Oser Communications Group

NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n SEPTEMBER 2015 n GOURMET NEWS N H 6 GFCO Certification Program Ensures Highest Standard of Gluten-Free Food Production An interview with Laura Allred, Regulatory and Standards Manager, Gluten Intolerance Group of North America. GN: Tell our readers about your company. What's your main line of business? LA: The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) is a non-profit organization promoting aware- ness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, and providing education to the gluten-free community. The GFCO program certifies gluten-free foods through a strict standard that requires appropriate policies and proce- dures for gluten-free food manufacturing, testing of raw materials and finished prod- ucts, and surveillance testing of products on the retail market. The GFCO seal can be found on more than 25,000 products in 27 countries, and represents the most widely used and recognized certification program for gluten-free foods. GN: What are you doing this year that's dif- ferent from what you did last year? LA: GIG has been working with the gluten- free community for more than 40 years, and in that time has collected a vast amount of information about the food industry and food safety. We are recognizing the expertise we have built in this area by creating a Food Safety business group within GIG. This group will handle our GFCO and GFFS (food service) certification programs, while also branching out to conduct scientific re- search on food safety, testing methods and consumer preferences. In addition, a member of GIG is serving on an AOAC working group to develop harmonized protocols for sampling in allergen testing, which will help to standardize practices and reduce costs for food manufacturers while maintaining food safety. In order to promote equal recognition of the GFCO logo between countries, the Food Safety business group is also submitting the GFCO management sys- tem for accreditation to the ISO 17065 stan- dard. GN: How do your services enhance your client's ability to compete in the market- place? LN: For the food manufacturers that operate under the GFCO certification program, we provide an internationally recognized seal that is trusted by the gluten-free community, and displays the exact type of information that gluten-free and food-allergic individuals use when making purchasing decisions. When people see the GFCO seal, they know that the production processes have been scrutinized and that the product has been tested before reaching the market. GN: Why are your services the best value for your customers? LA: GFCO certification helps our client companies to improve their processes and re- duce risk by auditing their manufacturing fa- cilities, evaluating their policies and procedures and performing surveillance test- ing. All of this is offered under a fee schedule that makes certification possible for any size company. Our goal is to be able to offer cer- tification to any company that is willing to manufacture the right way and ensure that they are providing safe foods to the gluten- free public. For more information, visit booth #2007 at Natural Products Expo East 2015 and after the show, go online to www.gluten.org, email Laura Allred at laura.allred@gluten.org or call 253.833.6655. Eureka! Baking Company Drives Organic Bread Growth Eureka! Baking Company ® entered the organic bread segment in 2012 and is now the number one growth driver in the organic sliced bread category (IRI MULO, Sliced Organic Bread Dollar Sales, 12 weeks ending 12/28/14). Rich, chewy, flavorful bread that is also Certified Vegan and USDA Organic can be a thrilling discovery for bread admirers. The Eureka! Baking Company introduced its bread to fans looking to discover "organic bread worth its weight in gold." Eureka! Or- ganic Bread can now be found on both U.S. coasts and in 35 states, with plans to continue expansion throughout the rest of 2015. While those on the East Coast uncovered the bold flavors of Eureka! Grainiac ® , Seeds the Day ® and Saaa-Wheat ® , fans on the West Coast were presented with three new, tasty varieties in 18-oz. packages, including: Top Seed ® , Sweet Baby Grains ® and SMOOOTH Wheat ® . In addition to discovering knock-your- socks-off bread, Eureka! Baking Company is proud of its new, innovative bread pack- aging that is up to 39 percent bio based made from Braskem's Green Polyethylene, a re- newable raw material verified using ASTM D6866. Eureka! Organic Bread bags are the first packaged bread in North America to use this renewable and sustainable technology. If you're looking to discover more about Eu- reka! Organic Breads, visit www.eureka bakingcompany.com.

• Cover