Tips for Shopping & Reading Labels

Shopping at the grocery store can be a challenge at times because of the people and the changes the stores makes so you see new products. When you’re shopping for gluten-free products it can be an even bigger challenge. These foods may be placed in one section or they may be spread throughout the store, making it even more difficult.

One of the most important things to do when you’re looking for gluten-free items is to read the labels. You can’t assume a product doesn’t have gluten because more and more of them do or could potentially have gluten. It’s never a good idea to go to the store, make a purchase, and not look at the label.

You may think a product is ok to have because you read the label, but that may not always be the case. Manufacturers can change the ingredients or the way they make it at any time and they don’t necessarily have to tell you or make it known on the box that something’s changed. This is why it’s important to read the label every time you make the purchase, no matter what it is or how often you make the purchase.

It’s also important to know what to look for when reading labels. Just because a product is free of wheat doesn’t mean it’s gluten-free. Gluten is also in rye and barley so it’s important to look for those ingredients as well. You might consider creating a document you can print that contains all the ingredients you can’t have so you’re safe when making a purchase.

Trusting the label and the manufacturer may not be the right thing to do. Unless a manufacturer only makes gluten-free foods, it’s not a good idea to trust them. The reason is because they don’t know everything there is to know about gluten-free eating and what they may consider to be gluten-free may not actually be gluten-free. Some people think gluten free is only about wheat, but that’s not true. Since gluten can also be found in rye and barley it’s important to look for those items too because those are usually missed on the label.

Reading labels isn’t always the easiest thing to do since they have scientific names for certain ingredients or manufacturers want to keep their ingredients private so they can’t be reproduced easily. If there is any question at all about the ingredients you may want to contact the manufacturer. When you explain to them you must have gluten-free products and you want to purchase their products but can’t do it because you’re unsure of the ingredients they may be willing to tell you what’s in them so you can make an educated purchase.

Shopping at the store and reading labels on gluten-free products is a must when you need to be on this diet. It’s vital to your health you read labels all the time so you’re sure you’re purchasing and eating foods that are safe for you. It’s not worth the problems you’ll have if you eat something that has gluten in it, so it’s best to take the time to read the labels.