If you’ve been to Safeway recently, you may have noticed new tags on their shelves. These tags are part of their Simple Nutrition program which is designed to help you make better nutrition choices. It includes a “Gluten Free” tag category. You can view and read about the other shelf tags here.
It is important to note that the gluten-free category is defined by products that are identified as gluten-free by the manufacturer. Since there are no laws currently regulating the use of the term “gluten free” on labels, you still need to use caution and read labels.
Also, keep in mind that many products at the grocery store are gluten free, but are not identified as such by the manufacturer, and therefore will not have a gluten free tag such as this pineapple.
The tags can be helpful, particularly for people new to the gluten-free diet. While I have never known any ketchup to contain gluten, it might be helpful to some to see that a particular brand is identified as gluten free by the manufacturer.
It’s probably more helpful with items that do often contain gluten, such as frosting. Many cans of frosting have wheat listed on the label, but some brands are gluten free. In years past I have stood in the isle reading lots of frosting labels. Having tags that identify gluten-free items does not eliminate the need to read labels, but it narrows down how many you need to read.
There is also the possibility that an item will be tagged wrong or that you will misunderstand which product the label is referring to. So please, don’t depend entirely on these labels. They should be a time saving guide but not your sole source of information for determining if a product is gluten free.
The Giveaway: I have a $25 Safeway gift card (provided by Safeway) to give to one reader. The giveaway is limited to US residents.
To enter you must leave a comment on this post, not on my Facebook page and not an email. If you receive my updates by email, click on the title and it will take you to my blog page where you can leave a comment.
Leave a separate comment for each entry:
- Leave a comment on this post.
- Subscribe via email or RSS (or tell me you already do)
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page
- Mention this giveaway in a blog post
- Tweet about the giveaway (include @gfhomemaker)
- The giveaway will end on Friday, March 25th at 11:00 pm eastern time. The winner will have 24 hours to respond after being contacted. The winner will be posted on my Facebook page.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a $25 gift card that I used while checking out the Simple Nutrition tags. The opinions in this post are my own.
yes please!
I haven’t tried any French Meadow Bakery products.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
I’m a subscriber
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I have never tried any French Meadow Bakery products
I am a subscriber.
I am a subscriber
I have not tried French Meadow products…yet!
I just tried French Meadow Bakery’s tortillas and brownies and reviewed them on my Examiner page.
I subscribe to your blog via email.
Hey Linda, that’s a positive change in my opinion, but, yes, caution must always be used. I’m not entering the giveaway, but did want to let you know that Heinz Organic ketchup is NOT gluten free per Heinz’s website: http://www.myheinz.com/faq.asp
Shirley
I haven’t tried any French Meadow Products…but I’m open to it!
I have never tried any French Meadow products before.
I am subscribed to you!
I posted this giveaway on Facebook 🙂
I follow you on Twitter @TXsweeper and tweeted:
http://twitter.com/#!/TXSweeper/status/49505009867554818
I have never seen French Meadow Bakery products in my area.
I haven’t tried French Meadow Bakery products.
I subscribe to your emails.
tweet-http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/49508225300692992
I have not yet tried any French Meadow Bakery products.
blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com
I have not tasted any French meadow products
I subscribe to your feed!
I noticed this for the first time the other day (my local safeway is called Vons). I think it’s great more stores are getting on board, yahoo!
I am a subscriber to your emails, and really enjoy them. Good news about Safeway’s new gluten free tags! I shop at Market of Choice where they also have the tags. What a time saver for me!
I also subscribe to your emails and enjoy your facebook updates. Thanks for keeping us up to date!
I shop at Safeway frequently, and when they first started putting up the tags I found them to be fairly useful (even if it’s just for quickly locating where what I want- Lundenburg’s rice cakes in the shelf of rice cakes, for example- are). I’d love a gift certificate!
-Andrea
skidownthehill at yahoo dot com
nice to see this, also nice to see that my store has started carrying more gf brands…I see they suddenly have udi’s and rudi’s bread in the freezer.
I would love to win this! (I mean, who wouldn’t?) 🙂
Hi Linda! I am a subscriber
I just tweeted about your review and giveaway
I need a gift card! Pick me pick me please!
wow! That is so great to have some visual cues while shopping. We pretty much know our gf brands now, but it is nice to have these available. =0)
Yeah to Safeway…
It’s great to see the chain food stores catching on!
I can stretch that $25 far at Safeway!
I subscribe in RSS reader.
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/?status=Safeway%E2%80%99s%20Simple%20Nutrition%20Review%20%26%20Giveaway%20http%3A%2F%2Fj.mp%2FfyLNds%20via%20%40AddToAny#!/MoneywiseMoms/status/49843179834441728
It has been great to see at my local Safeway in Denver. Things are beginning to change.
Yay, what a great step for Safeway!
I’m a subscriber!
Cheers to Safeway and getting ahead of the game (or at least ahead of so many other grocery stores)!!
I’m an RSS follower!
I have not tried the French Meadow Bakery products. I have not seen these products in my area. I would love to try them if I see them.
I subscribe to your emails!!! I love them!!!
I just shared this giveaway on my Facebook page.
A big thank you goes out to Safeway for making our gluten free lives a whole bunch easier!
thanks for the chance
nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net
Safeway is our first choice for regular grocery shopping.
I am a subscriber. I love your blog!!! a lot of great recipes and useful tips and info. that i am thankful for. thanks for the opportunity. and thanks for all that you do!!!!!!!!!!!
I love Safeway’s GF rotisserie chicken!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway – I’m just starting to explore gluten free living!
I think it is a great program that Safeway is taking part in. This really makes it easier with people who have to eat within certain guidelines due to allergies, etc.!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
I am an RSS Subscriber!
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
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Interesting tags. I don’t often shop at Safeway, but I’ll pay more attention the next time I’m in.
yay enter me please!
aigcanada7 {at} hotmail (dot) com
subscriber via rss reader for google reader (chrinahxxxx@..)
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Thanks for the giveaway. I always read the labels carefully, as I am sensitive to corn.
http://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/51441658016968704
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=193842723987738&id=520433979
I’m a subscriber by email.
I subscribe to your emails.
I sometimes shop at Safeway, a gift card would be great!
I haven’t tried any of the French Meadows products yet, but saw some at Sprouts last week. They had the brownies, will have to try some soon!