I put my money where my mouth is. I said we should write to our members of Congress about the flaws in the food labeling and testing system revealed by the Chicago Tribune recently. I did just that..writing to both of my Senators on the Agriculture Committee, and asking for help.
November 25th, 2008 Dear Senators, I am coming to you asking for help for people who must adhere to special diets for major medical reasons. In my family’s case, it is a gluten-free diet. Last week, the Chicago Tribune printed an alarming story about Wellshire Farms’ chicken nuggets and corn dogs made and marketed as “gluten-free” (not containing wheat, rye, barley and some oats), when it turned out they actually contained some gluten. The newspaper sent the products to the University of Nebraska’s food-allergy labs; the test results showed the Wellshire Farms’ products with varying high levels of gluten. Yet the products are not being recalled, despite two documented cases of anaphylactic reactions in children with wheat allergies. I have a 9-year-old child and a 17-year-old exchange student both with celiac disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disorder, where gluten—the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and some oats – is toxic to the person’s small intestine. When gluten is in the system, it damages the gut to a point of not absorbing any nutrients, thus causing a domino effect of health problems. Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is essential for celiacs. Parents like me, and thousands of others across […]
