Let's Hear It For the Manufacturers! Just Two Little Words...

Let's talk about some joy that came my way whilst standing in the checkout line of the grocery store. I am totally that type of mother that will buy the candy bars on sale and use them to bribe my children into doing jobs and other non-savory stuff. I have one little guy who really likes Starburst, which I haven't eaten in, oh, almost 8 years because their ingredients have been a little bit hazy on the gluten free-ness. I picked up a package and what did I find?
You guessed it. Gluten free, right there on the package. It's a little hard to see from my ultra-awesome photo of it, but it's there, trust me. And the bad news is, I have no idea how long it's been that way, because once I kicked myself of the Starburst habit I always just shopped for other candy...for my kids, of course.

I have also started seeing the "gluten free" label pop up on all sorts of food items, like mayonnaise, mustard, canned fruit and even some chilis. The major coup, however was Progresso soups placing "Gluten Free!" exclamation point and all right on the front of all of their soups that are gluten free, including the Creamy Mushroom, which is only available at Smith's if you live in Utah. I've been frequenting Costco for the produce and huge cheese lately and I also found this:
Their Rotisserie Chicken, which has got to be a housewife's saving grace when it comes to dinner, is now labeled gluten free, so there's no guessing when it comes to its safety. And I also love these Rice Works Brown Rice chips, which are made solely of brown rice, come in several flavors, and are also gluten free. They are also found here in Salt Lake City at Smith's and WalMart. Their site has a retail finder, so you can find out where they are sold near you.

The point is, gluten free consumers have spoken, and manufacturers have listened. They have finally caught on that adding just two little words to their labels will not only garner more sales, but loyal customers. (No Starburst in 8 years? We take our food very seriously.)So hip hip hooray for the food manufacturers who have caught the wave! I can only hope more and more mainstream products will join the party.

Happy eating!