Cure for gluten intolerance?

I was looking over my Google alerts today and see that there may be an enzyme that may help gluten intolerant people. Here is the article from Reuters:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An enzyme has been recently identified that is able to degrade gluten in a laboratory simulation of the gastrointestinal tract.
If clinical trials bear out the findings, adding the enzyme to gluten-containing meals "might eliminate gluten toxicity, thus offering patients the possibility of abandoning (occasionally) their strict gluten-free diet," write the authors.
The enzyme, a prolyl endoprotease from Aspergillus niger, was recently shown to efficiently degrade gluten peptides and proteins in laboratory experiments, the authors explain. The enyzme's pH is compatible with that found in the stomach, and it is not broken down by gastric acid in the stomach.
Dr. C. Mitea from Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands and associates tested the enzyme in a system designed to closely mimic the human gastrointestinal tract, according to their report, published in the medical journal Gut.
The enzyme accelerated the digestion of glutenins and gliadins that are found in white bread, the authors report. After 90 minutes, the gluten proteins could no longer be detected. Without the enzyme, glutens persisted in the stomach for at least 120 minutes.
Similar results were obtained when a fast food meal was tested instead of white bread alone, the investigators say.
This enzyme treatment also completely abolished T-cell stimulatory activity found in untreated samples, the report indicates.
The results demonstrate that in the time that food is normally in the stomach, the enyzme led to "a complete disappearance of T-cell stimulatory peptides of gliadins and glutenins," the authors conclude.
They believe that this enzyme is a good candidate for clinical trials to see if it can remove all gluten toxicity, the researchers conclude. They add that the enzyme is available on an industrial scale.
SOURCE: Gut, January 2008.

It will probably take years for this to hit the market, even if it does prove to be successful, but it does show promise. But from a personal perspective I don't see what the big deal is. After living mostly gluten free for the past 9 years I can say that I don't miss gluten all that much. Sure I can take down a pizza, piece of chocolate pumpkin cake or burger if I want, but I find it increasingly rare when I do have such urges.

Eating gluten free, especially when I have Yvonne creating such scrumptous meals, is a joy. Our meals are more varied than before, I eat more things that are healthy and I feel better. Yvonne, being celiac, is under the constant burden of guilt, thinking I am forced to suffer because of her disease. The opposite is true. I feel worse when I eat things with gluten (other than soy sauce at a sushi bar) than I do when I eat gluten free.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "The best day of my culinary life was when she was diagnosed with ceilac." I hope the rest of you can experience the same.

TTYL

New gluten free products coming

The weather is cold, but the days are getting longer, so at least we are on the right side of winter. Up here in the chilly northwest our days differ greatly as the seasons change. One of the benefits of long nights is the great visibility of the moon. The last few nights the moon has been full and the nights are bathed in moonlight. At the marina it has been calm, clear and cold. Not many folks moving about and no wildlife is visible.
At the cookie plant things are humming. While packing pallets, trying to make enough cookies to keep up with orders, we trying to perfect the new and exciting flavors. Come spring we are anticipating adding two new delicacies to our family of pre formed cookie doughs. I am not at liberty to say exactly what they will be just yet, but I can guarantee you will be more than pleased with the choices.
We have been going through the processes it takes to perfect the new flavors. It is time consuming and in some cases difficult. After making small batches for months in the test kitchen, we now have to move to the production floor and see what modification we have to make to scale the recipes. Once that step is complete we have to make further adjustments to allow our equipment to properly work the dough and form it in a mannet suitable for your table.
The first of the two new flavors is nearing completion. The second will be worked on in the coming weeks. The photo shoot is scheduled for the labeling, the models are chosen and the label has been designed.
Once the label design in finalized, the photos chosen and sized, it will be sent to the printers. Initially we will apply labels to containers. Once the first runs are shipped we will pre print the containers for distribution.
It is a long process and I am happy to announce it is nearly complete. The goal is to introduce the new flavors at Expo West in March.
For those of you who are not familiar with Expo West, it is a food show held in Anaheim, CA that typically draws more than 45,000 attendees. That is a large show.
Last year gluten free products were an exciting part of the show and this year it looks like more additions will be there.
I am not sure how many people are following this blog, but if there is anything you would like me to include, please forward that on to me.
TTYL

Food Show

Just returned from a trip to Portland for the NW Food Manufacturing Show at the Convention Center (for those of you on the East coast, that is Portland, Oregon). This was the first trip for the new Hyundai and it performed as advertised. I was a little disappointed in the gas mileage, but on the way back it hit 24 mpg.
Did some visiting and got educated on new machines and software for the plant. We are looking at bringing everything in house and that will entail adding an ERP solution. I have been searching for something online rather than purchasing software. If anyone knows of a good provider that can bring something similar to salesforce.com to the manufacturing world, please send it on.
Our plans this year are pretty aggressive and it will mean adding some significant pieces of machinery. We are going to move beyond cookies (but please look for some new delights that will hit the shelves in the next few months) and that means a complete revamp of the facility. I can't say just yet what the new additions will be, but rest assured they are something most of you will enjoy.

I spent the first night in Portland with my father who was visiting my younger sister, or so he thought. Just before Christmas my sister and partner drove to Walla Walla (yes people actually live in Walla Walla, Washington) and returned with the parents under the guise of spending Christmas and a few weeks away from the cold weather. Turns out my older sister had arranged for a week respite for the girls in Hawaii, leaving my dad under the watchful eye of Dave.
Now my father has been suffering from a degenerative bone disease for a few years (he is approaching 87) and it has progressed to where it is very painful for him to move around much. I think he has been celiac as he has many of the symptoms, but the doctors in Walla Walla say they have tested him and the results were negative. But for those of you "in the know" doesn't someone who has never been over 140 pounds (at 6 foot tall), had chronic diarrhea, is aenemic, and now has osteoporosis, sound like they are celiac? Sure does to me.
Anyway the trip to Hawaii was a big success and mother came back feeling much better and relaxed.
So after an all night flight from Honolulu to Portland, I bundled the folks up and drove them to Walla Walla. While they were away there was a huge windstorm that took down many branches from their trees, but thanks to great neighbors, when we pulled up it looked like the lawn man had just driven away. Everything was in order and no damage was reported. That is the way this world should work, with neighbor looking after neighbor. I was impressed and grateful.
After returning the next day to Portland (a 4 hour drive) I returned to my sister's and had a wonderful salmon dinner.
The next day I was up early and at the Convention Center for what was billed as a Big Show! Well big is was not. I walked the entire show at least 3 times and talked to a number of companies and still was out the door before 3pm.
I did learn a number of things and got some great information on the expansion we are planning.
It also freed me up for the next day to make some sales calls in the Portland area.
We are in all the Whole Foods, New Seasons and most of the Market of Choice stores in the area, in addition to others. I was encourged to see the product on the shelf in the frozen dessert sections of these fine establishments. Our new packaging is starting to arrive with the Chip Chip Hooray in all stores and it should be followed soon by the other three flavors.
I saw around a dozen stores and was gratified to see not only ours, but a growing number of other gluten free products. Our industry is becoming more mainstream. I like to say that our cookies will stand toe-to-toe with a gluten infested product any day of the week. Our flavor is better and nothing beats a Real Cookie fresh from the oven.
I left Portland and had a beautiful drive back to Anacortes, WA where I spend many nights aboard our sailboat. The wind has been constant this year and I've had too many nights where I have been awakened by the howling of rigging, tossing of the boat, and general melee of a storm to deal with. Lat night was none of that, it was calm, cool and delivered a restful night sleep. I hope to enjoy another of those tonight.
Here at the plant we have been making a lot of peanut butter cookies. Our crew has been making and packing thousands of these little gems for a customer.
I have been looking into ways to do more recycling as we go through a lot of plastic pails (the peanut butter comes in 35 pound tubs) and ran across a company in northern California that may be the answer.
We are pretty keen on doing as much as we can to recycle and be as friendly as possible to our mother earth. BTW if any of you are in the area and are in need of a good plastic pail, don't go to Home Depot and buy one, just drop by and I'll give you as many as you can use.
I am looking forward to a weekend off to get a few projects done around the ranch. My finger is pretty well healed and I should be able to do some of the things I have been avoiding the last few weeks.
Hope your new year is starting off in a banner fashion.
TTYL

Happy New Year

Well we're back. After a great trip seeing the children and grandchildren it is now time to get back to the old grindstone.

Went to the doctor yesterday to see how old age is affecting me. So far so good. I am trying to lose a few pounds (working in a cookie factory hasn't been the best for a diet) and I need to cut down on the salt. Oh well, that sounds pretty simple.

What is not quite as easy is finding a restaurant that serves food sans salt. At home we eat gourmet which means more calories, but even that is flexible. The doctor said the South Beach diet would be better than the Atkins diet for my body type. I have done the Atkins a few times with good results, I have never looked at the South Beach Diet.

He also suggested I eat a bran muffin every morning and I said that was not possible as my wife is celiac. His response was but you're not so what's the problem? I told him we had a gluten free household and cross contamination was an issue. He looked at me like I was the crazy one. I don't understand how a medical professional in today's society would not know that a lot of celiacs cannot stomach even a hint of gluten. I was going to give him the short lecture, but instead handed him a business card and said go the to site (http://www.glutenfreeda.com/) and see how well your wheat and gluten free patients can have it.

It is surprising how many people are becoming aware of celiac. Since Yvonne was diagnosed in 1999 things have really changed. I give out a card almost daily to someone who has or knows someone with celiac. It is heartening to see the change and be a part of it.

I'm not sure if any of you are aware of it, but we are now available in over 450 stores throughout the west and mountain states. We just were placed in the Fred Meyer stores in the NW in a new gluten free section. Please go out and support us. It is to your benefit to have as many successful items in these sections as possible. The stores are trying to help us, but we need to support their efforts by purchasing the products. If they don't turn fast enough they will drop them for more conventional foods.

I am going to the Northwest Food Manufacturing and Packaging Exposition in Portland, Oregon this weekend. It should be interesting. I'll try to take a few photos and report on it when I return.

If you have any questions, please post them and I'll do my best to get an answer back to you.

TTYL