I have been double-checking the gluten free status of some of the processed food we eat.
This is something I really should do more often - of course, I ALWAYS read the label every time I purchase a processed food item, but labels really can be deceiving.
So I have been emailing the food manufacturers.
Alexia Foods makes oven-baked potato products.
When I emailed them, I found out that their products are now going to be manufactured in a facility where products containing wheat are also produced. Here is the letter:
Thank you for your interest in Alexia Foods.
We are pleased to tell you that our potato products are gluten free. However, due to an expansion in our production, we now employ a facility where products containing wheat are also produced. While our products are produced on dedicated lines, our packaging will carry the following advisory:
Produced in a facility that may manufacture other items containing wheat or tree nuts (pine nuts)
Understanding the concerns that many gluten sensitive consumers have with cross-contamination, great precautions are taken to effectively clean the equipment in between production runs in accordance with organic and kosher guidelines. We can not, however, guarantee that there will not be trace cross-contamination.
As products are produced in the new facility the Gluten Free statement on the package will be removed. If you find any packages that have the Gluten Free statement, they were produced at the time the facility was indeed gluten free.
I hope that this information is helpful to you in determining whether or not our products are appropriate for your needs.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions or comments.
Don't want to worry about whether your potatoes have been cross-contaminated with gluten or not, try these roasted potatoes.
They are part of our normal rotation of dinners.
Ready in the time it takes to wash and slice some potatoes.
I got this recipe from my dear friend Christina about 8 years ago. It has been a family favorite ever since.
Roasted Potatoes
- 2-3 pounds potatoes - we love Yukon Golds
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 minced garlic clove
- a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary chopped or 1 teaspoon or so of dried rosemary
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
At any point during the day, you can wash and chop your potatoes. I think they taste a little more flavorful after marinating for a while, but you will not lose much flavor if you skip the marinating time.
After you wash and chop the potatoes, add all of the ingredients to a galloon zip lock bag and shake.
When you are ready to cook them, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Pour onto a large baking sheet or shallow baking pan coated with olive oil. For crisper potatoes use a metal baking sheet, for softer potatoes use a glass baking dish.
Roast for 20 minutes, stir, roast for 20 more minutes or until they reach your desired crunchiness!
Serve with some Marinated Flank Steak for a really special dinner or just grill some Lemon Chicken for a quick and lighter dinner.
