Barley Grass Is It Gluten Free?

So for a few months I have been drinking Bolthouse Farms' Green Goodness® smoothie because of the vitamin and mineral benefits (way better than a multivitamin!). Recently my Dad and sister have taken to it as well, both of them are eating GF.

So I look to the ingredient label (a good habit) and I have a bit of a start as is barley grass is plainly listed... Wait, barley? Meaning the same barley which contains gluten!!! I took a deep breath. No not the same, I told myself, this is 'barley grass' meaning the leaf not the seed/grain. Whew! Relief swept my body.

But does that mean barley grass is gluten free? Hmm... I did a quick search and this is what I found: "Wheat grass and barley grass in their pure forms are considered gluten-free," (oh here comes that dreaded word) however, "if a farmer allows some of the grasses to begin producing seeds prior to harvest, then that particular crop will contain gluten.

"In addition, if a manufacturer of supplements produces gluten-containing products alongside or on the same equipment as it's using for gluten-free labeled products, then those products can be cross-contaminated unless special precautions are taken, and they may contain gluten.

"So when it comes to the question of whether wheat grass and barley grass can be considered gluten-free, the details really matter."

Bolthouse Farms does carry many great smoothies/juices which they do advertise as GF, making me all the more concerned for the state of my friend Green Goodness®. I have asked them on their website (www.bolthouse.com) if the barely grass used is monitored and can safely be declared as GF. Now is just to wait and find out. If anyone else wants to ask the same question on Bolthouse's website then perhaps if the smoothies' ingredients are not already monitored as GF they will see the high demand for it to be that they will start monitoring the barely grass production more closely!

So where does that leave my Green Goodness® smoothie? Will Tamara ever be able to drink it again? Will see resort to making her own smoothie? When will Bolthouse Farms get back to her on the subject? Will they say "Yes for sure it's gluten free!" Or will that be just a clever cover up for there secret mission in Antarctica  to train iguanas for paper airplane engineering? Will Tamara sing Yankee doodle in her complete boredom?!?!?!? Find out all this and more next time on LIFE AFTER GLUTEN.weebly.com!

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