Are Gluten Free Products Needed to Assist Soy Allergy Sufferers?

As I searched my way through the net some days ago, I recently came across a very interesting article – very relevant for a gluten free, soy free blog.

Here in Australia, I find that (of the regular vs. gluten free bread making industries), makers of gluten free alternatives are often far more considerate of what goes into what we eat than those of regular wheat-based products.  Some non-coeliac soy allergic individuals, in today’s society, may find themselves home-baking all the time due to the soy content that exists in many pre-made bread based products.

The supermarket is a very common example.  In remote areas of the country where I live, you could safely say that virtually every wheaten bread contains some form of soy.  The only that are currently fully safe tend to be those that ARE gluten free, as all the town bakeries in my area also use cooking spray and generic blended vegetable oils to line their pans.

On a frequent basis, it does puzzle me as to why those with soy allergies have to resort to *our* baked goods simply because the food industry doesn’t address these simple needs.  I would have never suspected bread dough to require either soy oil or soy flour; certainly traditional recipes would have easily excluded both these ingredients.

Just goes to show how bizarre some parts of today’s baking industry may be.  Perhaps not such bad news for those like me already following gluten free diets as well, however I guess it could serve as a good starting point for all soy allergy sufferers.  That being said, I sometimes like to be able to consume some ‘tasty’ foods that are just primarily gluten and soy free rather than just have to always resort to second-rate dairy and egg free items just to maintain my gluten free, soy free diet.  We need as much diversity in what we eat as possible!

Anyhow, take a moment to peruse this article for a more general overview on this interesting topic: Gluten-Free Products Make Life Easier For Soy Allergy Sufferers.

Happy Living!

Burger Edge Undeclared SOY and DAIRY re gluten free buns!

ALERT TO INDIVIDUALS SENSITIVE TO SOY/DAIRY!

Burger Edge GLUTEN FREE buns contain undeclared SOY (and DAIRY) in the allergen matrix as shown below:

As far as I have been advised, soy flour, along with milk solids, used in the gluten free buns supplied by Silly Yak Foods.

All other information regarding the gluten free buns listed in the aforementioned document is correct as of 10 November 2010.

This information can also be found at infonolan’s Burger Edge profile.

Please Note:  This post has been executed in the interests of consumer safety.  I am neither, in any way, associated with the food authority nor Burger Edge. The above concerns have been addressed.

Gluten Free Pancake Favourites

It has been a hard run finding good quality gluten free pancake mixes that not only are soy free but taste great and ‘hold together’!  For years I’ve been using the pancake mix from ORGRAN, suitable for individuals with a range of common food allergies and intolerances as this used to be the only gluten free pancake mix that was also soy free.

Another option was to make them from scratch.  I sometimes made buckwheat and pancakes using the relevant flours along with buttermilk, which were more palatable than any premixes I could find.   As life got more and more busy for me, I found I had less time to bake from scratch, pancakes became a rare treat.  Most days I’d have gluten free cereal or toast using Country Life Bakery‘s gluten free low GI, yeast free, or sunflower and linseed (which is my favourite! YUM!) loaves (all of which are also corn free, something an increasing number of individuals seem to be reacting to, for possibly a variety of reasons one of which can be found on a friend’s hub on corn gluten).

CASALARE PANCAKE MIX

In the past couple of years living as such has become so much easier.  About a year ago, Casalare released a great-tasting quinoa pancake mix that is allergen friendly!  The cassia flavour that comes out complements the unique quinoa flavour making it the perfect treat for one’s breakfast.  (Did I mention it’s corn free, too!). This was a great find, yet it still remains quite difficult to locate in many parts around the country. Which is a shame because it actually is a very good quality product for what it is, so I always get a hold of one of these mixes whenever and wherever I can!

 

BASCO BUTTERMILK PANCAKE SHAKE

Finally, though, I have to admit my favourite gluten free pancake mix out of all these is the BASCO buttermilk pancake shake! Unfortunately this has always contained soy (which I, of course, cannot have) so I was only able to really enjoy it for the first two years of being gluten free (before having been diagnosed with the soy issue when I had to eliminate many gluten free favourites from my diet).  Until RECENTLY, when many products under the Green’s General Foods (including some of the BASCO Gluten Free range) were recently re-formulated.  At this time, the soy ingredient (soy flour) was removed from the Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancake Shake along with many cake mixes and other products. 

(N.B. Cake Mixes may contain traces of soy due to shared equipment used to manufacture products containing soy-derived ingredients, however the pancake mix appears to be completely free of soy based on the ingredients.  The pancake mix still contains milk, egg, and maize starch.)

I was so excited to find that I could safely eat their pancakes again and they’re at least just as good as, if not better than, than before!

 

Sadly, we see very little of this product, except for at a couple of IGA stores around the country – much of which has occurred in recent years after the introduction of the Woolworths Freefrom product range. (Virtually all products within the range are laden with SOY, of all allergens.) This particular range was developed by Woolworths after having carefully watched and observed which gluten free products were the ‘best sellers’!   Such an act has sent an awful lot of fire up many of the original gluten free brands driving some close to receivership.  I shall add that the quality of the products *imitated* by Freefrom is considerably lower!  A more comprehensive view on this subject can be found HERE.

I personally feel it is extremely important that we try and support these original brands that are committed to providing us with quality gluten free products where, and if, possible!

Takeaway Pizza – Gluten Free, Soy Free

Here in Australia, anyone somewhat familiar with a gluten and soy diet would find it very hard to imagine takeaway pizza suitable for this lifestyle, some of which has been discussed by me on the Pizza Posts at Gluten Free Family and a review on Pizza Capers at Gluten Shmooten.  I was emailed by someone, only earlier this year (for that matter), who had just found out about having to avoid gluten, soy and chic peas.  She was enquiring as she was curious about which pizza outlets in her area may be able to accommodate her needs.  [Sometimes individuals who've problems with soy ingredients will react to other legumes and their derivatives as well, but that's a whole other story we shall discuss later!]

Back to the topic.  It is very hard to find a pizza outlet offering gluten free that is able to also accommodate the soy side of things and this has become increasingly evident in the last year, mainly due to the introduction of gluten free pizza bases at a majority of major pizza chains around this country.  Domino’s Pizza in Australia and New Zealand made a significant move last November in this regard at the time of introducing gluten free bases to their menu.  Eagle Boys (an Australian pizza chain) did the same, only marketing the final pizza product as ‘gluten friendly’ instead of gluten free – the term that seems to be rapidly coming to play here, anyway.

The pizza bases used at Domino’s Pizza in Australia and New Zealand are endorsed by the Coeliac Society of Australia and New Zealand Coeliac Society respectively.  The endorsements is applied for, to the Coeliac Societies, by Domino’s Pizza.  This ensures that customers can be confident in the fact that the bases are, in fact, certified gluten free (one primarily *important* step in the process of producing a gluten free product, as deemed appropriate by the relevant Coeliac Societies mentioned).

However, I’m sorry to say that this isn’t really of that much help to those having to avoid other ingredients such as soy, as the gluten free bases used (supplied by Julian’s in Australia) contain soy flour as their primary ingredient!  I shall add that the bases used at the Domino’s stores in New Zealand are supplied by Venerdi, who’s products are all  soy free.

Therefore, to all those in New Zealand, it is actually possible to get a gluten and soy free pizza from Domino’s (yes, I recently confirmed this!) stores all around the country.  Please note, the following steps (on top of choosing a gluten free base and appropriate toppings, of course (N.B. even if you are not Gluten Free, you will need to order the soy-friendly pizza on the gluten-free base as this all the other bases require pans lined with the soy oil).

Here’s what you will need to do when ordering a gluten free, soy free pizza from Domino’s in New Zealand:

• notify the staff about your need to avoid soy (preferably at a less busy time of the day).
• peruse the allergen listing document found New Zealand website or in-store carefully, noting ingredients that need to be avoided.
• choose toppings based on this information (it is best to build your own pizza in this case)!

 

IMPORTANT:  Be aware that the pizza sauce (i.e. tomato sauce) used at Domino’s contains ‘trace amounts’ of soy due to the soybean oil used in this product.  The only safe base sauce is the Alfredo (N.B. If you don’t require GF, BBQ sauce is also an option).

 

• ask that they line the pizza base pan with some parchment paper before placing the gluten free base on the applicable surface.
• ensure appropriate preparation methods are followed.
• enjoy!

Please remember that the above points apply to stores in New Zealand only.  Be aware that it is currently not possible to order soy free pizzas from either Domino’s or Eagle Boys in Australia. Bummer!

That should make life a little easier for the Kiwis over there.  There’s also Hell Pizza over there, that offer gluten free bases from the same supplier as that of Domino’s in New Zealand, however coming from Australia I am unsure about topping recommendations and oil issues so I’ll have to leave those inquires over to you!

In the meantime, I shall return to focusing on the Australian gluten free, soy free pizza life?  So, what’s with it?

I was saving the best news ’til last…

Pizza Capers

Well folks, you will be pleased to hear that it was not long ago that I discovered a pizza chain over near where I live, Pizza Capers, located in various areas around Australia .  They offer gluten free bases that are absolutely delicious and crispy and free from dairy and soy although they do contain egg, corn and yeast.  (I shall keep my eyes open, particularly on corn, and will certainly update you on this blog should I discover a pizza outlet to serve GFSFCF bases for sure).  Their gluten free pizza bases are manufactured at a plant near their headquarters in Brisbane and, for me, it is absolutely great to have discovered a place where I can go in and buy a pizza without any hassles at all!  Staff are always very attentive and every experience here has been a positive one!  They really agree with me! I have a picture of one at the top right-hand corner of this post!  (I think I’ve just about enough coupons for a free one, too!)  A vast majority of their toppings are safe and neither soy oil nor cooking sprays exist on premises (only canola and olive oils are used to line the pans).  This place is certainly a must try for all who can!

Of course, we can only assume these products to be gluten and soy friendly, primarily due to the fact that ingredients containing these items are used on premises at all outlets, hence GF denoting  the ‘Gluten Friendly’ status on their menu.

Gluten Free, Soy Free Bread – Australia/New Zealand

Bread is such a simple basic food that everyone ‘needs’ to be able to live a fulfilling lifestyle.  Many who do not believe that bread could be harmful or allergenic are mistaken.  Two potentially harmful allergenic proteins, wheatand soy, are present in just about all made bread around us.  Many gluten free breads also contain soy flour , making finding alternatives a more tiring and tedious task.  Below I have a list of great tasting gluten free, soy free breads available in Australia and New Zealand.

AUSTRALIA:

Country Life Bakery currently produce two gluten free loaves that are completely free of soy; including the 100% Yeast, Gluten and Wheat Free loaf and the Yeast and Gluten Free Sunflower & Linseed.  The other gluten free loaves (White, Multigrain, Fruit and Low GI) do not contain additional soy, however are manufactured in a plant that processes these products.  All GF loaves contain egg and the only loaves with no additional dairy include the Gluten Free Fruit and Low GI loaves (which both may contain traces of both dairy and soy).

Maker of great-tasting gluten free bread.  Unfortunately, most loaves and all rolls have soy flour in them, which make them a ‘no-no’ for myself, however they make a rice loaf which is free from gluten, soy, corn, dairy, eggs and yeast – which has quite a good taste as well (requires slicing).

The good news is that they are also about to release some new delicious gluten free cakes (which will be available at some of the IGA stores later in the year), all of which will also apparently be soy free.  I have yet to try them and write about it.

NEW ZEALAND

Venerdi Make a large range of gluten free products endorsed by the Coeliac Society of New Zealand.  Everything they make is soy free and a vast majority of gluten free selections are also dairy free.  They are very mindful of individuals with multiple intolerances and their bread is to die for.  It’s a shame there is no retail distributor here in Australia at this point in time, however due to much positive customer feedback on their products and many people lobbying for their products in Australia the team at Venerdi are looking for takers to produce their style of loaf in the land Down Under!

These are some of the most commonly seen bread brands all around Australia and New Zealand as indicated above (and best tasting, in my opinion) that do not contain either gluten or soy.

Keep me up on any others you find you like in the comments.  It’s only my second entry so forgive me if I get mixed up!  I’m sure you’ll understand, you were all in the same boat here at WordPress.com once!!

Why is soy in so much of our food?

A standard loaf of bread is something everyone needs to live a fulfilling life.  With food problems such as gluten and soy present in my life, finding alternatives has not always been easy.

Bread is inevitably an issue with a gluten free diet.  Nearly everyone you meet realises that a standard loaf of bread is inedible by someone like myself with Coeliac Disease.

Unfortunately, I’m also intolerant to soy.  I have to avoid this nasty legume as well as gluten and not so many are aware that a standard loaf bread contains milled soy flour.  The two key common allergens present in bread will almost always include wheat and soy ingredients.

Why is soy so abundant in our bread in today’s society?  Good question.  Soy was used simply as a condiment food (in general) within the last century.  Most bread in the early 1900′s consisted of wheat flour, water, yeast and salt.

None of the soy bean goes to waste in our society today.  Every bit is used for some purpose, from pressing the soy oil to ‘ridding off’ the excess soy protein into various processed food items afterwards.  It is a cheap source of protein, not nearly the best of all additions to our food and is commonly known as the most genetically modified crop.  It is also a common allergen, one that is very much undermined in today’s society.

Beware when buying fruit.  We’re luckily pretty safe here in Australia at this point in time, however this is of some concern in other countries of the world where soybean oil is widely used as an active ingredient in wax spray.  Certified organic produce and fruits that can be peeled are always safe alternatives.

More can be found on this topic here

I look forward to adding more posts about foods and food service outlets on the go soon!  So stay tuned!

Leave a comment here, they mean so much to me and it is always nice to hear from others with similar experiences.  Happy Gluten/Soy free living!