{"id":8283,"date":"2014-03-05T15:00:40","date_gmt":"2014-03-05T15:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/?p=8283"},"modified":"2014-03-05T20:19:28","modified_gmt":"2014-03-05T20:19:28","slug":"gluten-free-bakeries-satisfy-capital-cravings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/?p=8283","title":{"rendered":"Gluten-free bakeries satisfy capital cravings"},"content":{"rendered":"

The comforting, nostalgic smell of freshly baked bread is the first thing that hits you upon stepping into Peter de Hoog and Gaetan Portelance\u2019s Finally Gluten Free Foods bakery in the ByWard Market. The next is the realization that, despite the tantalizing aroma, there isn\u2019t a trace of wheat on the premises.<\/p>\n

\u2018You\u2019re catering to a very desperate audience.\u2019\u00a0\u2014 Charlotte Newton of Auntie Loo\u2019s Treats<\/p>\n

\"A
No grain, no pain. At Auntie Loo’s, foods like this decadent chocolate- chip cookie come from alternative flours such as sorghum and quinoa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally Gluten Free Foods is one of four bakeries in the capital where people with celiac disease can buy a loaf of gluten-free bread with complete certainty that it won\u2019t make them sick. While generally in North America the choices aren\u2019t extensive for the growing number of people who can\u2019t consume gluten\u00a0\u2014 the options often consisting of low-nutrient, expensive \u201cboxed\u201d foods, found in the frozen section of the grocery store\u00a0\u2014 Ottawa food retailers are slowly but surely meeting the demands of the developing niche.<\/p>\n

Celiac disease is the most severe form of gluten intolerance. Sufferers are unable to eat any foods containing or exposed to gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat and rye, because gluten hampers their bodies\u2019 ability to absorb other nutrients. The condition currently affects approximately one in 133 Canadians, according to the Canadian Celiac Association \u2014 a \u201cmodest\u201d figure, says De Hoog, since it doesn\u2019t account for less severe intolerances (such as non-celiac sensitivity and wheat allergy, which result in gastrointestinal discomfort or rashes) or for unreported cases. There aren\u2019t yet reliable statistics reflecting the increase in these less severe forms of gluten intolerance, but the buzz in public health discussion and in response to topical books like Wheat Belly<\/em> certainly hints the numbers are on the rise. In their 2002 book, Dangerous Grains<\/em>, James Braly, M.D., and Ron Hoggan estimate that 80 percent of people don\u2019t produce enough of the enzymes necessary to digest gluten; they just haven\u2019t put the pieces together yet. But when they do, there will be a lot of people unable to buy Wonder Bread anymore.<\/p>\n

\"Ottawa
A gluten for punishment? Certified gluten-free bakers think there should be more rigorous regulation of bakeries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re catering to a very desperate audience,\u201d says Auntie Loo\u2019s Treats baker Charlotte Newton. Intolerant to wheat herself, Newton says baked goods, particularly bread, are very difficult to give up entirely, and so many people who can\u2019t stomach gluten will seek alternative flours to satisfy their cravings. However, given the ease with which cross-contamination by gluten can occur \u2014 a single crumb or stray wheat flour particle can mean the difference for a celiac \u2014 shopping for gluten-free baked goods can sometimes be a minefield.<\/p>\n

The perils of purchasing gluten-free<\/p>\n

Right now there are four reliable gluten-free bakeries in Ottawa, according to De Hoog. Aside from his Finally Gluten Free Foods, he points to The Joy of Gluten Free, FUK (rhymes with \u201cfluke\u201d) Flour, and Strawberry Blonde as retailers that can guarantee products free from cross-contamination of wheat flour. Beyond this list, buyer beware.<\/p>\n

We would challenge places that advertise as gluten-free to prove it.\u2019 \u2014 Peter de Hoog of Finally Gluten Free Foods<\/p>\n

Located right beside Finally Gluten Free Foods on Nelson Street, Auntie Loo\u2019s offers some baked treats made with alternatives like chickpea and rice flour to accommodate customers with mild gluten intolerances, but because they have wheat flour in the kitchen, they warn buyers that all their products contain traces of gluten. Not all bakeries are as forthcoming:\u00a0Darren Potvin, a gluten-free community activist and owner of FUK Flour in Manotick, is critical of cross-contaminated bakeries that mislead customers by touting celiac-friendly baked goods. He has had customers in tears in his shop because they\u2019ve been given misinformation about other stores\u2019 products.<\/p>\n

\"Darren
“Live the Smart Way.” Darren Potvin and nutritionist Kathy Smart work together to give advice on a gluten-free lifestyle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cA lot of places are jumping on the bandwagon because [gluten-free] sells,\u201d Potvin says. \u201cBut they\u2019re not doing it right.\u201d At the moment, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for policing the designation of gluten-free facilities, but both Potvin and De Hoog say health inspectors just aren\u2019t holding Ottawa businesses to account. \u201cWe would challenge places that advertise as gluten-free to prove it,\u201d says De Hoog. He also encourages people to do their homework before buying gluten-free.<\/p>\n

Aside from bakeries, Ottawans can find ingredients for gluten-free cooking in several places. Most supermarkets offer packaged flours like Bob\u2019s Red Mill that are guaranteed gluten-free. There are also \u201cgluten-free\u201d sections cropping up in the freezer sections of some Ottawa supermarkets (Hartman\u2019s Independent, for example). The downside is that the price tag can be a bit steep \u2014 and ditto for products sold at Ottawa\u2019s four guaranteed gluten-free bakeries.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be savvy when buying gluten-free,\u201d says\u00a0Auntie Loo\u2019s\u00a0 baker Newton, who cites international supermarkets as a source for finding relatively inexpensive wheat flour alternatives. She says that at best, flours like spelt and chickpea can be around twice the price of wheat flour, but coconut, quinoa and sorghum flour can cost anywhere from three to five times as much.<\/p>\n

Finally Gluten Free baker Portelance says that their flours can cost up to four times as much as wheat flour because they have to be freshly milled and shipped immediately to avoid cross-contamination, which drives up costs. A loaf of Portelance\u2019s regular sandwich, rye or pumpernickel bread will set you back $7 (a wheat flour loaf of the same size at the grocery store might cost $3), but he says the extra few dollars are worth it because of his bread\u2019s nutritional value\u00a0\u2014 even aside from the fact that it\u2019s gluten-free.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t need more chemicals and crap. They need real food,\u201d Portelance says. His recipe took 600 attempts to perfect and contains two-thirds grains and seeds and one-third gluten-free starch. He claims it\u2019s more wholesome an option than \u201cgross,\u201d slightly less expensive gluten-free bread in the freezer section at the grocery store, which he says is made with modified tapioca starch, too much salt, added sugar and preservatives.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s gluten-free capital?<\/p>\n

Potvin of FUK Flour says Ottawa is one of Canada\u2019s leading cities in providing gluten-free options, bested only by Vancouver and Toronto. He attributes this in part to efforts by community activists to provide resources (advice and recipes, for example) for people who need help living gluten-free. He says that award-winning nutritionist Kathy Smart is a \u201clocal gluten-free celebrity\u201d who has been central in putting Ottawa on the map. Smart says that her gluten-free lifestyle show on Rogers TV, Live the Smart Way<\/em>, was the first of its kind in North America.<\/p>\n

In addition to support from Ottawa bakeries and nutritionists, Smart credits a strong Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association, as well as the sharing of relevant recipes and cooking tips among Ottawans, with helping to bring Ottawa to the fore \u2014 despite there being only four dedicated retailers here.<\/p>\n

\"Baker
Peter de Hoog says his bestseller is his “Amazing Sandwich Bread,” containing healthy ingredients and no gluten.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say we\u2019re better equipped [to provide gluten-free products] necessarily,\u201d Smart says. \u201cI just believe that there is a strong gluten-free community.\u201d As awareness grows regarding symptoms of gluten intolerance and celiac disease, the demand for necessary foods will also climb, she says.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the guys at Finally Gluten Free Foods say the community is meeting the need for the time being: Non-designated bakeries like Trillium, Bread and Roses and the Wild Oat provide gluten-free options for people with milder allergies and intolerances, and the four designated bakeries cater to the rest.<\/p>\n

As more people make the switch to a celiac-aware lifestyle, De Hoog says he can expect more designated gluten-free retailers to set up shop but isn\u2019t worried about the competition. \u201cWe\u2019ll need more places like mine that are going to diversify the market and offer people good-tasting food that\u2019s wholesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, as in any diet, the onus falls on the individual with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance to make good choices about what to eat. And Ottawa\u2019s gluten-free retailers have a unique opportunity, Potvin says: They\u2019re catering to a captive market \u2014 people who will likely jump on any substitute for wheat-based treats. Retailers can take advantage of the chance to make wholesome, fresh options for people who might otherwise have only unhealthy \u201cboxed\u201d products to turn to.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me,\u201d says Potvin, \u201cif you live out of a box, you\u2019ll just end up in one quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019d be surprised how well Ottawa compares to other Canadian cities, in meeting the burgeoning demand for gluten-free.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":8623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8283"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9211,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8283\/revisions\/9211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}