Sneaky Gluten Containing Items

Hubby picked up a new multivitamin a few weeks ago and of course he read the ingredients to make sure it was OK. A couple weeks later I read the ingredients out of curiosity/boredom/being nosy? Maybe a bit of all. I noticed one of the ingredients was barley grass which popped up a big red flag for me, of course. A quick search online didn't give me any definitive answers. Some things said it should be OK since it's technically the grain that contains the gluten while others said unless it states gluten free to avoid it. So I used the last of my EZ Gluten tests and sure enough, positive for gluten. At least we now knew why Hubby had been feeling so tired lately. I've read before that wheat grass is safe but after this it's for sure in my avoid at all costs category.



Another sneaky gluten containing ingredient can be millet. Of course it's a naturally gluten free grain but according to an article in the September Gluten-Free Living magazine millet flour was found to have high (in the 300 ppm range) levels of gluten in packages that were not labeled gluten free. They believe this may be due to cross contamination from crop rotation of millet with winter wheat. So if you use millet flour be sure it states gluten free on the packaging.

EZ Gluten Test Take 2

Here are the results of the additional tests I've done using the EZ Gluten test kits. I did test gluten filled beer so I could see what a positive result looked like, let me know what you think.

I wanted to test the Tastefully Simple Italian Garlic Blend because the ingredients are GF but it states it is made in a facility that also processes wheat. The reason I wanted to test this is because when I used it I had some intestinal reactions to it that I've had with other GF food that has preservatives in it. I'm pretty sure I'm just reacting to the preservatives but figured this would be a good way to find out.

The test shows that it is GF.

Next up was a gluten filled beer that was in our basement from family being over. I was expecting a high postive immediately but the only line that showed up was the very top control line. I thought maybe I did something wrong so I did the test a second time with the same exact results. It's hard to see in the picture but the only line visible at all is the control line. I felt confident it wasn't invalid but the only way I could believe it had gluten (other than knowing) is that the results were definately not the same as the negative results. Any thoughts?

At Home EZ Gluten Test

My package of EZ Gluten test strips arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to give them a try. The directions are very clear and it seems like a lot at first but it's easy and made me feel like I was back in Chemistry class. In fact I enjoyed doing these tests so much that I did three of them and plan to do another tonight.

This is what the packet contains, don't let it intimidate you, it's a lot of fun.

The first thing I wanted to test was the Trix Swirls. The directions state you need to wash your hands and work on a clean surface. If what your testing isn't already finely ground, like a flour, then you need to grind it up. They include a measuring spoon to scoop the food sample.

Place the food sample in the vial with the testing solution, put the lid on and shake that puppy for two minutes. You can see the Trix Rabbit is excited about the results.

The solution needs to sit and settle for five minutes before pipetting the liquid and placing 10 drops in the test tube.

Put the EZ Gluten test strip in the solution and walk away for 10 minutes.

You can see from the test strip for the Trix Swirls they are gluten free, woot!

I didn't know what else to test so Hubby suggested his Extra gum. I was pretty sure it was GF and didn't know if testing gum would work but I gave it a try.

The results show Extra gum is gluten free!

I felt like a pro at this point so I decided to test a Post cereal and grabbed the Fruity Pebbles.

You can see from this picture that the test results came back negative for gluten, another win!

Even though these test strips aren't cheap I'm glad I bought them and was able to put my mind at ease. That alone is worth the cost.