One of the Top 10 Rules for people with celiac disease: Never take anyone else's word for what's gluten-free. Before you eat or drink something, check the label, call the manufacturer, and don't believe what some other internet user tells you in a forum or bulletin board -- even here on my site. Always double-check for yourself.
Why am I telling you this?
Recently I heard a story that horrified me. On a page on this site where readers share information on their favorite gluten-free beers, one reader had written that Moosehead beer is gluten-free. Another reader read that, went out and bought some, and then became very sick because in fact Moosehead beer isn't gluten-free at all. (I've removed that information from the page now.)
Everyone here at About.com is extremely committed to accuracy, and that's especially true for all the sites on the Health Channel. All the Guides on About.com's Health Channel (like me) are closely supervised by a Medical Review Board of physicians who check our medical material before it's allowed to be posted online. Unlike all the other Health Channel pages, however, our User Answer pages -- like the "Favorite Gluten-Free Beer" page -- are not written by a Guide and not reviewed by the Medical Board. User Answer pages are relatively new on About.com. They were introduced because we want readers to know we consider their opinions to be important, too -- but it's important for everyone to remember that User Answer pages are just that: other people's opinions and stories.
As of today, I've added the following warning to all my User Answer pages, even those that don't address food issues:
Please remember! Suggestions from others can be helpful, but comments from readers are not double-checked for accuracy. Make sure to research any suggestions before putting them to use, and always double-check the gluten-free status of any recommended product.
In the meantime, please keep on visiting our User Answer pages and sharing your experience with other readers.
- Gluten-Free Airplane Food: Reader Reviews
- Gluten-Free Summer Camp Experiences
- How Do You Cope?
- Favorite Gluten-Free Cookbooks
- Favorite Gluten-Free Pizzas
- Favorite Gluten Free Cereal
Hi Nancy — Thanks for publishing this. I could not agree with your more. I have been publishing a site at http://www.gluten-freebrands.blogspot.com and my policy is that I do not add a brand to my site unless the manufacturer has explicitly said something is “gluten-free”. Furthermore, I am pushing that say this in plain site on their packaging.
Have a nice Thanksgiving!
William Beverly
Gluten-Free Simplicity.com
Nancy,
Your blog is fantastic. I absolutely adore the way you reach out to those with celiac disease and give hope to everyone needing some help. I love the fact that you include recipes.
My friend Lisa Lundy and her family have been changed forever by this disease, since her daughter was born. She is also advocated to helping others with the gluten-free lifestyle and has written a fantastic cookbook.
Visit her site at http://www.thesuperallergycookbook.com to see what she has to offer!
Thanks for writing such an amazing blog.