairy-free except Spinach & Feta flavor.

Ball Park

No statement from Ball Park’s parent company, Sara Lee. You have to read the label. I did notice that they use soy protein, corn starch and MSG in a lot of their franks. Also, if you think you are getting  a turkey dog, watch out — there is beef in it! Basically, stay away from these hot dogs and go for a more natural brand!

Casper’s

This brand of hot dog can be found in northern California. The parent company’s website, Spar Sausage Co., says of their dogs, “SPAR Sausage Company® does not add MSG (monosodium glutamate), fillers, or artificial colors, flavors or ingredients. Our products are also gluten-free.” On the phone they told me that Casper’s hot dogs do contain dairy.

Coleman Natural

Coleman Natural Beef Hot Dogs, Beef-Pork Franks and Bratwurst are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free

Diestel

All sausage from the Diestel Turkey Ranch are gluten-free and dairy-free except Spinach and Feta with Pine Nuts flavor.

Dietz and Watson

Dietz and Watson’s New York Brand Deli Beef Franks, Regular Franks and Regular Weiners and Bratwurst are gluten-free. Fat Free Beef Franks, Gourmet Lite Franks, and Gourmet Lite Beef Franks are NOT gluten-free — one contains hydrolyzed oat flour (weird!) Regular Franks do contain nonfat dry milk and isolated soy protein.

Freybe

A couple of readers let me know that they love Freybe, located in Canada with some products available in the U.S. According to the Freybe website, “With the exception of our British Bangers, all Freybe meat products are free of glutens.” Regarding dairy: “Cheese Smokies and Parmesano Salami aside, all Freybe products are made without any milk ingredients, making them perfectly suitable for those allergic to milk or milk products.”

Hans

Hans All Natural Sausages have many gluten-free and dairy-free varieties of sausage: Chipotle Pepper Chicken Sausage, Mild Italian Chicken Sausage, Organic Breakfast Links Chicken Sausage, Skinless Chicken Breakfast Links, Spicy Andouille Chicken Sausage, Spicy Chorizo Chicken Sausage, Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Chicken Sausage, and Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage. There are some varieties that contain dairy.

Hebrew National

Hebrew National franks are gluten-free and dairy-free except for Franks in a Blanket. They all contain hydrolyzed soy protein.

Hillshire Farms

Just like Ball Park, no statement from Hillshire Farms‘ parent company, Sara Lee. You have to read the label. These use soy protein, corn syrup and MSG in their products.

Jennie-O

Jennie-O Turkey Franks and Jumbo Turkey Franks are gluten-free.

Jones Dairy Farm

All of the sausage at Jones Dairy Farm is gluten-free EXCEPT for Scrapple. And even though there is “Dairy” in the company’s name, their products do not contain dairy! More information: Jones Dairy Farms list of gluten-free products.

For the corn-allergic: Some of the packages are coated with a grain-based talc (corn) as a processing aid.

Niman Ranch

Niman Ranch franks and sausages are gluten-free. (confirmed via phone) Hot dogs contain dairy.

Oscar Mayer

Oscar Mayer’s parent company is Kraft, which has a “policy for all Kraft and Nabisco products to list ingredients that contain gluten on the ingredient statement. These items will be listed using commonly known terms such as Wheat, Barley, Oats or Rye. For other ingredients that contain gluten, the grain source will be declared in parenthesis after the ingredient name. For example, if the ingredient “natural flavor” contains a gluten source, the label would read: natural flavor (contains rye). Other ingredients that contain gluten are: Triticale, Spelt, Kamut, Mir or Farina (also known as Far or Farro).”

So, you need to read the labels. Judging from the ingredient lists of the Oscar Mayer hot dogs I looked at, they are gluten-free and dairy-free with the exception of the ones that are filled with cheese. Of course, be sure to always check.

For the corn-allergic: All of their products contain either corn syrup or corn starch.

Rocky Dogs

Rocky Dogs are chicken hot dogs that are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free.

Sabrett

Sabrett Frankfurters are gluten-free. From the label it looks as though they are dairy-free also.

Thumann’s

Thumann’s All Natural products, which includes All Natural Pork and Beef Frankfurters, are gluten-free and casein-free. They also state that they have no nitrates or nitrites, no artificial, flavors, colors or preservatives, no fillers, and no MSG.

Trader Joe’s

On Trader Joe’s gluten-free product list, all sausage is listed as gluten-free. Some flavors do contain dairy because they contain cheese.

Wellshire Farms

Wellshire Farms products display a Smart Chart so you can easily see if it is gluten-free and dairy free. The Chicken Franks, Turkey Franks and Beef Franks are all gluten and dairy-free. You can do a search for all products by allergy, including gluten, casein/dairy, lactose, nuts, corn, soy, pepper, garlic, and mustard.

Related article:
Lunch meat: gluten-free and dairy-free list

Are you gluten intolerant or have you been diagnosed with Celiac Disease?  Maybe you’re wondering if gluten is involved with your children’s health?  Perhaps you’ve seen that gluten-free products are on the rise in many stores and wonder what that’s all about. Whether you know about gluten, want to know more or are simply curious…..

PLEASE JOIN US
TUESDAY, August 4, 2009.
Time and place to be determined.
(We are looking for donated space in Marin County to accommodate our growing group!)

Please email alison@surefoodsliving.com
to be put on list to receive updates regarding the meetings.

These meetings are packed with up-to-date information about the medical aspects of Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance, the latest and greatest gluten-free food finds, samples, book sales, and a chance to ask your questions and share your experiences. Don’t miss out on being part of the gluten-free community right here in Marin! Questions? Call 415-785-4980 or email alison@surefoodsliving.com.

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Meet the co-founders of the Gluten Intolerance Resource Group (GIRG) of Marin:

Alison St. Sure founder of  www.surefoodsliving.com has Celiac Disease and is a mother of 2 daughters, one with multiple food allergies. Intimately connected to gluten and other food allergies, Alison’s website and consulting services have become known as an exceptional source of information & assistance in the world of food allergies.

Sheila Wagner, PT, CN, discovering her Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance, was inspired to integrate her Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice with Certified Nutritionist services. Sheila has been practicing for 29 yrs. and is known as an expert in evaluating and treating chronic pain and orthopedic problems and discovering their connections to food incompatibilities and metabolic dysfunctions.

Welcome to the April 30, 2009 edition of living with food allergies carnival! For readers who don’t know what a blog carnival is, think of it like a magazine of articles that gets published on a schedule. Every two weeks, bloggers submit an article related to food allergy to be published by the host blogger. We hope that we can all learn from each other and introduce our readers to other food allergy sites out there.

Here are the articles submitted for this edition, organized by general subject:

COOKING & BAKING

• Elaine at Lipstickdaily presents Guilt Free Eggs posted at lipstickdaily.com, saying, “BFF’s Kate and Elaine’s thoughts on egg free baking.”

• Alison at Sure Foods Living presents Pamela’s Gluten-Free Cornbread & Muffin Mix Review posted at Sure Foods Living.

• Alisa presents Sinful Cinnamon-Apple Sauté (Breakfast or Dessert?) posted at One Frugal Foodie, saying, “Delicious, nutritious, and oh so easy … what more could you want?”

• Alisa presents Shortcuts: Baking Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Brownies from a Mix posted at Go Dairy Free.

EVENTS

• Ruth Smith presents Food Allergy Twitter Party May 15 posted at Best Allergy Sites, saying, “Join us for a Twitter Party and Celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week!”

EMOTIONS & ADVICE

• Nowheymama presents Dear Parents of the Birthday Child posted at No Whey, Mama.

• Vivian Mahoney presents A Conundrum of Sorts: Food Allergies and Birthday Parties posted at HipWriterMama.

• Jennifer Kales presents Field Trips and Food Allergies–What’s the Story? posted at The Nut-Free Mom, saying, “I got some field trip with FA insights after chaperoning two of the 3rd grade trips this year. This article shares some tips, advice and solidarity for all the Field Trip Moms (willing and unwilling) out there.”

• Jennifer Kales presents “Just Tell Your Teacher It’s Soybutter” posted at The Nut-Free Mom, saying, “A TV show with a very “tasteless” joke about peanut allergies stirred up a lot of controversy for us nut-free parents. Here’s my take on it.”

PRODUCTS

• Alison at Sure Foods Living presents The G-Free Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck - A Review posted at Sure Foods Living.

• Alisa presents Special Gifts and Homemade Treats for a [MIlk-Free] Mother’s Day to Remember posted at Go Dairy Free.

• Jennifer B presents Should Allertherapy be Marketed as a Homeopathic Medical Treatment for Food Allergies? posted at Food Allergy Buzz.

GENERAL FOOD ALLERGY INFO

• Alison at Sure Foods Living presents Food allergy treatment update… and a thank you posted at Sure Foods Living.

• Jennifer B presents Since When Does Heat “Kill” Allergens?!! posted at Food Allergy Buzz.

• Food Allergy Assistant presents Friday Feature: Raising Food Allergic Kids.org posted at Food Allergy Assistant, saying, “I’ve been running Friday Features where I interview people who are active within the online food allergy community. Drop me a note if you want to be featured.”

That concludes this edition! Thank you to everyone who submitted their articles! Submit your blog article to the next edition of living with food allergies carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.