Views
Cooking Gluten Free
From VANEEpedia
“Hold the bacon, I’m a vegetarian!” “Is there MSG or trans fats in this?” “Low Sodium, please.”, “I’m on the Atkins diet.”
And now, they are increasingly hearing, “I’m allergic to gluten. What can you do for me?”
There is a rise in the number of people being diagnosed with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. Whether this is due to an increase in the percentage of people getting tested for the disease or if its becoming more common is uncertain. What matters is that more customers are looking for gluten free options when they go out to eat. If you can meet their needs, you’re more likely to get and keep their business.
What foodservice operators need to know
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. Breads, pastas and beers usually contain gluten. The tricky thing about gluten is that it’s also found in a wide variety of surprising sources, such as ice cream and ketchup. This makes dining out especially challenging for the gluten-intolerant. Even a stray crouton in a salad can trigger an intestinal flare-up.
“It’s hard eating out,” said Ora Jewell-Busche, a 26 year-old from Chicago. ‘Unless there is a specifically gluten free menu, you always have to worry: ‘Is there flour in that sauce? Did they marinate that chicken in soy sauce?’ There are so many ways that something can be cross contaminated that its usually easier just to make your own food. There are so few restaurants that know about gluten-intolerance and work to make food that way, though thankfully so many more then even a few years ago.”
People with celiac disease and gluten intolerance have varying reactions, from the mild (nausea and fatigue) to the serious (autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis and even cancer). About 1 in 133 people are gluten intolerant (which is about 10 of every 1000 people). Gluten-Free menu items
Its a good idea for operators to consider adding a few gluten-free items to their menus. Another option is to modify an already existing item to remove ingredients that contain gluten. The new or modified items should appeal to all customers so they will be ordered often enough to be profitable.
With a little research, an operator can quickly develop a few gluten-free items. First, she must determine which items contain little amounts of gluten, or ingredients with gluten that can be replaced. (Allergen information is located on product ingredient statements.) For example, a sandwich can be made gluten-free by using lettuce to hold the ingredients together rather than bread. Finding gluten-free ingredients is getting easier as more foodservice manufacturers produce gluten-free items.
Vanee Foods is one of these companies. “Vanee has had more requests recently inquiring if a particular food has gluten,” said Bob Benson, Director of Research and Development at Vanee Foods. “We just recently reformulated our Beef Broth, which had gluten in a flavor used previously,” Benson said. A list of all of Vanee’s gluten-free products is on page 4.
Other manufacturers are also picking up on the increasing demand for gluten-free products. General Mills is manufacturing gluten-free Betty Crocker cookie, brownie and cake mixes. When the company released a gluten-free version of their Chex cereal last July, they received thousands of grateful emails and phone calls from customers.
Attention to detail
An operator must manage the storage and preparation of those items to avoid cross-contamination. Staff must be trained in the nuances of preparing and serving gluten-free foods.
Marketing and promotion
In order to reach out to the gluten-intolerant customer, a foodservice operation does not need to spend a fortune. There are hundreds of web sites dedicated to making gluten-free life easier. Many of these web sites’ goals are to encourage gluten-intolerant people to dine outside the home with more confidence and to promote foodservice operations that can cater to their specific needs. Foodservice operators are glad to get the free publicity, and the customers are happy to see new options.
After adding a few gluten-free items to their menu, restaurant operators should register their operation with the various websites. Some especially popular sites are: http://www.glutenfreeregistry.com http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org
The Outback Steakhouse and the Macaroni Grill highlight their gluten-free products on their menus so that customers know right away what they can and can not order. This is inexpensive and effective marketing, as customers may remember and share the news with their gluten-intolerant friends and family members. Offering gluten-free products is just one more way to attract and maintain a wide base of loyal customers.
Gluten is commonly found in ...
- Grains of wheat (durum, semolina, kamut, spelt, triticale), rye, barley and all derivatives
- breading
- broths
- coating mixes
- croutons
- imitation bacon
- imitation seafood
- marinades
- pastas
- processed meats
- roux
- sauces
- gums
- self-basting poultry
- stuffing
- soup bases and thickeners