Posted by glutenfr | Posted in Events, New products, News | Posted on 29-08-2012
Tags: coeliac, gluten free expo, New products
From Eskal’s stand
The sweets and treats were back out in force at this year’s gluten free expo in Sydney, but there were also a swag of new twists on traditional staples to draw in the crowds.
Old favourites like Eskal and Schar rubbed shoulders with some new suppliers, including an increasing number of gluten-free bakeries spruiking a tasty arsenal of breads, rolls and treats.
(We plan to dedicate an entire post to this soon, so we’ll say no more for now).
The most noteworthy development at the show, however, was the official launch of the new CountryLife range of bread which is stocked by the major retail chains.
We have already posted a little on this, but as promised, we spoke to the company to find out what’s new with these loaves.
Obviously the change in status of the nut declaration on the packet was a concern for some. The packet on the loaves that don’t contain almond meal (The Low GI and Fruit loaves do) suddenly said their contents might contain almonds – when previously they had simply said they were manufactured in the same facility.
New CountryLife low GI loaf (right)
However the man we spoke to on the CountryLife stand explained that this was simply a packaging issue and that none of their processes had changed. But obviously if you do have problems with nuts, this would be worth investigating further.
We also asked him about the addition of soy and the preservative 282 to the loaves. (You can read more about the problems associated with 282 on the Fed Up food intolerance website.) He told us that the company has decided the demand for a more ‘realistic’ loaf outweighs the apparently lesser risk of intolerance to the additive builing up among sensitive children and adults.
I don’t know the science, but we do intend to do some more digging because it seemed that an increasing number of gluten free baked goods at the show included this ingredient. When it comes to the odd encounter, our children do seem okay with it, but for a product you are likely to give them on a daily basis, I would personally prefer a product without it given the problems that have been associated with it.
Marvellous lemon meringue pie
That said, we really liked the taste of the new Low GI loaf, but not all of our readers have been so happy with the new recipes, so we’d be curious to know what others think.
In other news, we were thrilled the see the makers of the Healthy Feast range back in business at the show. They are now trading under the name Everyday Goodness and while they don’t have a physical shop anymore, they are now selling their delectable lemon meringue pies through markets and distributors and direct to consumers online.
And the new Cocky Chef Bakehouse has also begun selling its pies and bread through markets, cafes and retailers, so hopefully we’ll all start see more gluten-free options when dining out and about.
Melinda with her new red velvet cake.
There was also a nice array of new packet mixes from established players. The two products that caught my (greedy) eye were a red velvet cake from Melinda’s (the lady in Pink behind the gluten-free brand) and a self-saucing chocolate pudding from Orgran.
There was also a yummy new swiss roll mix and a very instant (just add milk and stir) custard mix from Well and Good and I think I also spotted a new frozen gluten-free pizza base from the Pastry Pantry crew (though I haven’t seen it in any shops yet).
Click here to see other scheduled gluten-free shows this year around Australia.
Lucy
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So much food, too little stomach space! I didn’t get to taste everything because I got so full so quickly (and didn’t eat breakfast or lunch that day)!
I did like the Country Life bread but I bought 3 loaves of Zehnder bread for $10 because that’s a great price, and I wanted to support a small company rather than an enormous one.
Was the Everyday Goodness Company selling their cakes, etc. or were they just there for display? Every time I went past I noticed they were unpacking cakes but not offering any.
The new Freedom Foods products are so sugary!
I love Naturally Good biscuits; I’ve always loved that brand.
We whipped around fairly quickly so didn’t notice whether or not cakes were actually on sale at Everyday Goodness – but glad to know they are back should we have a lemon meringue-type emergency.
We love Naturally Good too!
What did you think of the Zehnder bread?
I like the Zehnder bread but I think some other brands are a bit more bendy and less prone to falling apart.
But I’m not a real sandwich eater though – I have bread once every few months. My problem is I just can’t fit enough vegetables, chicken or meat in a sandwich, so even wheat bread used to fall apart!
Avocado on toast is the only way I eat bread these days. I just love protein and veggies too much, so it’s easier to eat them on a plate with a knife and fork!
I’d rather spend my carbs on biscuits or Mamee snacks. 
Boo to Country Life for trying to make preservatives sound innocuous, I think preservatives should be banned from all foods, especially those we give our kids. I make Lauke’s bread every week for my girl as it is the only one I’ve found in a rural area that doesn’t have preservatives or maize flour. We use it for everything!
Agreed!
I have just recently been devouring the new country life loaves along with my son who is a SUPER sensitive Coeliac. i am shocked and thankful to read about the preservative 282 as i had noticed a change in his behaviour and concentration and thought he must have been eating something different at school, but it’s the bread! he also said to me yesterday he was sure i had had gluten as i was so cranky lately hmmm they’re very perceptive these kids. thank you thank you for your wonderful information. it certainly makes me question every label again, even the ones i was feeling comfortable about. sadly we won’t be buying country life again.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. We’re sorry to hear about your son’s reaction but really glad to hear you have got to the bottom of it!
What is “Mamee snacks”? Sorry for the blinkers, but I am a mum of 3 under 4 with the 3 year old a coeliac…very little time to blog (or anything else!)
It is a food brand: http://www.mamee.com.au/products-healthy.html
Just wondering if anyone has made the Melindas red velvet cake? I’ve just made cupcakes and was less than impressed with the flavour of the cake or the icing…very bland