A popular brand of vodka (begins with “T”) advertises itself as “gluten free”. Now i know that gluten is in various grains, but once the mash is distilled, there cannot be ant gluten in any vodka. Is this correct?
And, gluten seems to be the most evil thing since DDT-how did it come to be the worst thing for you?
Pretty much - the chemists say yes, but some celiac sufferers say otherwise. Probably psychosomatic on the part of the drinkers.
It’s also BPA free, has no high fructose corn syrup, 0g of trans fatty acids, and, when combined with a balanced breakfast, will provide 18 essential vitamins and nutrients.
Hey, if Starbucks can advertise their popcorn as “100% Whole Grain,” anything goes.
Forget about gluten! After reading this from bup’s link…
…I think they ought to ban any drink called “Luv Shaq” on aesthetic grounds.
On the streets of Moscow, you will sometimes see members of the great proletariat chugging half-litres of vodka and muching potato chips at 7:00 in the morning. I shit you not!
Breakfast of champions!
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates the labeling of wine and distilled spirits. They are attempting to follow the rule put out by the FDA, who regulates labeling of food and beer. For now, the TTB doesn’t allow liquor to be labeled gluten free if it made from a gluten-containing ingredient like wheat or barley (PDF cite). It’s a little confusing: if the ingredient has been processed to remove gluten to below 20 ppm, then the final product can be labeled gluten free, but if the product itself is processed to remove the gluten, it can’t.
So vodka made from barley could say “gluten removed” with a description of the process used, but only vodka made from potatoes or some other non-gluten ingredient could actually be labeled “gluten free.”
Thank God.
That Everclear was beginning to take its toll…
I take it nobody in this thread so far has Celiac or knows anyone with that disease.
My best friend has it. It is certainly not psychosomatic. Crafted to remove gluten is meaningless for Celiac sufferers. Its still just as damaging to them. It takes one microscopic trace and you suffer intestinal damage and are sick for weeks.
Gluten sensitive is another discussion, but for those with Celiac this is immensely important and shouldn’t be trivialized.
My BFF is allergic to wheat, and has the same thing happen to him if he eats it. Gluten doesn’t affect him; it’s specifically wheat.
This is one reason I cringed (and LOL’d at the same time) last fall when “South Park” aired a new episode called “Gluten Free Ebola”. 
So that’s why I feel so horrible in the morning. It was the gluten all along!
The thing is, while Celiac’s disease is real, and gluten really is a Big Deal for people with it, the vast majority of people don’t have it, and for that vast majority, gluten is no worse than any other protein. If a gluten-free diet has benefits for a non-Celiac person, it’s just for the same reason that any fad diet works: It causes them to pay more attention to what they’re eating.
Non-woo cite that trace amounts of gluten can induce symptoms?
This. For Celiac sufferers, and those with an actual sensitivity to gluten, gluten-free foods are extremely important. However, they are a very small proportion of the population.
Most people who are now choosing to avoid gluten seem to have done so either because (a) they have self-diagnosed themselves as sensitive to glutens (and may well not be), or (b) they’ve decided that, because gluten causes problems for some people, it must inherently be bad, and something to be avoided at all cost.
The thing is, I’m allergic to wheat, not just gluten. And it’s not Celiac disease. Wheat gives me hives. So I’m very delighted that so many people are avoiding gluten, resulting in my being able to buy bread and crackers that I can eat at Walmart. Yay. Now if I could just get some other products (like beer and scotch) to tell me clearly if there’s wheat in their products or not. Not just gluten: wheat. Maybe some day. Meanwhile, I know I can drink brandy!
Marketing scam. I’ve seen “Gluten free” on a vast number of foods that have no business containing any, as they contain no grains at all. Gluten Free BACON! WOO!
Since I used the word psychosomatic, I assume this is directed at me. Celiac’s is not psychosomatic, of course. I know two people with it.
That said, crafted to remove gluten (like a beer) is different from distilled.
But, if your friend is one of the most sensitive people out there, and really wants vokda, go with potato vodka. It tastes better anyway.
I read the bolded part as ‘Og of trans fatty acids’ and wondered who he was. :smack:
Well, yes and no. Vodka, unlike bacon, can be made from either gluten-containing or non-gluten-containing ingredients. As long as there are people like Airbeck’s friend who believe they are affected by sub-ppm levels of gluten, it does serve a purpose to identify which type of vodka this is.
Tanqueray? Three Olives? Taaka? Tito’s?
Any particular reason you’re being vague?