What did you do in the garden today?

[CedarLane]

Quaker oats says on the package, "100% oats." Oats do not contain gluten. So why did they come out with "Gluten Free Oats"? Well, it seems that there is a small chance that there might be something -- barley, wheat, or rice -- sneaking in. Even a grain or two is enough to be a problem for some people. But percentage-wise, it would be small enough that they could still -- legally -- say, 100% oats.

I could be wrong here, but this is how it was explained to me by my farmer husband when I questioned this. I is because of the possibility of cross-contamination with farming equipment. What if there was one grain of wheat left in the combine before they harvested the oats? I think with the Gluten Free Oats or Cheerios the combine would be guaranteed to be clean. Also when planting the seed oats are certified to be clean and wheat free.
If I'm wrong, please someone correct me.
We know three brothers who farm. Two work together and share equipment. The other brother farms alone. He is certified organic. They could share equipment but would have to be extremely careful in cleaning the planting and harvesting equipment before moving from the conventional to organic fields.

 

[saysfaa]

That. And if the oats are cleaned, hulled, rolled, cut, ground, or whatever in building that also process wheat then cross contamination is very difficult to prevent. The wheat dust gets everywhere. Even if the equipment is thoughly cleaned, the wheat dust can settle back into it.

For the people who are very sensitive, that can be enough for them to react to it.

 

[Sally PB]

I wish someone would study WHY gluten intolerance is such a big issue now. And peanut allergies.

When I was a kid, I could eat wheat bread, no problem. My physiology could be different. Or maybe the wheat we're growing is different now.

My opinion? I think it's the latter. We are messing with our food in ways that our bodies can't deal with. I don't mean to start any arguments; this is just my opinion.

 

[FrannyNZooey]

For a while "gluten free" was a marketing ploy for some companies to sell more product.
I actually saw gluten free bottled water a couple years ago.

Yeah, I remember seeing fat-free labels on bottles of water too. They must think people are just dumb.

 

[igorsMistress]

I wish someone would study WHY gluten intolerance is such a big issue now. And peanut allergies.

When I was a kid, I could eat wheat bread, no problem. My physiology could be different. Or maybe the wheat we're growing is different now.

My opinion? I think it's the latter. We are messing with our food in ways that our bodies can't deal with. I don't mean to start any arguments; this is just my opinion.

I would tend to agree with you Sally. Although I think some people get on these kicks just to have something “wrong” with them too and it’s not all because of the food.

 

[CNJ]

I wish someone would study WHY gluten intolerance is such a big issue now. And peanut allergies.

When I was a kid, I could eat wheat bread, no problem. My physiology could be different. Or maybe the wheat we're growing is different now.

My opinion? I think it's the latter. We are messing with our food in ways that our bodies can't deal with. I don't mean to start any arguments; this is just my opinion.

This morning I was going to take 2 folic acid supplements, but one fell in the trash bin, and I thought to myself this maybe Gods way of telling me I should only take one. I read the label on the bottle, and it said one daily.

When I was a child, I really liked to eat shellfish like lobster, crabs and shrimp. However, one day on a shore fishing adventure, I accidentally got a piece of raw shrimp stuck under my eye lid, and my body had an allergic reaction. My eye was swollen, and I had to see a doctor, he pulled out a thin strip of raw shrimp and showed it to me. Ever since then I would experience an allergic reaction whenever I ate shellfish and couldn't eat it until I became an adult. The allergic reaction went away when I became an adult.

 

[fuzzi]

I wish someone would study WHY gluten intolerance is such a big issue now. And peanut allergies.

When I was a kid, I could eat wheat bread, no problem. My physiology could be different. Or maybe the wheat we're growing is different now.

My opinion? I think it's the latter. We are messing with our food in ways that our bodies can't deal with. I don't mean to start any arguments; this is just my opinion.

Genetically modified. Many of the grains are contaminated with Round Up, too, as it's being sprayed on the grain after harvest as a dessicate.

I think the store bought eggs are full of antibiotics, and I am allergic to most of them.

 

[jerryse]

Last day in the 50s and then 40s. Rain Monday and Tuesday. Made black walnut cookies yesterday. Opened 2 seed squash and saved seeds.

 

[Sally PB]

Genetically modified. Many of the grains are contaminated with Round Up, too, as it's being sprayed on the grain after harvest as a dessicate.

I think the store bought eggs are full of antibiotics, and I am allergic to most of them.

I wish I could feasibly grow oats. I've grown buckwheat, but only as a cover crop.

 

[saysfaa]

I wish someone would study WHY gluten intolerance is such a big issue now....

I think it is mostly differences in our bodies. If it were differences in the wheat then more people would be able to eat the types of wheat that have not been modified (gmo or selection).

We have done an awful lot of messing with our bodies: drastic changes in what we consider food, how much and what type of sleep we get, what sorts of substances we are in contact with, many more areas.