I would like to explain some recent rumors about Bob’s Red Mill gluten free products being “tainted”.

Bob’s Red Mill produces a gluten free line with grains milled in a separate factory from the gluten containing grains. They are considered the “gold standard” as far as gluten free flours go, avoiding cross contamination at all possible avenues. Currently, the FDA recommends testing for gluten to 20 ppm in order to deem a product as “gluten free”. Bob’s Red Mill claims to test every batch of gluten free grains it sells to this level.

We test products ourselves using EZ Gluten test kits from ELISA Technologies, Inc. These test kits can detect gluten down to 10 ppm, making them highly sensitive. When yielding a positive test, we have worked with companies in the past to discover hidden sources of gluten. We recently received several concerns from clients mentioning that they were getting sick whenever they ate items made from Bob’s Red Mill products. In the past, we had tested two of Bob’s products and they had come back negative.

A client dropped off a bag of Bob’s gluten free flour that she was using. We tested the flour, and the results were positive. It is important to note that 10 ppm is an extremely small amount. This is equivalent to one drop in 50 liters of water, or 30 seconds out of one year. We DO NOT believe that Bob’s Red Mill was selling tainted gluten free flour in any way. If Bob’s tests their GF items to 20 ppm, it is possible that their test was negative and ours, at 10 ppm, could have been positive. Also a possibility is our source of flour. We received our sample from a client who does not have a designated gluten free kitchen. The flour could have been contaminated long after it left the mill.

As I mentioned, we have tested Bob’s products twice in the past, both times yielding negative results. So why are some people getting sick? In their gluten free facility Bob’s also mills corn, oats, soy and rice. People with multiple intolerances might have trouble with Bob’s products due to contamination with these other food items. Furthermore, the 20 ppm threshold that the FDA suggested is not based on any solid research. It is simply a threshold put in place because, at the time, it was the lowest amount of gluten that could be tested for in a product. This does not suggest that individuals who are gluten intolerant will not react if they ingest lower amounts of gluten in a food. There currently is not an established level of gluten that is considered “safe”. If you have food intolerances it is important to know your limitations when eating ANY packaged or processed food.

We welcome all comments and concerns and are truly sorry for those we might have frightened with this rumor.

I would like to note, we have tested baked products at Living Earth Bakery several times with our EZ Gluten Test, and always received negative results for gluten. We continue to enjoy their delicious gluten free baked goods.