Delightfully Gluten Free (TM)

Letter Campaign – Please Join Me

I have known, for quite some time, that there are products marked “gluten-free” on the shelves that do not meet the standards of the GFCO, and really should not be labeled as gluten-free at all.  However, until now, I had not known any specific names of products (other than the Deland and Sami’s Bakery breads that used to claim they are gf but actually contain high levels of spelt).

Because of the enlightenment I have gained by reading the Chicago Tribune article (and a suggestion from Cynthia Kupper), I have decided to start a letter-writing campaign to Wellshire Farms.

Cynthia helped me create a sample letter to send to Wellshire Farms. You may change it to reflect your personal thoughts.

I would like to explain something to you.  As many of you probably do, I feel betrayed by this company.  I know that many people will want to write them off completely, and never buy their products again.  But what I would like to see is a move forward, not backward.  There are not many gluten-free chicken nuggets and corn dogs available on the market.  For many people, Wellshire Farms is the only brand available to them.  And we all want MORE options, not less.

That is why I decided to encourage the company to become involved with the GFCO, the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (and yes, that was my idea – Cynthia added the explanation bit).  The GFCO has very high standards and rigorous testing policies.  For example, when they went to La Tortilla Factory to see if they could be certified, the GFCO actually went into the air ducts and tested the walls and the vents for gluten.  GFCO products are not just tested once, but all the time.  You can read about the certification and testing processes on their FAQ page.

I want to move forward, and I want more options.  And I want them to be SAFE.

So please join me in this campaign.  Use this letter, change it to fit your family, or write your own.  If you have a blog, please write about it and post a link here.  If you have a support group, please share this information with them.  If you are a grandparent of a child with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, or a wheat allergy, please send a letter, too.  We want our voices to be heard.

I have included the sample letter in a Microsoft Word document, and an Adobe PDF version for those who do not have Microsoft Word.

sample-letter-to-wellshire-farms

pdf-sample-letter-to-wellshire-farms


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7 responses to “Letter Campaign – Please Join Me”

  1. Cassandra Avatar

    My letter is in the mailbox awaiting pickup. Where’s yours?

  2. Emily Avatar

    This is a great idea, from the article I think that Wellshire Farms could definitely use some education! I wrote a post on this topic yesterday and will update to include a link to your post! Thanks for putting together a sample letter!

  3. Jamie Avatar

    Thank you!! My letter will be sent off ASAP!

  4. Amy Leger Avatar

    Amen to your passion. My feeling is the same. I’ve now done two posts on thesavvyceliac.com: When is Gluten Free Really Gluten Free? http://thesavvyceliac.com/2008/11/23/when-is-gluten-free-really-gluten-free/ and Reaction Just Beginning after Gluten-Free Product Investigation http://thesavvyceliac.com/2008/11/25/reaction-just-beginning-after-gluten-free-product-investigation/

    I currently have calls out to all of my local health food stores to see if they’re pulling them from the shelves…many of them don’t even know about the issue yet!
    Keep up the great work!

  5. […]  She had a blog post about an article she read in the Chicago Tribune.  You can read the post here about it.  In a nutshell, the article is about how some foods are labeled and sold as gluten free, […]

  6. Glutigirl Avatar
    Glutigirl

    I have posted to my blog and my letter is stamped, in the envelope and ready to go out in the morning!

  7. […] Gluten Free blog has started a letter writing campaign to Wellshire Farms and I think that sounds like a good idea.  It is important that they hear from […]