Creating and selling food products isn’t a line of work for the faint of heart; you have to be passionate about it to the point where everything about your product is just right, all the way down to ingredient sourcing. For those who create gluten-free products, ingredient sourcing is key to guarantee a product is gluten-free.
Gluten-free oats are a great ingredient to include in your gluten-free products if handled and sourced correctly. For consumers who have celiac disease or similar dietary restrictions, gluten-free oats have incredible nutritional benefits and are often encouraged to be incorporated into their gluten-free diet. So why aren’t all oats gluten-free? It can be based on many different outcomes. It starts, however, with how the oats are manufactured.
How are Oats Manufactured?
Oats are naturally gluten-free, but the hiccup happens during harvesting and production. Oats can sometimes be grown with gluten-based crops, such as wheat, barley, or rye. If the oats are harvested using machinery that also harvests these gluten-based crops (and they most often are), these oats are now contaminated.
Then, if the oats are taken to a packing plant that uses the same equipment that is used for wheat, barley, and rye (and you guessed it, they most commonly are), that’s a second point of contamination. The oats you’ve been wanting to use in your product line are now no longer gluten-free. This is why understanding the entire path to production is so important.
Cross-contact is a big problem in the gluten-free world. If something gluten-free is exposed to something with gluten, it is then unsafe for someone with celiac. Let’s say a restaurant uses the same fryer for both the breaded chicken and the fries, then the fries will have been in cross-contact with the gluten and are therefore no longer gluten-free.
Testing the Gluten
The FDA requires that products being marketed and branded as gluten-free are tested to 20ppm (parts per million) or under for gluten. There are many different types of tests to see how many ppm of gluten are in your product. GlutenTox® is one of the most trustworthy, and widely known.
At GF Blends, we test all of our products, oats included, to 5 PPM, using a Gluten-Tox Test. By testing to 5 ppm we can eliminate as much gluten as possible from our oats, and offer a preventative measure for consumers who eat them regularly. When your consumers know that the oat products they are purchasing are reliably sourced and know how it is made, it allows them to be in better control of their health and better prepared to handle any medical issues that may arise. By using our pure gluten-free oats in your products, you are taking the steps to build a larger and more repetitive client base that can trust your products and your brand.
Testing doesn’t just help you to make sure your product is gluten-free, it also helps your customer. Without testing customers wouldn’t know what was safe to consume. As a gluten-free co-packer it is our number one priority to be able to 100% say that the products in our facility are gluten-free.
Oats and Health
Oats, in a normal diet, are considered healthy. They are rich in nutrients like fiber, protein, and vitamins. They have many health benefits and are liked by many. Some of the health benefits include heart health, blood sugar, skin care, and natural antioxidants.
Many dishes can be made with oats. Such as cookies, cakes, muffins, granola bars, and much more. When including oats in your gluten-free product it opens up the possibilities of gluten-free dishes to make.
Why is Using Oats Important?
If you take away the option of oats for someone with celiac, it’s taking away all the benefits oats have to offer. It is part of many people’s morning routine with a nice cup of oatmeal, or in their favorite cookies. It’s imperative to make oats available for everyone.
For consumers that have celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten, a gluten-free diet isn’t a choice, it’s a requirement. Having the ability to add oats to your products helps add variety to those with an already limited diet, and offers a comfortable option for those who may be just starting their gluten-free journey.
Adding our guaranteed gluten-free oats to your products opens many doors for your business, and also offers your consumers the chance to live a healthier gluten-free life.
Not only is it important that we use oats for our clients but for their customers! It benefits everyone. To learn more about our processes for creating gluten and allergen-free products visit click here.
Interested in adding our certified pure gluten-free oats to your recipes but unsure how? Contact us. We offer real support from real people, dedicated to helping our partners deliver the promise of safe, great-tasting food to their customers. We want to help you every step of the way in your gluten-free journey!
