Tests have found levels of gluten above the limits for foods labelled gluten free in Virani Gram Flour. This is the 2kg pack size, with a best before date of July 2013 (batch code BBE July 2013 010).

Perhaps Natco and Virani have the same supplier for gram flour?

Whatever the cause, the levels of gluten mean that this product can no longer be labelled gluten free. Do bear in mind that the labelling laws have recently changed, and that the ingredient of gram flour is naturally gluten free.

Michelle (Foodsmatter) has brought together a wide range of expertise and interests: allergy bloggers, chefs, nutritionists, product development experts, food writers and foodies, journalists, and more. And it was fascinating to see the different perspectives on each product. Some people were concerned about the nutritional value; others about the taste; some about whether the product managed to serve multiple allergy-groups; others about whether it was innovative and moving the free from sector forward.

We tasted blind, which resulted in some surprises when the manufacturers were revealed. And tasting a wide range of different products in the same category at the same time isn’t something that you do regularly – unless, I suppose you work in product development, or get to participate in this kind of judging activity. Gluten free food is just too expensive to buy lots of different varieties at the same time! So that too was a surprising exercise (for me, at least).

And valuable: I came across some products which were new to me, which I shall definitely be buying for my daughter to try in the future. I can’t tell you which – or even which category – as we’ve been sworn to secrecy at least until the shortlist comes out in about ten days time. Check the Free From Food Awards site after 17th February to see who has been shortlisted – and I will let you know who are the eventual winners after the awards ceremony in April.

However, if you are part of a coeliac group – or even if you just know a few other gluten-free people – it might be worth running a tasting event yourselves, on a smaller scale. How about picking a category, and asking everyone to bring a different brand? Then prepare the products, and have a tasting session!

We did this with gluten free pizza once, when I ran a support group for coeliac children – about a decade ago now – and it was fun, though it did turn into a bit of a pizza festival for the children. You could do the same exercise with whatever you fancy, to get the chance to directly compare different products, maybe discover some new favourites – and have a chat about living gluten free at the same time.

Let me know what you discover – and do remember to look out for the Free From Food Awards shortlist this month and the winners in the spring. You might also want to check out Michelle’s FreeFromFoodsMatter site where you will find details of hundreds of gluten-free foods.

This seems to have happened in the case of Natco Gluten Free Gram Flour, in which in one batch, levels of gluten have been found that are above the limits for foods labelled gluten-free.

This is the 2kg pack, best before October 2012 (batch code: 110420 BN0509). No other Natco products are known to be affected.

If you’ve bought this product, don’t use it, and contact the company to find out how to return it.

More information on the Food Standards Agency site – and you can visit the Natco site. The 2kg pack is not available via that site today, but you should be able to find some contact details.

Don’t let this put you off gram flour, which is naturally gluten free, being made from ground chana dal (a kind of yellow split pea).

I confess I didn’t; I suppose, if anything, I’d assumed it was lots of salad… very healthy, very crunchy, but perhaps not very exciting.

However, I’ve just received a pack of crisps and brownies from Gourmet Raw, and they are delicious – and definitely gourmet! How wrong can you be?

The brownies come in various flavours – I loved the mint one best, closely followed by hazelnut, while my husband and son preferred the orange flavour. These are a little like eating chocolate truffles: rich, squodgy and very, very more-ish. Whichever the favourite, though, they’re all gone!

Some of them are carob brownies – not chocolate. I’ve always liked the taste of carob, but it can be a surprise if you’re expecting the taste of chocolate, so bear that in mind. Others are cacao (which goes into chocolate and cocoa). The range of flavours are: cacao cashew, cacao cocobanana, cacao mint, carob hazelnut, carob orange. Yum!

We were sent 3 flavours of crisps, too: spicy Thai, red pepper and beetroot. Given that these are raw foods (nothing cooked over 40.5C), you’ll be asking how these can possibly be crisps… and of course they’re not slices of potato cooked in high-temperature fat!

The red pepper ones, for example, are sprouted buckwheat, flaxseed, fresh red pepper, smoked paprika and lime compressed somehow into slim squares just right for dipping into your favourite dip (the red pepper ones + hummous get my vote).

I was less keen on the beetroot ones, but then I’ve never been a big fan of beetroot. However, since I’m a grown-up now, I did try them – and helped to finish the pack, too! I might even nerve up and try beetroot as a vegetable…

Gourmet Raw are based in Shepton Mallet, but you can buy their products from a range of stockists in the south of England – or from their online shop. And they’ve kindly provided a voucher code for you: if you quote GR004 when you buy from their online shop, you’ll get 10% off. I earn a small commission if you use this code too, so it’s good for both of us, and you get to try some excellent gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free treats.

Plus, they’re vegan. We had a gluten-free vegan friend visit us at the weekend, and I really wished I’d saved some for her – but we hadn’t been able to resist! Next time I’ll have to order some in specially for her…

If you are reading this blog, then likely you or a loved one has gluten sensitivity. Chances are, though, that you are unaware of all the different kinds of health conditions that are associated with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. Here is a list of conditions and disorders that you may not have realized are associated with a gluten sensitivity or allergy.

1. Blood deficiencies.
   An inability to absorb gluten is associated with a deficiency in many vitamins and minerals in the blood. You need to visit your doctor to take a blood test and determine if you need to start a supplemental regimen. The deficiencies range from Vitamin A to Zinc.
2. Addison’s Disease.
   People with celiac disease are 11x more likely to develop Addison’s Disease according to a Swedish study. Addison’s disease is when the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones causing symptoms similar to IBS, which brings me to my next point.
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
   Symptoms of IBS include bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. If you experience discomfort often during the month, you should see your doctor to see if IBS is responsible.
4. Fibromyalgia.
   IBS is found in 30-70% of fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia can have many symptoms that range from chronic pain and fatigue to episodes of extreme pain. There are many support groups, such as the FMS Community, that help those suffering from this illness find support.
5. Arthritis.
   Anti-connective tissue antibodies are found in increased numbers in patients with celiac disease. Arthritis is becoming more and more manageable with new drugs on the market.

As with any kind of diet or disease that affects the nutrients you receive from food, there can be widespread effects throughout your body. Don’t let this list scare you into thinking that you have any of these conditions. Talk to your doctor about your concerns in terms of your health and s/he will help you.

Lastly, living gluten-free can be a very manageable lifestyle. You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods like bread or pasta. You can buy a gluten free bread maker, gluten free flour or gluten free pasta. There are many of us living without gluten and our community can provide a lot of support.

Thanks Julia!

Julia Wisniewski has been living with Fibromyalgia her whole life. She blogs for Bready, the gluten free bread machine company, about her experiences with FM and living without gluten for GF communities. In her free time, she likes to read and her guilty pleasure is reality TV.