Failure to label a gluten free food accurately from a large manufacturer shakes me to the core. The Progresso Soup thing has stuck in my mind for a day now and I have to get this off my chest.

I have consistently said that a large company knows how to follow food labeling laws. We should be able to trust them when they label a food gluten free. They have teams of lawyers specifically focused on food based laws. Big companies should be better.

Big companies fought tooth and nail against any requirement to label food allergens. They didn’t feel a need to create a legal definition for using the words “gluten free” on their packaging. They said it was unnecessary.

Just in case you don’t remember…prior to the food allergy warnings and legal definition of gluten free, we had no idea whether a food contained gluten or not. Grocery shopping was the Wild West of gluten free foods. Everything had a gluten free label and wheat in the ingredients list. It was horrible.

I typically don’t buy big brand foods. I focus on eating whole foods. I cook from scratch most nights. I have a few processed food staples I buy from big food manufacturers. Most of them are naturally gluten free or have few ingredients, like beans or tomatoes.

I want you to remember that there are smaller companies specifically designed for gluten free eaters. Canyon Bakehouse, Schar, Glutino, Goodie Girl, and a many others specifically designed their business model to satisfy the gluten free niche. Supporting these businesses eliminates the need for larger companies to create gluten free foods.

Many of the gluten free foods from smaller manufacturers cost more and money is tight. I get it. But is missing a few days of work due to accidental gluten exposure worth a few dollars for safe food?

Anyway, thank you for letting me process this betrayal. I think I’m done mourning this issue and am ready to live to fight another day.