Carolyn recently alerted me to the fact that some supermarkets no longer label their dried lentils and pulses as gluten free. I have asked Sainsbury’s and Goodness Foods for their comments on this.
Sainsbury’s have yet to come back but Goodness Foods explained that most pulses are packed in factories where gluten products would also be handled so there is a risk of cross-contamination. This means that, although many of the suppliers are aware of the risk and take steps to avoid contamination, no-one is prepared to say they are gluten free. So we have a ridiculous situation where a naturally gluten free food cannot be labelled as such. I do not know anywhere that only deals with pulses and GF said that most distributors outsource the packing of their pulses, so to speak.
Lesley from Goodness did make a valid suggestion, though, to try and help:
With pulses the gluten contamination would only be a surface powder. Would washing each time (which you should with pulses) help at all?
Good point – and I’m afraid that’s the best I can come up with for now. Blimey, we can’t be losing another food group! I SO wish the food industry would get with the gluten programme; they are making life so much harder for people than it needs to be.
If anyone else can shed any light or knows of a ‘clean’ company, do please let us all know.
Meantime, I will let you know what Sainsbury’s have to say if and when they come back to me, although I would imagine we will get the same response.
Ekoland chickpeas are safe. I emailed the company, they are free from crosscontamination. You can find them in glass containers on water.
NOliko Bio red beans are safe. Emailed the company too. In glass containers, red beans, sea salt, water and beet sugar.
Primeal red lentils are safe (www. primeal.fr)
Hygiena dried lentils are safe. Emailed the company.. all cross contamination free
These products I find in a belgian organic supermarket. I sincerely hope this is of help to at least someone..
Thanks Nele, really helpful although not sure we will find them here in the UK. Also,how did they say they are free from CC; do the companies not handle anything else..? Is it poss to have the replies from the companies so we can check them out – you can PM me if you prefer? Would be great if they are and I will check them again to double check. Fingers crossed. Well done, Sherlock. We are building a little family of sleuths!
I have emailed Infinity Foods and they assure me that their Organic red lentils and Organic haricot beans (dried pulses) as well as organic pecan halves are all grown, milled, stored & packed free from gluten contamination. For legality purposes they state on their packages that their products may contain gluten so that they do not have to spend the money on testing but I have picked through them carefully & never found a trace nor had a reaction and I am reactive to a degree of 1 PPM, so make what you will of that. Hope that helps 🙂
In fact if you email them about any of their products they will send you a spec sheet…most of their “Organic” products are GF.
Really useful, thanks Yardana. The dreaded ‘may contain’ again then..