[concerned lady]

When I was at one of my favorite health food stores in the Denver area (Vitamin Cottage), I was looking at their various nuts and dried fruits, that their own warehouse folks had re-packaged into smaller plastic bags, from the original big packages. I recently noticed that there was a warning, in very tiny print, on each smaller plastic bag, saying:

"Made in a Plant that processes peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat (gluten), and milk products." I was surprised, and then annoyed!

This was really so sad, because almonds and dates, etc., start out being gluten-free, but they are getting cross contaminated with gluten, by the health food store people putting them into smaller plastic bagged packages, in the same room that they re-pack glutenous grains & flours in, for each of their branch stores!

I doubt I can convince them (Vitamin Cottage) to run their re-packaging operation in a different way, so now I'm looking for gluten-free, milk-free sources of raw, organic, unsalted almonds, cashews, pecans, other nuts, dates, black mission figs, raisins, etc.

Anybody know some truly gluten-free, milk-free, uncontaminated sources of various nuts & dried fruits? (organic, unsalted, unsulphured)

Carol
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[concerned lady]

Hi All!

One reason I'm looking for truly g-f nuts, is so that I can try Dr. Fine's ice cream substitute, called "Frozen Nut Butter".

Dr. Fine's nurse manager, from his EnteroLab, emailed the recipe to me. Here's what she emailed me:
-----------------

"Dear Carol,

Here is the recipe that Dr. Fine provided to the hotel during the conference. Enjoy!

Frozen Nut Butter

Recipe: Any nut butter (almond, pecan, macadamia, or walnut).

Take nuts, cover in purified water and cover in glass containter for 12 hours.

Pour off water and rinse once.

Add ½ as much purified water as nuts by volume and add dates or honey (2 dates per 1-1½ cups butter or 1 Tablespoon honey for sweetening). Blend into butter.

Then sweeten to taste, but not too sweet.

Freeze and serve over fruit.


Most sincerely,
Phyllis Zermeno, RN, BSN
Clinical Manager
http://www.enterolab.com

"Intestinal Health... and Beyond!" conference DVD is now available at
https://shop.kennydavinfine.com/

Carol
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[mrsD]

With the new stricter labeling laws...

that is the statement you will find on many foods now.

There is a program, on the Science Channel called How It IS MADE...

and I have watched it some. You can see the dust that grows from making
crackers, coucous..etc. There are very few plants that can afford a
dedicated building that processes NOTHING else. The costs of those machines
are just so high!

Penicillin for example is made in a separate building at the drug companies, because minute amounts leak almost everywhere. And penicillin is so allergenic that this isolation is a must. And all good drug companies now have dedicated buildings for sterile products, for the same reasons. I can recall many years ago seeing in tours, just one corner or floor dedicated to sterile products.
But no longer!

So when it comes to cross contamination with foods...it will be harder and harder to prove...rigid GF standards, I predict! I suspect we eat far more crosscontaminated foods than we ever suspect!

[concerned lady]

Hi Mrs. D.!

Thanks! You're probably right!

I wonder if I might have to order from actual nut & fruit growers, themselves, that is, if they would even accept a reasonable sized order from an individual (me).

And, are their nuts & dried fruits possibly handled by people who just ate a glutenous meal?

And, are their nuts & dried fruits originally packaged away from glutenous foods?

I think I'll email Dr. Fine, at his EnteroLab, and ask him what HIS sources are, for the nuts & dried fruits he eats. I hope he'll have a helpful answer!

If anyone else has any ideas, let me know.

Carol
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[jamietwo]

I still buy my organic nuts and dried fruits from the bulk bins at Whole Foods, and I often buy a case of, say raisins or walnuts, when its on sale. I like to think buying by the case protects us? If not, nuts and dried fruits can at least be washed!

[diamondheart]

Hey Carol,

I didn't know you are in Denver? I live in Boulder! A gal I took a GF baking class from in Boulder asked Vitamin Cottage about their bulk items. Vitamin Cottage can't guarantee that they are gluten free. That's why I'm now buying from Bob's Red Mill for flours, but I don't know about nuts and dried fruits. I can't eat nuts right now, so that's not really an issue for me.

Anyhoo, nice to see another Front Ranger here!

Claire

[RathyKay]

Originally Posted by concerned lady

I wonder if I might have to order from actual nut & fruit growers, themselves, that is, if they would even accept a reasonable sized order from an individual (me).

And, are their nuts & dried fruits possibly handled by people who just ate a glutenous meal?

I grew up in Georgia. My parents still live there and my mom drives to a nearby town to buy pecans directly from the growers. I think she usually buys 25 pounds in one pound bags. I know my aunt in Kansas has them ship directly to her. I have to say, I would not worry about them packaging on the same lines as gluten products. But, I'm not sure about the possibility of the nut handlers having just eaten a glutenous meal.

[concerned lady]

Thanks, everyone!

Jamietwo:

I would use the bulk bins at Wild Oats, but they are very expensive, compared to Vitamin Cottage. And, though less expensive, Vitamin Cottage re-packs their nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and flours, all in the same room---so I have to wonder if the same scoops ever get used first for glutenous grains, and then, for all the other items, thereby cross contaminating all the other food items with gluten!
-----------------

Claire/Diamondheart:

Good to hear that you're in the front range too! Email me at fsds@rkymtnhi.com and we can share phone numbers, to yak, since I'm up in the Winter Park area (used to live in Boulder a long time ago). Sorry you can't have nuts right now.
--------------------

RathyKay:

Sounds like a good idea, to go directly to growers (unless they munch on glutenous food, before packing up the nuts & fruits!). Not possible here, since no one grows organic nuts in CO, that I know of.
------------------

Everybody!:

I was delighted today, when I got an email response from Dr. Fine, M.D. (gastroenterologist who owns EnteroLab, with website at http://www.finerhealth.com ), saying that he's in the process right now, of starting up an organic facility, to sell guess what! Yes,-- organically grown, gluten-free, raw, unsalted nuts & dried fruits! (not sure if seeds are included or not)

Here's a link to Dr. Fine's new website:
www.theorganicalternative.com

Dr. Fine's new facility "will be doing exactly
as you [I] request without any gluten-containing products, or even grains
being dealt with. Peanuts either for that matter...."

His website says that the prices will be 20%-50% lower than health food stores' high prices. Dr. Fine is eliminating middlemen, in order to avoid gluten contamination. There are no bulk bins open to the public.

In his website, it says, "All food is Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Meat-free".

We'll be able to order "online", and have the organic, gluten-free foods shipped to our doors!

Wow! Who'd of thunk it! This is exciting news! Reminds me of Tinkyada, the gluten-free company in Canada that has a dedicated gluten-free brown rice pasta factory! The difference is that Dr. Fine's facility will be a distributor of many company's nuts & dried fruits.

Carol
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[mrsD]

That is very good news!

You know factories/processing plants are typically huge, and may
do many things next to each other. Having a dedicated plant, it is the best
way.

Thanks for that link!

[jamietwo]

Woo hoo! When will it open?