Reporting Gluten-Free Issues In Canada

Gluten-Free Standards

In Canada, a gluten-free manufacturer is expected to ensure that no gluten containing grains are present as an ingredient and that all ingredients used in the manufacture of a gluten-free product are indeed gluten-free and have not been cross contaminated in any way. Meaning gluten-free equals gluten-free. Not maybe, or almost, but entirely gluten-free.

What Can You Report?

• Foods containing gluten, being sold as gluten-free 
• An adverse reaction you've had following the consumption of gluten-free food
• Restaurants/bakeries which market gluten containing items as gluten-free
• Food falsely advertised in print as gluten-free

How To Report Your Concerns

Please report your concerns to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). They are responsible for enforcing the labelling regulations that are set by Health Canada. Once they have your complaint, they will investigate further. 

Contact your local CFIA regional office or call the following toll-free number 1-800-442-2342.

You can also use this online form to report your food safety or labelling concern.

What Will Happen

When you make a complaint, the CFIA will open a case file and launch a food safety investigation. A representative from the agency will contact you and may visit your home. A home visit is necessary for retrieval of leftover food in question. A sample will then be sent to a lab to be analysed. They may also visit the store which you purchased the item in question at to collect more samples.

You will be asked for 

• Brand Name Of Product 
• Size, Universal Product Code (UPC), Best Before Date 
• Name and Address Of The Store where product Was Purchased At 
• Purchase Date(s) 
• Home Address (ensures your inquiry reaches the correct CFIA regional office) 
• Daytime Phone Number so an inspector can reach you

Please keep any remaining product as a sample may be needed for investigation

You're Making A Difference

Speaking up and voicing your concerns is priceless. I cannot stress enough how important this is. Every complaint is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

 Thanks to our help, the CFIA is able to:

- Issue Food Recalls

- Implement Label Updates
- Provide Allergen Safety Alerts
- Prevent Companies From Engaging In Misleading Advertising
- Notify Manufactures About Allergen Protocol



Did you know that you can sign up for food recall warnings via email? There's also a handy web application  which you can download free of charge, to stay up to date as well.

Review: Love with Food Subscription Box

Gluten-free snacks are my weakness. Anything that can fit into my purse or jacket pocket is on my radar. Always. It's part of Celiac survival and a necessary habit. No one wants to be in a situation where they're hungry and safe gluten-free food is simply not available. I've been there a couple of times and it's a fun thief, that's for sure. Although finding safe snacks to carry with me is fairly easy, it's a struggle to find snacks that are not always, well, junk food.

Canada is now part of the Love with Food party

I'm so very happy to share with you that Love with Food has expanded internationally and now ships to over 25 countries. That's right, Canadians can order their very own Love with Food snack subscription box! This is a great way to explore mostly American goodies and brands previously unavailable in the Canadian market. Items curated are not only gluten-free but organic or all-natural, with no artificial junk! Yay for snacking without guilt!

Canadian's can choose from 2 subscription boxes

• The Deluxe Box, a sampling of 16-20 new surprise snacks starting at $16.50 USD/month,

• The Gluten-Free Box, a sampling of 10-12 surprise celiac-safe and mostly dairy-free snacks starting at $19.99 USD/month.

If you purchase a subscription through my link, I will receive a small compensation and you will get your very first Love with Food by G-Free Foodie Gluten-Free Box at 25% off. Thank's for supporting Gluten-Free Doll and allowing me to share my gluten-free adventures with you!

Each box comes with a pamphlet that details the items featured for the month. Social media information for the included brands is highlighted as well. I really like this idea! Plus, you will also find a few surprise coupons! Pretty awesome, right?

 My Thoughts

• They really pack in as many goodies as they possibly can
• Not only is the curated food on the healthier side, it's extremely flavorful as well
• A monthly subscription is a time-saving way to enjoy hard to find gluten-free treats without the hassle of store hopping
• It's a great way to enjoy Celiac safe snacks minus the guilt since everything selected is on the healthier side
• It won't break the bank. That's right, there are no hidden costs and you can cancel at any time. For me personally, that's pretty comforting because we all have different tastes and expectations
• You get to sample an ever-changing selection of great products without a big commitment 
• Variety - there is an array of snacks
• Travel-friendly, great for car rides, camping and all sorts of adventures away from home

I loved everything in the box, but I certainly do have my favourites. The Luna Protein Berry Greek Yogurt Bar (soo good, guys!) and Pure Growth Organic Popcorn (totally addicting!) were a fantastic change from what I am used to snacking on. 

As someone who travels from time to time, it's important for me to bring along "just in case, safe snacks" so it's pretty convenient that the Love with Food subscription box is full of shelf-stable food. Everything I received is travel-friendly and the only item that requires even minimal effort is the Sorghum Pilaf. It's literally as simple as boiling a pot of water.

Love with Food gives back

On top of curating ah-mazing gluten-free snacks, Love with Food is a company that gives back. For each box purchased Love With Food will spread goodness by donating a portion of the proceeds to Canadian food banks to help fight world hunger. How great is that?! It gets better - with every American box subscription, a donation is made to American food banks. It warms my heart to see a company giving back to those who need it most. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Love with Food's passion for helping those in need by providing them with a meal.

* Love with Food  provided me with a subscription box to review. As always, all opinions are my own.*

Recipe : Strawberry Summer Trifle

Have you ever made something on a whim, just to see how it turns out? That's what I did yesterday! I made Strawberry Trifles. The whole process felt like a science experiment as I wasn't quite sure what I was doing really. But hey, the dessert turned out splendid! I've even had requests from my family to make more.

This recipe is fantastic for a Summer dessert as zero heat is required. It's creamy, refreshing, light and just a little bit of indulgence. Plus, cleanup is also a breeze! 

Want The Recipe?

Keep scrolling :)

You Will Need

• 1 box of Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding & Pie Filling
• 2 1/2 Cup Cold Milk
• 1 1/2 Cup Whipping Cream
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• Strawberries
• 5 Cookies, Crumbled

Instructions

This recipe makes 5-6 portions

To Make Whipped Cream

Combine 1 1/2 Cup Whipping Cream,2 Tbsp Sugar & 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract in a large bowl. Stir enough to gently marry everything. That's it for now, but ensuring everything is cold is super important. Next, put the beaters from a hand mixer in the bowl and cover with saran wrap.
Place bowl, in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once chilled, beat with hand mixer until stiff peaks form. To see what this looks like, have a look at my recipe for Easy Black Forrest Cake .

Vanilla Pudding

Now, you will need to prepare the Jell-O Instant Pudding. This is super simple. Just follow the directions on the box. It's literally combining the mix with milk and allowing it to set for a few moments.

Strawberries

Wash and slice up the strawberries any way you like. I personally prefer to cut them into quarters.

The Cookies

Store bought cookies will do just fine here. I had some homemade ones on hand so that is what I used. You don't need to smash the cookies to dust or anything like that. We're going for a chunky crumble. Place cookies in a big Ziplock bag and crush. A rolling pin or even your hands will work just fine.

Some Assembly Required

1. Place a layer of the cookie crumble on the bottom of dish or dishes
2. Next, add some of the pudding 
3. Place a layer of cut strawberries on top of pudding
4. Top with our homemade whipped cream
5. Repeat steps 2,3 &4
6. Finish with a final layer of pudding
7. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top
8. Place a halved strawberry on the whipped cream
9. Let chill in fridge for one hour

What is your favourite Summer dessert?!