It seems gluten-free is everywhere these days. Most of us probably know at least one person who has taken gluten (a wheat protein) out of their diet, whether for medical reasons or as part of a diet-health craze. Personally, I know 3 people who are gluten-free because of celiac disease. I have, myself, experimented with removing gluten from my diet because of suspicions about digestion issues when I eat certain foods. 

Ten years ago, gluten awareness was almost non-existent as it was considered to be mostly a ‘European problem.’ But today it would be impossible not to know what gluten-free or celiac disease meant. And many food companies big or small are investing capitol to jump on this gluten bandwagon. General Mills has recently reformulated their iconic Chex cereal to be gluten-free; an enormous undertaking that is turning out to be very profitable for the manufacturer.  

In a recent New York Times article, “Should We All Go Gluten-Free?”  Keith O’Brien, a celiac diagnosed freelance writer, reports:

“Food companies are always trying to take advantage of the latest dietary trend or health craze. (Low carb, anyone?) But the story of how we got to a place where celiac disease is suddenly mainstream, prevalence rates are rising, perfectly healthy people are opting to eat gluten-free and General Mills is coveting these customers is an especially unlikely business narrative.”

The article goes on to explain how a 2003 study by Dr. Alessio Fasano, from the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, could have been the catalyst that began our country’s gluten awareness. In this American based study, 1 in every 133 people had celiac disease. If you were related to someone with celiac then the rate was 1 in 22. Fasano estimates that 18 million Americans have some degree of gluten sensitivity…18 million! Now, that’s a market.

O’Brien further explains the market demand by sighting a study by Dr. Joseph A. Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. He found that young people today are 5 times more likely to have celiac disease. There seems to be no end in sight; we haven’t even hit the top of the barrel yet.

Which lead us to the question, has gluten-free foods hit their limit in the market place? Will their higher price tags eventually get consumers turned off the trend, or is it truly a recession proof food?

Here at RL Food Testing Laboratory, we have witnessed this impressive trend over the past few years. As our Senior Chemist, Roger Legg explains, “There’s been a tremendous increase of companies that make gluten-free products requesting nutrition analysis and other services needed to go to retail. And we have seen no signs of this trend losing any momentum.”

O’Brien’s findings seem to support our trend observations, as he shows:

• Niche companies like Amy’s Kitchen, Glutino, Enjoy Life, Bob’s Red Mill and Udi’s Gluten Free Foods are reporting incredible growth.
• Anheuser-Busch introduced Redbridge, a gluten-free beer, in 2006.
• Kellogg rolled out gluten-free Rice Krispies this year.
• Frito-Lay and Post Foods began gluten-free labeling this past year.
• General Mills reformulated their Rice Chex to remove gluten.
• Betty Crocker has brought gluten-free cake mixes to the market.

So, why would all these big manufacturers invest the capitol and man power to bring gluten-free products to market? And with the potential danger involved with stating gluten-free on the food label, why would a company want to take the risk of a possible recall?

The NY Times article explains:

• According to a recent Nielsen report on consumer trends, the volume of gluten-free products sold in the past year is up 37%.
• It’s reported by Spins, a market-research-and-consulting firm for the natural-products industry, that the gluten-free market is a $6.3 billion industry and growing, up 33% since 2009.

And remember the iconic General Mills cereal that recently went gluten-free? Well, retail sales for Chex were up 29% in their Q1 of their 2012 fiscal year – alone.

Not bad for a niche product in a recession economy.  As O’Brien says, “It’s the golden age of gluten-free.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Probably, but read on.

If you plan on selling prepackaged items in a retail environment, then you need to have a UPC label for each product that has differentiating attributes (different size, flavors). All retailers (mass merchants, grocery stores, health food stores) require a UPC code, which is the only code that can be scanned at the register.

There are some instances when the food manufacturer is not responsible for providing the UPC. For example: UPC codes for products that are variable weight or bulk food items (meat, poultry, pre-made salads) are usually made by the stores.

UPC codes are one of the most forgotten items that we see new food business overlook prior to taking their products to a retailer. And unfortunately, this could potentially be a costly mistake – as labels might have to be reprinted to include the UPC code.

So what is it? UPC stands for Universal Product Code and it consists of two parts: 12 numbers and a scan-able bar code made up of black and white stripes.

The first six numbers of the twelve are unique to the manufacturer or vendor and should be the same through all of the product line.

The next five numbers are unique to that product’s attributes.

The last number is a check digit – a way to ensure that the right numbers were scanned. How the check number is determined is a mathematical marvel and quite frankly, makes my head explode. According to Wikipedia, it is a process of adding the odd numbered digits, multiplying by 3, and then adding the even numbered digits, calculating the modula and subtracting from 10. I had you until modula, right? Simply put for us common folk…it checks to make sure the scan is right. When you have trouble scanning an item at the register, chances are the check digit is reading that something is wrong and kicks it back.

The scan-able barcode has different widths of black and white stripes assigned to each number on either the right or left side of the middle.

Although UPC codes come in different total numbers, for instance an 8 digit UPC code could be used for a smaller item; the standard 12 digit UPC is the most predominantly used in the United States.

Other Types:

A Master Carton UPC code or GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) maybe needed for your cases that will ship to a retailer’s warehouse. This number is typically your UPC code with 4 digits added that represent your pack quantity or how many items are in your master carton.

An EAN (European Article Number) is a code used when products ship from another country and uses an extra digit to represent their counties code. Products from the US can us their UPC codes, as our country code is 00.

Have you had any problems with UPC codes? Maybe a big retailer was ready to buy your goods and you had to rush to get your UPC labels made – click on the comment button below and share your story.

Or, did you just realize that you need UPC labels? Well, we can help with that…click here for more information.

Because too much sodium can lead to kidney disease, stroke, heart disease or even congestive heart failure. “How does this happen?” you ask. Well, if you consume too much sodium, then your body won’t be able to naturally get rid of it through your kidneys and it will be stored in your blood. This makes your body hold water, which increases blood volume, which makes your heart work harder to pump and increases your blood pressure. Chronic exposure to this whole routine can eventually lead to those scary health risks, as mentioned above.

“I don’t use that much salt!” you protest. You probably use more than you are aware of, considering that just one teaspoon of table salt has about 2,300 mg of sodium. A pinch here and there can really add up. Keep in mind that the average adult should consume no more than 2,300 mg a day (1,500 mg a day for those 51 and over, or if you already have kidney disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.)

Even if you don’t add table salt to your food, the majority of the average 3,400 mg of sodium a day that is consumed through processed foods. According to a 2009 report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) 75% of the sodium consumption comes from eating processed foods. Sodium is used in foods for flavor and seasoning, but also as a preservative and curing agent it can play a critical role in food safety and extending shelf-life. Sodium can also enhance physical attributes of food, such as consistency, texture and shape.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 40% of daily sodium intake comes from grain-based products (breads, cakes, cookies, crackers) and that 30% comes from processed meat products (bacon, sausage, lunch meat, chicken, fish).

The FDA wants to help Americans reduce their sodium consumption and they are looking for input on how to do it. Are any companies already having success with sodium reduction efforts? What is the current understanding amongst Americans with regards to the harmful effects of too much sodium in their diets? And what would motivate us to reduce our intake of sodium? Comments must be submitted by November 29, 2011.

Are you a food manufacturer and would like to look for ways to reduce the sodium levels in your foods? Some food labs will look for ways to reduce your final sodium levels. For more information, you can contact Roger Legg, our Senior Chemist at Roger@rlfoodtestinglaboratory.com .

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that you should have less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. If you are over 51 or have some health concerns such as high blood pressure or diabetes, then the recommended amount is 1,500 mg a day.

The Mayo Clinic reports that Americans consume an average of 3,400 mg of sodium a day. Most of which comes from processed foods. So how can you be ‘salt savvy’ when shopping? They recommend that you read the food label and understand what the following FDA mandated nutritional claims mean:

Sodium-free: less than 5 mg per serving

Very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving

Low sodium: 140 mg or less per serving

Reduced Sodium: Sodium has been reduced by 25% from regular version

Light in Sodium: Sodium has been reduced by 50% from regular version

Unsalted: Doesn’t mean “sodium-free”, just hasn’t had any salt added to the processing

Watch out for the total number of servings and be realistic with how many servings you will eat.  Also, just because a food declares reduced or light in sodium, doesn’t mean it is low sodium. The Mayo Clinic sights that, “regular canned chicken noodle soup contains about 1,100 mg of sodium per cup, so a product with 25 percent less sodium still has a whopping 820 mg of sodium per cup.”

The FDA defined nutritional claims are helpful in determining which food items are best for your sodium conscious diet, but do not solely rely on them to make the best choice – read the nutrition fact panel label, too.

This request is prompted by a number of inquiries that FNS has received from schools regarding their current access to nutrition information and ingredient lists.

Information must be submitted on or before 11/17/2011 at: http://www.regulations.gov.

FDA regulations include: proper identification of product, net quantity statement (how much is in the container), manufacturers name and address and a proper list of ingredients.

Many states requirements include: product name (governed by four AAFCO rules regarding percentages of named ingredient in the total product), guaranteed analysis, nutritional adequacy statement, feeding directions and a calorie statement – all of which are dictated by the AAFCO.

Other label claim regulations to be aware of are the terms “natural” and “organic”. The AAFCO has developed a definition and guidelines for what types of ingredients can be considered “natural.” There are currently no rules governing the term “organic’” but the USDA is currently working on establishing what kind of synthetic additives can be in pet food that is labeled “organic.”

Before you print your labels, know the federal and state laws that you will need to comply with, it could save you from an unnecessary costly reprint.

The Yale study found that parents were often mislead with sometimes ‘questionable’ health claims on children’s cereals – thinking that they were more nutritious than in actuality.

Ever wonder what is in your favorite foods? People getting their favorite foods tested for allergens and purity claims is a growing trend that we see, because you just never know… lobster might not be in the lobster salad.

Also up for comments is the FDA’s report titled, “Health Hazard Assessment for Effects of Gluten Exposure in Individuals with Celiac Disease: Determination of Tolerable Daily Intake Levels and Levels of Concern for Gluten” (“Gluten Report”).   Comments are requested on whether or not this assessment should affect the final definition of Gluten-Free.

The comment period will end 10/03/2011.

Our very own Roger Legg, Senior Nutrition Chemist at RL Food Testing Laboratories, explains, “There are two common criteria for classifying different grades or purity of olive oil: fatty acid percentage, u.v. absorbance at two wavelengths 232 and 270 nm and a calculated delta K value. Based on these results from laboratory testing a company can make a claim about the purity.”

Do you have more questions about Olive Oil testing? Email Roger at roger@rlfoodtestinglaboratory.com