Have you been to the grocery store lately? Can you believe what is happening to the price of food? It used to be that gluten free foods we thought to be high priced, but today it seems everything is going up up and away.
In the manufacturing business it is our job to source the best ingredients at the best possible price. That requires us to shop for suppliers who meet our specifications and pricing. Both are getting more difficult to accomplish.
As an example, walnuts. We use a fair amount of walnuts in our Chip Chip Hooray cookie dough. Since October our wholesale price has increased 61%. Now I know that our valued inhalers of our fabulous cookie dough will not stand for those kind of increases, so I have had to find other ways to save. We have increased efficiencies and are constantly looking for better values, again without sacrificing anything in quality and taste.
By the way, you should all be aware that there are a number of large sugar (brown sugar) growers who are going to start using GMO sugar beets in their products. Now there is quite a debate going on as to the pros and cons of using GMO (genetically modified organisims) plants. The real rub here is there is no requirement for these growers and manufacturers to tell you they are using GMO's. So you will have no idea whether they are in your food or not. We have instructed our supplier to source our brown and white sugar from companies that only use non-GMO products. Please contact your sugar company and request they do not use GMO.
Back to the pricing issue. A lot of the reason for the increase in prices is being blamed on the government subsidies on corn. Subsidies that were being paid to peanut farmers, dairies and others are being redirected to corn production in hopes it will stimulate the production of ethonol. The result is more acreage is being pulled from producing other products and is being converted to corn. The taking of subsidies has forced those farmers to increase prices and the increase in corn acreage has taken acres away from other crops. The impact is at the checkout counter in higher prices. The double whammy is the increase in oil prices which has driven up the cost to farm an acre. All in all the forecast is for food prices to rise rather steeply and they may never come down. Time will tell.
If you are a gluten free consumer this may have a slight advantage. It is possible that the price increases will affect the mainstream market more than the gluten free market. Grain prices are rising, and that will raise the price of staples such as bread. Soon we may be paying more in parity with mainstream products. Our products won't come down, but hopefully they will not rise as quickly as traditional wheat based products.
If you have any other information concerning this topic, please post it here. It is nice to get other input.
TTYL
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Gaining weight while gluten free
Hey what's the story here? I have been going mostly gluten free for quite a while now and I was hopeful that some weight may shed from this "Oh you're not obese" body. But noooo! Instead I am still fighting the weight problem.
Now I'm not exceedingly overweight. I'm 6'2" and top the scales at 225. Ideally I would be around 190, but I haven't seen under 200 in decades (yeah I'm no spring chicken either). I have successfully tried the Atkins diet twice. Both times I knocked off 20 plus pounds and they stayed off for more than a year each time. This time it isn't working.
Maybe its being around cookies all day. I don't indulge often, but when we bake them up I often can't resist, but never more than one a day (okay occassionally two).
I am in a weight loss contest that I initiated in November. We need to lose 25 pounds by the end of Febraury. In past times that would have been a shoe in. This time it is just not coming off. I have less than 4 weeks and have lost only 5 pounds. Now 10 days ago I had that number down to 12 to 13 pounds, but Yvonne and I spent most of those days together and she is one who believes in 3 squares a day. For me 3 squares equals one big round (all around my middle).
You know many think that going gluten free is going to give them an Atkins like result. The truth is gluten free does not mean calorie or fat free. Gourmet is gourmet, whether you add grain or not.
So what is the answer? I know you're going to say, eat less, exercise more and keep the stress down. Well I can eat less, if I have to cook for myself on the boat (it's tough in a one butt kitchen that is usually sitting at a 30 degree angle). I can exercise more, but only if I want to go to the club after 11 hours at the plant (and that cuts into my cigar time), and as for stress, try starting a new food company, living away from home 4 days a week, away from the wife and pets and not enjoy a modicum of stress.
So I guess the time has come to go naturally gluten free. Nothing will pass these robust lips except seafood, vegetables and the occassional Real Cookie (its work related).
If you find yourself in need of shedding a few inches, don't think that going gluten free is the panacea, even gluten free you will have to watch what you eat.
On a different subject, Yvonne and I do not get television. It's been over 6 years now since we received a signal at the house (or boat). But we do watch a lot of DVD's. I understand that Lost began season four this week. So in celebration we are starting to rewatch season 1 and 2. Surprisingly I have forgotten much of what went on way back then and I hope to be back on top of things by the time I purchase season 3. If you're a fan, keep me posted on any new happenings.
TTYL
Now I'm not exceedingly overweight. I'm 6'2" and top the scales at 225. Ideally I would be around 190, but I haven't seen under 200 in decades (yeah I'm no spring chicken either). I have successfully tried the Atkins diet twice. Both times I knocked off 20 plus pounds and they stayed off for more than a year each time. This time it isn't working.
Maybe its being around cookies all day. I don't indulge often, but when we bake them up I often can't resist, but never more than one a day (okay occassionally two).
I am in a weight loss contest that I initiated in November. We need to lose 25 pounds by the end of Febraury. In past times that would have been a shoe in. This time it is just not coming off. I have less than 4 weeks and have lost only 5 pounds. Now 10 days ago I had that number down to 12 to 13 pounds, but Yvonne and I spent most of those days together and she is one who believes in 3 squares a day. For me 3 squares equals one big round (all around my middle).
You know many think that going gluten free is going to give them an Atkins like result. The truth is gluten free does not mean calorie or fat free. Gourmet is gourmet, whether you add grain or not.
So what is the answer? I know you're going to say, eat less, exercise more and keep the stress down. Well I can eat less, if I have to cook for myself on the boat (it's tough in a one butt kitchen that is usually sitting at a 30 degree angle). I can exercise more, but only if I want to go to the club after 11 hours at the plant (and that cuts into my cigar time), and as for stress, try starting a new food company, living away from home 4 days a week, away from the wife and pets and not enjoy a modicum of stress.
So I guess the time has come to go naturally gluten free. Nothing will pass these robust lips except seafood, vegetables and the occassional Real Cookie (its work related).
If you find yourself in need of shedding a few inches, don't think that going gluten free is the panacea, even gluten free you will have to watch what you eat.
On a different subject, Yvonne and I do not get television. It's been over 6 years now since we received a signal at the house (or boat). But we do watch a lot of DVD's. I understand that Lost began season four this week. So in celebration we are starting to rewatch season 1 and 2. Surprisingly I have forgotten much of what went on way back then and I hope to be back on top of things by the time I purchase season 3. If you're a fan, keep me posted on any new happenings.
TTYL
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