2008-12-03 03:36:02 -

www.glutino.com - The President of North America"s leading gluten-free company commented this week on a two part investigative series on food labeling and food manufacturing oversight entitled "Allergy Threat: A Tribune Investigation (Chicago Tribune Nov. 21 and Nov. 23, 2008).
"Consumers that live with celiac disease and other food allergies face serious challenges on a daily basis when shopping the grocery store aisles and the mislabeling of certain foods can cause life-threatening situations," said Steven Singer, President and Founder of the Glutino Food Group. "We know it"s unsettling for them when they become ill from eating a product or when they learn that a company they depend on has let them down which is why it"s

so important to raise awareness of this growing issue of mislabeled products and the Tribune"s report is a great step forward to making sure we all join this effort to protect Americans and our children living with food allergies."
"Currently, the only known treatment for celiac disease is a strict adherence to a gluten-free diet for life. Therefore, stricter food labeling guidelines & regulations by the FDA and food companies is crucial to keep consumers safe. But consumers can feel confident that there are companies such as the Glutino Food Group that adhere to very strict guidelines for testing products and making sure they are safe and properly labeled," Singer says. "We produce our products in a dedicated gluten-free facility and we test every single batch that is produced in our plants for gluten to ensure they have less than 10ppm of gluten which is lower than the FDA"s proposed requirements of 20ppm," he adds.
According to Singer, consumers must be very cautious and read food labels very carefully to be sure products are safe and that there is no risk of cross contamination. Until the FDA"s proposed standard for "gluten-free" labeling goes into effect, consumers will have to read labels and make safe food choices for their families.
"Mrs. Pridemore"s touching and frightening story of how her 3 old boy got sick after eating contaminated chicken nuggets and had to be raced to the emergency room illustrates how the mislabeling of products can not only be life threatening for our children but also breaks the very foundation of consumers who depend on companies and labels," says Singer. "As a father of 2 children and one on the way, I can relate to Mrs. Pridemore and her sense of helplessness faced with companies that are putting out confusing advisory warnings. This is why Glutino is committed to helping parents and everyone living with celiac disease live happy, normal lives," adds Singer.
The Glutino Food Group offers more than 80 gluten-free products under the Glutino and Gluten-Free Pantry brands. Glutino products are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and every batch is tested and follows a 10 parts per million standard for gluten. Glutino and Gluten-Free Pantry products are sold across the US and Canada. For more information, visit www.glutino.com or call us at 1-800-363-3438.
Glutino/Gluten-Free Pantry is a founding member of the American Celiac Disease Alliance, a 501 (c) 3 group comprised of the leaders in all components of the celiac community. The Alliance is an advocacy organization that represents and advocates on behalf of the entire celiac community -- patients, physicians, researchers, and food manufacturers, and other service providers.


The Glutino Food Group

Tina Yanbestian, 450-629-7689 x232

tyanbestian@glutino.com