It doesn’t seem like long ago that I would have flatly declined any gluten-free food that was put in front of me. Products were dry, tasteless and lacked structural integrity, but gluten-free innovation has come a long way since those dark times. As awareness around gluten-related diseases and the choice for gluten-free diets have grown, businesses within the food industry have looked to keep up with demand.
However, “gluten-free” has become a marketing buzzword without careful consideration of what being truly gluten-free means. Put simply, gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye and barley which can become airborne and spread quite easily; meaning, that a product that doesn’t include any of the above products might not be truly “gluten-free”. Even as much as cutting a GF and non-GF product with the same knife can cause cross-contamination and cause some coeliacs to react. However, there are a few things your business can do to ensure the integrity of your GF products.
When prepping and plating gluten-free products it is essential that separate utensils are used than those used for non-gluten-free products. A good way to clearly distinguish between these sets of utensils can be to colour-code them using coloured tape.
As gluten is an airborne element, separating gluten-free from other products is crucial. For example, if you are keeping your gluten-free cakes in the same cake cabinet as your other products, then you run the risk of cross-contamination. Keeping your GF products in a different cake cabinet, or on a cake platter cover by a glass dome will further protect them from cross-contamination.
Finally, research the companies from whom you source your gluten-free products to check the processes and care taken when manufacturing gluten-free products. The baking process is the piece of a products life-cycle that has the highest risk of cross-contamination. That is why at Priestley’s we produce gluten-free products using a strictly controlled gluten-free procedure. Our gluten-free products are tested by a NATA accredited laboratory to ensure no gluten is detected before they leave our Brisbane bakery. The integrity of our products is our highest priority and is why we have been trusted by Australians for 25 years. We are constantly delighted by the comments shared by our customers testifying to how delicious our gluten-free creations are.
Check out our extensive range of delicious gluten-free creations here
