GF Cereals

[RosebudMama]

I read something by another celiac family indicating that a bunch of "normal" cereals are GF...

Trix
Fruity Pepples
Captain Crunch

At the store today, I picked up a box of Captain Crunch to read the label and it has OAT FLOUR listed as an ingredient. After seeing that, I didn't bother reading any other labels -- short on time...

Am I missing something? I wouldn't think OAT FLOUR was GF unless it was derived specifically from certified GF oats. In which case, I don't think Captain Crunch would have been on sale for $2.00.

Aside from the Chex line, ARE there any other "regular" GF cereals?

Thanks

[momtojess]

I had not heard of the Captain Crunch,.... but I do know coco pebbles, fruity pebbles, and trix (balls not shapes) are gluten free.

[aklap]

There's not much "mainstream" cereal that's GF. Cap'n Crunch is not GF. You are correct about the oat flour not coming from pure, uncontaminated oats.

Trix - appears to be GF by ingredient. This probably won't be classified as GF by General Mills due to the fact that it's not run on dedicated lines.

Dora the Explorer at one time was GF by ingredient. I don't know if it is any more.

I suppose it could be considered mainstream - Barbara's Honey Rice Puffins, Puffin's Multigrain , Brown Rice Crisps (like Rice Krispies), Corn Flakes (Organic) are GF (http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/barbarasbakery/specialdiet.d2w/report?diet=glutenfree). I had to ask them about the Multigrain Puffins due to their use of oats:

Hi Al,

Thank you for taking the time to send us an e-mail inquiring about our
New Puffin's Multigrain cereal.

Due to increased consumer inquiries requesting that we add gluten free
choices to our product line, we have responded by introducing the
Puffins Multigrain cereal which is made with gluten free oats.

We have also added the Honey Rice Puffins to the list because, although
they are not made in a gluten free facility, we now do extensive testing
of the product for traces of gluten.

Because gluten free oats are not widely available we are unable to use
them as an ingredient for the entire Puffins family of cereals.

We hope this information helps you out with your dietary needs.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions
or concerns. We hope you will continue to enjoy our products in
excellent health!


Regards,


Kathy Zorn
Technical Services Coordinator
Weetabix North America
Barbara's Bakery Division

[Darryl]

There are companies that certify that their oats are not cross-contaminated and therefore GF. There have been studies published showing that oats may still raise the celiac antibodies, but I think when I read those studies they did not seem conclusive.

We asked our GI, and she said that we could try the GF oats but she'd want dd to eat them at least a few times then do a celiac panel test 3 months later rather than annually. Given the choice, dd preferred to not give it a try.

[aklap]

Yeah, oats have been controversial for some time. However, I think it's becoming clearer that pure, uncontaminated GF oats are acceptable for most people. If DD is not comfortable with trying them, that's an acceptable option too. ;)

Here's what the Chicago Celiac Disease center has to say about oats:

http://www.celiacdisease.net/gluten-free-diet

A note about oats: Historically, oats were not recommended because it was thought that avenin (the storage protein found in oats) was also toxic to gluten-intolerant individuals. However, recent research in Europe and the US has described that oats are well-tolerated by most children and adults when consumed in moderation and do not contribute to abdominal symptoms, nor prevent intestinal healing.

PLEASE NOTE: regular, commercially available oats are frequently contaminated with wheat or barley. However, "pure, uncontaminated" oats have recently become available from several companies in the US and Canada. These companies' process oats in dedicated facilities and their oats are tested for purity. Pure, uncontaminated oats can be consumed safely in quantities < 1 cup per day. It is important that you talk to your physician and your registered dietitian prior to starting oats.



Tricia Thompson, MS/RD [aka The Gluten Free Dietitian] has blog entry about GF oats (http://www.diet.com/dietblogs/read_blog.php?title=Finding+Gluten-Free+Oats&blid=13541).



Consumption of pure oats by individuals with celiac disease: A position statement by the Canadian Celiac Association (2007)

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2658132&tool=pmcentrez

Abstract
The treatment of celiac disease is a strict adherence to a gluten-free diet for life. In the past, oats were considered to be toxic to individuals with celiac disease and were not allowed in a gluten-free diet. However, recent evidence suggests that oats that are pure and uncontaminated with other gluten-containing grains, if taken in limited quantities, are safe for most individuals with celiac disease. For adults, up to 70 g (1/2 to 3/4 cup) of oats per day and for children, up to 25 g (1/4 cup) per day are safe to consume.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following guidelines are recommended when starting oats in the diet of a patient with celiac disease:

The patient?s celiac disease should be well controlled on a gluten-free diet and the patient should have no gastrointestinal complaints.

It is recommended that adults receive no more than 50 g to 70 g (1/2 to 3/4 cup) of dry rolled oats daily and children receive no more than 20 g to 25 g (1/4 cup) of pure, uncontaminated oats daily.

The fibre content of an oat-containing diet is often higher than the typical gluten-free diet. When adding oats to the diet, individuals may experience a change in stool pattern or mild gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal bloating and flatulence. These symptoms should resolve within a few days.

There are case reports of individuals with celiac disease relapsing with the consumption of pure uncontaminated oats. Patients should be warned of this possibility. They should discontinue the oats and contact their physician if symptoms persist.

The physician or a dietitian should review the diet to ensure that the patient is not consuming foods that contain gluten.

Screening with an immunoglobulin A-tissue transglutaminase or immunoglubulin A-endomysial antibody may not identify the rare patient who reacts to oats. These tests are not sufficiently sensitive for detecting ?mild? dietary indiscretions, especially over a short period of challenge; ie, less than 100 mg to 1000 mg of gluten per day. A positive endomysial antibody or tissue transglutaminase will help confirm oats sensitivity but a negative one will not exclude oats sensitivity.

It is worthwhile to rechallenge patients if they wish to try oats again. Development of symptoms at the time of the second challenge would strongly suggest intolerance to oats. Extensive patient research suggests intolerance to oats occurs but is rare. The mechanism for this is unknown.


Here's the list of the GF oat producers:

Only Oats (http://onlyoats.com/index)
Bob's Red Mill (http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=4075&cat=123&page=1)
Glutenfreeoats.com (http://glutenfreeoats.com/)
Gifts Of Nature (http://giftsofnature.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=GON&Category_Code=CGFO)
Creamhill Estates (http://creamhillestates.com/)