Ep 237 Pilling Foods for Certified Gluten Free Ingredients

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Kasia, the Owner of Pilling Foods, as well as Gayle, the Digital Marketing Manager.  I have only just learned of Pilling Foods, but I think it will be a game-changer for gluten free bakers and households in Canada in the very near future.  Pilling Foods sells dry ingredients including flours, flour blends and seeds, with all products carrying the CCA Certified Gluten Free Symbol.  Kasia explains some of the procedures and testing the products go through before they are sent out to stores and customers.  The link to the store is www.pillingfoods.com/.  Now, is definitely the time to check your gluten free cupboard and stock up for your holiday baking.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I accept that I am probably more on top of the gluten free ingredient market in Canada than most people on a gluten free diet.  There was a time when testing certificates did not accompany flours when they were ordered by bakeries or larger production facilities.  That may seem hard to believe, since we’ve come so far in the pursuit of safe gluten free food. 

When I go into a grocery store looking for gluten free flours, I never know what I’m going to find.  Usually there will be a couple of flour blends and maybe some other starches or flours, packaged in very small packages, sometimes with and sometimes without a certification on the package.  That’s not to say that any of these ingredients are not safe on a gluten free diet, but unless I trust the brand, it’s hard to trust the product.  As well, one company has different facilities for gluten free and standard, so in the store, you must look carefully at a package to make sure it says gluten free (this frustrates me to no end!). As consumers, we would like to know, but can’t count on, stores understanding the importance of certification and labelling.

What do you do when you find a product that contains gluten mixed in with the gluten free foods?  I always get fearful that a new celiac who isn’t as experienced in label reading will think it’s gluten free, take it home and get sick.  When I have time, I go to the front of the store and ask for the manager on duty.  We then take a walk to the gluten free section, I thank him for the number of products they have on the shelves for us, then point out the offending item.  Every time I get a positive response – they want to do the right thing.

My concerns aren’t usually for me.  I’ve been at this a long time and can make a safe decision from most labelling.  Having shopped with newly diagnosed celiacs, I can understand their frustration with the different forms that gluten can come in (as in malt), and how it can hide in compound ingredients (for instance, soy sauce).

For someone newly diagnosed, or a celiac child helping the family to buy and use their food, the certification logos make all the difference.  Kasia mentioned trust.  We can trust in the certification logo, and we can trust in companies that use it.  I’m very happy that Pilling Foods has made a commitment to certification on everything they sell.  Trust and safety go a long way for celiac consumers.