The purpose of this guide is to give you the necessary tools to safely make, prepare, and distribute gluten-free hosts to your gluten-free members.

Attention to detail is critical for success in the gluten-free lifestyle. It is not surprising considering lives are turned upside-down by something measured in parts per million [yes, parts per million].

Please keep an open mind about the information presented here. It can be hard to comprehend that "The Staff of Life" can make someone sick. Science proves it to be true for about 3 million with celiac disease and an estimated 17 million with gluten sensitivities; just in the USA alone.

In this guide, you'll find information on gluten, how to eliminate gluten cross-contact, several recipes for gluten-free hosts, and links to commercially available gluten-free hosts.

If you have questions or desire additional help in instituting a gluten-free communion in your house of worship, please reach out to us.

Alan & Peggy Klapperich
Gluten Intolerance Group of East Central Wisconsin
GIG.EastCentralWisconsin@gluten.org
Phone: 920-748-4877

Tags: Communion, Unity, Inclusivity, Gluten Cross Contact, Gluten Cross Contamination, Cross Contamination

OK, true confession time. Before 2003 I rarely looked at a product's ingredient label. I saw no point in it; if it tasted good - I ate it. Hmmm, could this have been a contributing factor in my steadily increasing weight and my rapidly declining health? Yeah.


It should be no surprise that attention to detail increases our chances of success in the gluten-free lifestyle. After all, something measured in parts per million rearranges our lives. Talk about little things making big things happen. Coach Wooden’s words take on a whole new meaning for those with a gluten-related disorder.

Knowing what's in our food is probably one of the most important details. President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906. Known as the Wiley Act, it gave the federal government the power deem a food “misbranded” if ingredients were “false or misleading,” or deemed “adulterated” if it contained ingredients harmful to health. Sadly, it would take nearly a century before the presence of food allergens would be recognized. A decade later, gluten-free regulations finally make it on the books. 

The Protection Agencies

Only a few different governmental agencies regulate food safety. In this article, we’ll be discussing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA). The US Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates beverage alcohol [as in gluten-free beer]. Sorry beer lovers, we won’t be getting into those regulations in this article.

FDA vs. USDA

The FDA regulates most packaged foods we see on the store shelves. The USDA regulates meat, poultry and egg products, and mixed food products that contain more than three percent raw meat or two percent or more cooked meat or poultry (e.g., soups, chilis, frozen entrees).

While USDA regulated products are encouraged to follow FDA regulations, it is not required. [This is valuable information to know when it comes to reading ingredient lists. More on this later.]

Estimates show that 80% to 90% of USDA products voluntarily comply. If you see a “Contains” statement or other indication of a USDA product, major food allergen will be plainly listed.

FDA & the Top 8 Food Allergens

The FDA’s Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) requires food labels to clearly identify the food source names of all major food allergens used to make the food. They must use the common or usual name of an ingredient [e.g., Modified Food Starch (wheat)} or use a “Contains” statement next to the ingredient list. [e.g., Contains Wheat, and Milk]

What are the major allergens as defined by the FDA?

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish (bass, flounder, cod)
• Crustacean shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
• Peanuts
• Wheat (including all types: durum, spelt, emmer, farina, farro, einkorn)
• Soybeans

Source FDA: http://bit.ly/FDA-Big8

You’ll notice the Top 8 list above only includes wheat. It does not include gluten-containing ingredients barley (malt), rye, or oats*. Fortunately, barley is most commonly listed as “barley," "barley malt," or simply “malt”. Rye is rarely used in a form other than flour and would appear in the ingredient list. 

*Oats (and products that contain them) that are not explicitly certified or labeled gluten-free are off-limits to anyone following a gluten-free diet. They are a high-risk ingredient because they are exposed to substantial amounts of gluten via cross-contact from field to packagings. Oats require additional knowledge and careful consideration.

The Ingredient Label

Nutritional labeling offers up a wealth of valuable information. However, it does not relate to gluten. The ingredient list is our primary area of interest. Here we will find all the ingredients used in the product listed in descending order based on weight. An ingredient weighing the most will be first, and the ingredient weighing the least will appear last.

The ingredient label is your frontline defense in determining the gluten-free status of a product. An important fact to know: FALCPA labeling regulations do not apply to the potential or inadvertent presence of food allergens resulting from cross contact. Cross-contamination of a food or ingredient can occur at harvest, transport, manufacturing, or packaging. Calling the manufacturer may be required not only for ingredient clarification but also to determine manufacturing practices.

Cross-contact and Good Manufacturing Practices

Manufacturers are encouraged [not required] to follow Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP). Part of CGMP means developing and executing food allergen control plans. The plan must address six elements: training of processing and supervisory personnel, segregation of food allergens during storage and handling, validated cleaning procedures for food contact equipment, prevention of cross-contact during processing, product label review and label usage and control, and a supplier control program for ingredients and labels. 

Voluntary Allergen Advisory Statements

“May Contain,” “Processed in the same facility as” or “Processed on the same equipment as” are known as Food Allergen Advisory statements. They are voluntary and are not regulated, unlike the required “Contains” statement for food allergen ingredients. According to the FDA, companies may use advisory statements as long as they are “truthful and not misleading.”

Gluten-free experts and third-party testing tell us Food Allergen Advisory statements are not useful in determining the gluten-free status of a product.

You may find a product labeled “Gluten-Free and/or Wheat-Free” or even bears a GFCO gluten-free certification logo that has a Food Allergen Advisory statement that includes wheat. Yes, this product complies with current FALCPA labeling laws.

For products not certified gluten-free, call the manufacturer to ask questions. Ask about the facilities, the production lines, and their policies, procedures for allergen handling, and testing protocols. If they do not answer the questions to your satisfaction, find another manufacturer with a similar product that does meet your needs.

The Definition of Gluten-Free

As we discussed above, FALCPA does not directly address gluten. Before the FDA could create regulations regarding “gluten-free,” they needed to define what “gluten-free” means. It took ten years for the definition to finalize, but the voluntary gluten-free labeling regulation went into effect August 5th, 2014.

The FDA’s definition of “gluten-free,” “no gluten,” “free of gluten,” or “without gluten” is as follows:

“…the food either is inherently gluten free; or does not contain an ingredient that is: 1) a gluten-containing grain (e.g., spelt wheat); 2) derived from a gluten-containing grain that has not been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat flour); or 3) derived from a gluten-containing grain that has been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat starch), if the use of that ingredient results in the presence of 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten in the food. Also, any unavoidable presence of gluten in the food must be less than 20 ppm.”

Source: http://bit.ly/FDA-QA-GF-Labeling

Notice the last sentence of the definition: "Also, any unavoidable presence of gluten in the food must be less than 20 ppm.” This means cross-contact.

I hear you…

“Whoa, this is confusing and complicated. Isn't there an App?"

Sure, there are several, but we're not covering them in this label reading article. We’re downloading the best app into your brain this very second - it's the knowledge you are acquiring. Labeling reading is a necessary (required) skill if you consume packaged/processed foods. It could mean the difference between sickness and wellness.

Websites, published lists, and apps that report a product's gluten-free status are excellent tools to help narrow down product selection. Please do not use them as the sole means to determine the gluten-free status.

Companies change product ingredients at will, generally without notice. The product label will reflect any ingredient changes. Most companies will refer you to the ingredient list found on the product for the most up to date information. A published list (on paper or electronic form) is only as accurate as its most recent update.

Reading the label. Finally!

1. Look for a third-party gluten-free certification mark - like GFCO's.
   
   1. Gluten-Free Certification Organization requires all finished products and individual ingredients using the GFCO logo contain 10 parts per million or less of gluten.
   2. Know your certification organizations. When companies mark their products as GF it may appear as if they are actually certified. It might simply be a logo from their marketing or package design department.


2. Read the ingredient list. Yes, even certified products. If you see any of following ingredients, the product is not gluten-free.
   1. Wheat (including durum, spelt, emmer, farina, farro, einkorn)
   2. Rye
   3. Barley
   4. Oats (unless certified gluten-free)
   5. Brewer's Yeast
   6. Malt
   7. Ingredients needing verification:
   1. Yeast Extract - this could be a by-product of the beer brewing process. Verify with manufacturer in non-GF labeled products.
   2. Vinegar - FDA defines the single word "vinegar" to mean apple cider vinegar. However through the certification process, GFCO has encountered some usages of malt vinegar labeled as "vinegar". Remember barley/malt is not required to be disclosed. Not a large area of concern, but if you are unfamiliar with a manufacturer or product, it might be a good idea to inquire about the source of their vinegar. Better safe than sorry.



3. USDA Products - Products are not required to comply with FDA's FALCPA regulations. If you see a "Contains" statement (or some other wording) that a package is complying with FALCPA, you know wheat must be declared. If you do not see a "Contains" statement, you'll need to verify the source of these ingredients (they could come from wheat):
1. Starch
2. Food Starch
3. Modified Food Starch
4. Dextrin

Congratulations!

You’ve made it! I hope I’ve increased your knowledge on this multi-layered subject.

Label Reading Resources

Gluten-Free Labels 101 Video Webinar
http://bit.ly/GIG-GFLabels101

Q&A Gluten-Free Labels 101 PDF
http://bit.ly/GIG-QA-GFLabels101

Gluten-Free Label Reading
http://bit.ly/GIG-LabelReading

3 Tips for Gluten-Free Label Reading
http://bit.ly/GIG-3TipsGFLabels

Getting Started on a Gluten-Free Diet
http://bit.ly/GIG-GettingStarted

AllergicLiving.com
Required Reading With Food Allergies or Celiac Disease
By: Gina Clowes
Published: April 1, 2015
Certified master life coach, Gina Clowes offers up some great labeling reading advice.

In the confusing landscape of food labels, assumptions are risky but knowledge is power.

Whether you’re new to the food allergy world or a veteran, there is never a time you can let your guard down.

Read More: http://bit.ly/2H3oPW8

Updates:
04/15/18 - Added AllergicLiving.com article from Gina Clowes

Tags: Label Reading, FDA FALCPA, May Contain Statements, Allergen Advisory Statements

"What temperature is required to destroy gluten?"

This question has been asked countless times over the years. Until now, we have not had any concrete answers.

All too often the gluten-free community runs into restaurants using the same deep frier for gluten items and their gluten-free items. Of course, we know this practice is not acceptable for those requiring truly gluten-free foods, but the uneducated think otherwise.

This study appearing at the International Celiac Symposium 2017 India, shows it's quite difficult to destroy gluten with temperatures used in customary cooking methods. And when it is destroyed, it's not safe to eat [not that gluten is safe to eat in its uncarbonized state...]

Tags: Temperature, Gluten Destruction, Heat

By now, you’ve probably heard the news about the Catholic Church invalidating the use of gluten-free hosts for the sacrament of Holy Communion.

This news has riled up many in the gluten-free community.

It's nothing new and it has been this way for a long time. In the Catholic Church, it is impossible to consecrate anything other than wine (or mustum) and a host made of wheat and water. No priest or bishop can change 2,000 years of tradition and faith.

According to "Celiac Disease and Eucharistic Communion" by Anne Bamberg. The Jurist, 2003, 2001 (61), pp.281-289., the debate began in the 1970s. The large celiac populations of Ireland and Great Britain began asking questions of the Church.

Note from Al: I found Anne Bamberg's article very interesting. I highly recommend it. She describes celiac disease very well and shares some interesting insights into the Catholic faith.

The use of low/no gluten hosts has been reviewed by the Vatican several times over the years.

In 1995, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, takes up the subject in his June 19th letter to the Conference of Bishops.

The Cardinal, again validates low-gluten hosts - invalidates the use of gluten-free hosts. He also states:

"Given the centrality of the celebration of the Eucharist in the life of the priest, candidates for the priesthood who are affected by celiac disease or suffer from alcoholism or similar conditions may not be admitted to holy orders."

Yes, this means someone with celiac disease could not be an ordained priest. The Supreme Pontiff did not approve Cardinal Ratzinger's letter as it failed to seek out a favorable solution for sick or disabled persons.

In 2001, then five-year-old Jenny Richardson and her parents made national headlines for leaving the Catholic Church after Cardinal Bernard Law denied her a rice wafer for her First Communion.

In 2003, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (served as Pope from 2005 to 2013), once again revisits the topic…

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

Circular Letter to all Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences
concerning the use of low-gluten altar breads and mustum
as matter for the celebration of the Eucharist

24 July 2003

89/78 – 17498

To their Eminences / Excellencies
The Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences

Your Eminence / Excellency:

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has been for many years studying how to resolve the difficulties that some of the faithful encounter in receiving Holy Communion when for various serious reasons they are unable to consume normal bread or wine.

A number of documents on this question have been issued in the past in the interest of offering Pastors uniform and sure direction (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Rescriptum, 15 December 1980, in Leges Ecclesiae, 6/4819, 8095-8096; De celebrantis communione, 29 October 1982, in AAS 74, 1982, 1298-1299; Lettera ai Presidenti delle Conferenze Episcopali, 19 June 1995, in Notitiae 31, 1995, 608-610).

In light of the experience of recent years, it has been deemed necessary at this time to return to the topic, taking up the above-mentioned documents and clarifying them wherever necessary.

A. The use of gluten-free hosts and mustum

1. Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist.

2. Low-gluten hosts (partially gluten-free) are valid matter, provided they contain a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread without the addition of foreign materials and without the use of procedures that would alter the nature of bread.

In this letter, Cardinal Ratzinger addresses a gluten-free priest's inability to receive communion, and re-worded his statement about gluten-free candidates seeking Holy Orders

3. A priest unable to receive Communion under the species of bread, including low-gluten hosts, may not celebrate the Eucharist individually, nor may he preside at a concelebration.

4. Given the centrality of the celebration of the Eucharist in the life of a priest, one must proceed with great caution before admitting to Holy Orders those candidates unable to ingest gluten or alcohol without serious harm.

Read the entire letter: http://bit.ly/2vH6I2c

In 2004, eight-year old Haley Waldman of New Jersey, had her First Communion declared invalid because a rice based wafer was used.

As one would imagine, low-gluten (not gluten-free) hosts would be a hot topic for the gluten-free community. The question becomes, how much gluten is in a low-gluten host?

When the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration first created their Low-Gluten Altar Breads, Dr. Alessio Fasano helped test the wafers in 2004. They tested at 100 parts per million. This is 5x more than the FDA currently allows for a gluten-free product.

Ten years later, in 2014, independent testing organization Gluten-Free Watchdog was asked by a subscribing member to test the Benedictine Sisters Low-Gluten wafers. Below are the results…

Gluten-Free Watchdog graciously granted GIG of ECW permission to share the testing results.
Thank you, GFWD for your hard work and dedication to the gluten-free community!
If you're not a subscriber, please consider becoming a member.

How much gluten is safe?

FDA Sets New Food Safety Regulations for Gluten-Free Foods

"Research from the Center has shown that 10 milligrams per day of gluten consumption is a safe level for the vast majority of individuals with celiac disease. This is the equivalent of about one-eighth of a teaspoon of flour, says Center’s registered dietitian Pam Cureton, RD, LDN. “To put it in perspective, you would have to eat about 18 slices of gluten-free bread in one day to reach the daily 10 mg level of gluten consumption,” says Cureton.”

Center for Celiac Research at MGHfC Led Efforts for New Definition
http://bit.ly/2uQzqBk

Yes, they contain more than 20 ppm - 50 ppm and 63 ppm for their respective samples. Nope, not gluten-free by FDA standards, hence the name - low-gluten.

As GFWD points out, parts per million is a ratio. It tells us the amount of gluten per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of food. Knowing the amount of food eaten will determine how much gluten has been consumed.

Testing reveals that a wafer weighs about 33 milligrams and contains .0019 milligrams of gluten.

Gluten-Free Watchdog provides a nice comparative:

A one-ounce slice of bread weighs about 28,350 milligrams.

A one-ounce slice of gluten-free bread (if it contained 19 ppm of gluten aka gluten-free according to FDA regulations) would contain roughly 0.57 milligrams of gluten.

That slice of GF bread could contain 300 times more gluten than one Low-Gluten Communion wafer.


On July 10th, 2017, two days after the Vatican issued their statement, The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri issued their own statement regarding their wafers.

STATEMENT REGARDING “On the bread and wine for the Eucharist” LETTER SENT BY VATICAN AND MADE PUBLIC JULY 8, 2017

(CLYDE, Mo.) - The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri, have made Vatican-approved, low-gluten altar breads since 2004. These breads have been tested by independent laboratories and deemed safe for use by many people with Celiac Sprue Disease.

The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration were the first U.S. low-gluten altar bread producers approved by the Vatican. As early as the 1990s, the Benedictine Sisters started receiving requests for gluten-free hosts. With support from the Office of Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Benedictine Sisters produced a host compliant with the requirements of Canon Law and suitable for thousands of low-gluten customers around the world. These sales began in 2004, and the wafers have been approved by the USCCB for use in all U.S. dioceses.

The Benedictine Sisters are the largest religious producers of altar breads in the United States, making almost 9 million hosts each month. The low-gluten breads are produced in a separate facility in order to prevent cross-contamination. The low-gluten breads are made from water and wheat starch that has had most of the gluten removed.

In 2004 Dr. Alessio Fasano, at the time director of the the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland*, maintained that the amount of gluten contained in one of the Benedictine Sisters’ low-gluten altar breads (tested at < .01 percent) was so minute that someone diagnosed with Celiac Sprue Disease would have to consume 270 wafers daily in order to reach the danger point. A test done in 2016 indicated the gluten content was even more minimal - less than .001 percent.

There are some people who are so sensitive to gluten that even the tiniest amount can cause discomfort. The Benedictine Sisters follow the recommendation set forth by the USCCB that those with such a serious gluten sensitivity discuss their condition with their pastor or Eucharistic minister. If the parish offers a separate chalice for Celiac sufferers, he or she may partake only of the Blood of Christ. It's best to avoid chalices that are used by those digesting regular altar breads because cross-contamination may occur.

More information about the Benedictine Sisters’ low-gluten breads can be found at https://altarbreadsbspa.com/low-gluten-use-storage/.

*Dr. Fasano is now with the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

For more information, please contact one of the following:

Tim Stiff, Altar Bread Manager

(660) 944-2227 or (800) 223-2772

tim.stiff@benedictinesisters.org



Sister Ruth Elaine Starman, OSB, BSPA General Councilor

(660) 944-2227 or (800) 223-2772

ruth.starman@gmail.com

Source: http://bit.ly/2gRaZh1

You may have noticed above I bolded "A test done in 2016 indicated the gluten content was even more minimal - less than .001 percent" .

I completely missed that upon my first read through. It's a very important sentence to the gluten-free community. The Sisters use decimal percentage numbers in their communiques instead of parts per million. For those "mathematically challenged" individuals (yeah, that's me alright!), it doesn't sink in too well.

If we do the math (What?!?! I was told there'd be no math!), we find that .001% of gluten is really…drumroll please…10 parts per million. TA DA!

On July 18th, Center for Celiac Research and Treatment issued their response in a video.

Dr. Alessio Fasano:

"…provided there is some form of wheat in the wafer - no matter how much - that would be valid for communion. That’s the reason why the Benedictine Nuns produced these wafers that has 10 parts per million and they’re safe - so that definitely you have to be [?extremely religious? hard to make out those two words] to be over the threshold - in other words you’d have to take hundreds of those to be in trouble. Nothing has changed."

Pam Cureton, RD, LDN:

“The wafers - that the Benedictine Sisters when they first started producing them in 2004, they were 100 parts per million. But in a recent letter they sent out on this subject, they have retested their wafers and they are less than 10 parts per million - so completely safe for those with celiac disease."

As I was watching this "disturbance in the force" play out, I was becoming more and more disheartened. People were upset with the Church, people were upset with organized religion in general. I was seeing a lot of stone casting, but no one focused on "How much gluten constitutes a low-gluten wafer?"

Making choices about ones diet is a personal matter. Factor in a spiritual practice, and it complicates the matter exponentially.

If you're not the religious type, this situation may not make much sense to you. That's fine, this is not your issue to tackle. Please feel free to move on to a more suitable topic.

If you are the religious type, particularly Catholic, this situation was likely to induce some level of stress.

Sometimes, difficult decisions must be made. I share these facts neither in-favor-of nor opposition-to, but in an effort to help others make an informed decision.

We now know a low-gluten wafer contains magnitudes less gluten than a slice of gluten-free bread.

We now know the wafers from The Benedictine Sisters might very well qualify for GFCO certification (made in a dedicated GF facility and less than 10 parts per million of gluten).

I hope these facts make it easier for someone to reconcile this conundrum.


Alan Klapperich - Branch Manager
GiG of East Central Wisconsin
GIG.EastCentralWisconsin@gluten.org
http://gigofecw.org/
http://facebook.com/gigofecw

Tags: Low-Gluten Hosts, Communion

Original article appeared in our September 2016 Newsletter.

Alan Klapperich
Gluten Intolerance Group of East Central Wisconsin



It takes us to work, hauls the kids to school, and totes our groceries. It’s subjected to scorching heat, freezing ice, and every kind of weather in between. Without it, life would be a lot more complicated. I present to you the ubiquitous automobile.

Once considered a toy for the rich and powerful, mass production methods made cars available to the general population. Since the early 1900s, this piece of machinery changed not only how we travel, but life as we know it.

There’s no denying the call of the open road. The 4 million miles of public roads in the United States offer a freedom that’s hard to match.

Most of us have childhood memories of that thing we call a “family vacation.” It involves piling everyone and only their “most essential” belongings into the family vehicle for the seemingly never-ending cross-country trek to somewhere or some obscure relative.

Traveling is one of the challenges we encounter in the gluten-free lifestyle. Leaving the safety of your home can be unsettling - even for the most experienced. With a little planning and some creativity, we can make it a trip we remember for a lifetime.

Traveling by car/van/Wagon Family Truckster/Vista Cruiser is not the fastest mode of transportation, but it’s readily accessible, the most economical, and indeed the most flexible method.

Arrive two hours before departure. Stand in endless lines. Put up with ill-tempered TSA agents eagerly waiting to do full body searches. Pay for going six ounces over the fifty-pound weight limit for luggage. Fahgettaboudit - we’re calling the shots - we’re traveling on our terms. Heck, we can take 50 pounds of shoes if we want! However, we’ll be using our space more effectively by toting 45 pounds of food and only 5 pounds of shoes. Hey, we gotta be comfortable walking around the world’s largest ball of twine, right?

A successful trip starts before you even insert the key into the ignition. Planning is an essential part of the equation - it’s even more critical on a gluten-free road trip.

I’m going to assume you’ve already had your vehicle checked over and verified its road-worthiness. No one wants a breakdown on the way Neillsville, WI to see Chatty Belle, the world’s largest talking cow.

Are you ready to start your gluten-free road trip? Let’s go!

Create an Itinerary.

Plan Your Meals and Snacks.


Stocking Your Mobile Pantry.


Cooler Hand Luke or Have Cooler Will Travel.


Pack Your Cooler Like a Gluten-Free Boss.


Organize Your Dry Snacks.



Non-Food Stuff.






Simple On the Go foods:



Hopefully these hints and tips have inspired you to plan your next great gluten-free adventure.

Tags: Road Trip, Coolers, Travel, Dining, Snacks, Food