Gluten Free Resources: Just for Us Mainers

About a month ago, gluten-free Mainers were treated to the establishment of glutenfreemaine.com! A website filled to the brim with Maine products that are GF, Maine restaurants that are GF and so much more! I'm particularly enjoying the "top gluten-free stories section" of the site. I'm connected enough to the GF community to be well-aware of the addition of gluten to the Starbuck's Light Frappuccino (if you aren't, read this), but if I wasn't, the top stories section would have alerted me very quickly. I've been making a point to read the top stories every morning. Much of the information is a little Southern Maine-centered, but to be expected with both the creators being Portland residents and I've been diligently emailing them about some of the great GF options in the Bangor area. I recommend adding Gluten-Free Maine to your bookmarks right now.

And now, I'm going to hop up on my soap box for a moment: Starbucks, what the frap? I am not a regular Starbuck's customer, a location isn't convenient to where I live and I don't particularly care for their coffee. But, I'm still upset by this latest piece of news. In my opinion, this is much worse than the Valencia Orange cake debacle of last year, Starbucks added gluten to a previously GF drink without any notice. I re-check gluten-free products every couple of months. If I was a daily Starbuck's Light Frappuccino drinker, there's an excellent chance this would have gotten by me. Getting glutened can be serious business. An accidental brush with gluten a few weeks ago sent me the the emergency room twice. This post from Gluten Free Mom exhibits the cavalier Starbuck's has exhibited toward the gluten-free community, first with the Valencia cake and now with the Light Frappuccino. Although they know the reformulated Light Frappucino contains gluten, they accept no responsibility to inform their gluten-free customers. Well, I say, the gluten-free community should not accept the potential hazards of ingesting Starbuck's products. I'm starting a completely ineffective boycott (ineffective because I never go to Starbuck's anyway) and would encourage others, especially if you are a Starbuck's regular, to do the same. And, if you feel like, use the contact information on Gluten Free Mom's post to let Starbuck's know what you think.

Might I recommend Dunkin Donuts? I got this reassuring email from them today:

Dear Rachel,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. It's always a pleasure to hear from our Dunkin' Donuts customers. Our product nutritional information including allergy data is available on our website www.dunkindonuts.com, you can also find information on our company as well as fun facts.

Our Dunkin' Donuts beverages are gluten-free.

At Dunkin' Donuts we value our customers and are committed to making your visits to our stores a pleasant experience. We look forward to serving you soon.




Thank you and have a great day.




Jennifer

Customer Relations Coordinator

That's the sort of customer service I expect with my coffee!