Happy Friday, Friends! First off… I know… I know… I’ve been MIA lately and I’m sorry!! A lot has been going on and I can barely find the time for anything, but it’s all very positive and exciting! In addition to blogging and the cookies, I also teach grad school courses and the semester just started, so it’s been a whirlwind!
As you know I launched MsModify Cookies here locally in Scottsdale, AZ and it has taken off! If you’re in the area and are looking for tasty gluten free and dairy free cookies, I’m your girl! You can find me (and my sweet husband, Erik!) at the Gilbert Farmers Market on Saturdays or you can stop by the Tempe Farmers Market (it’s a brick and mortar store- just called a farmers market since it’s in Tempe, AZ located on Farmers Ave.) and pick up my cookies, which are on display on their front counter. I also take orders which you can either pick up at the Gilbert Farmers Market or we can schedule a pick up in Scottsdale. Email me if you’re interested!
For all of you outside of Arizona, I’m thinking big and hoping to expand one day!
Today’s Friday Favorites is only about one thing , but I think it’s an important one!
Nima Sensor:
Have you heard of the Nima Sensor? If not, it’s a portable device that tests for the presence of gluten in food. What?S YES!
I won’t go into all the details here because I’ve done previous posts on it, but I’ve been seeing SO much controversy about it lately on social media, that I feel like I needed to post this again.
People are apparently incredibly passionate about this little device.. they either LOVE it and live by it OR they HATE it and think it’s unreliable.
Review: The Nima Sensor
If you’ve never heard of the Nima or want more info about here, be sure to read my Review so you can learn all about it.
Interview with the Nima Creators
I had the pleasure of interviewing the creators of the Nima Sensor and I asked them lots of questions that I see others talking about on social media. If you feel passionately about it either way or you don’t know much about the device, you should take a few minutes and read this interview!
Something I see often on social media is people posting pictures of “gluten found” on the Nima with certified gluten free products and then it causes an uproar and everyone chimes in on how horrible the company is that would say a product is gluten free, when it’s not. WELL, this is often NOT the case and I think it’s doing a disservice to many companies reputations, when in fact they truly are certified gluten free.
How? Well, as the creators mentioned to me “Nima has shown to detect gluten below 2 ppm about 7.8% of the time. If Nima detects any gluten, even if below 20 ppm, it will display a “gluten found” symbol.” So, a product can very well be gluten free and safe for people with celiac yet still show “gluten found” since it can detect any gluten.
This is why I personally feel so strongly about buying “certified gluten free” products. I will do a whole post on the difference between “gluten free” and “certified gluten free”- but basically for a product to be labeled “gluten free” it needs to be less than 20 parts per million and less than 10 parts per million to be “certified”. The certified process is a very in depth and regulated.
Something else I see often on social media regarding the Nima is someone will post a picture of “no gluten found” at a restaurant and then everyone thinks it’s perfectly safe to go eat there.
Why do I think this is an issue? The restaurant may have very good procedures in place and you may never be exposed to cross-contamination ever there… and that’s wonderful! BUT… if there is gluten in the kitchen, then there is always a chance of cross-contamination each time you go depending on how busy they are/who prepped the food/etc.
So… I think it’s great people post pictures of their experiences at restaurants with the Nima (I often post mine too) but, it’s important to just use this as a guide NOT a guarantee. For me personally, if a restaurant has gluten in the kitchen and I want to eat there (which I don’t do often) I will use my Nima every time (not just the first time) because the preparation is often the issue at restaurants.
So I know what you’re thinking…. why do I think sometimes the Nima says “gluten found” on products when it’s really under the allowed limit whereas if at a restaurant I get “gluten found” I will not eat it? I only think a “gluten found” product could be safe if it’s “certified gluten free”, whereas most restaurants that have gluten in the kitchen are not certified gluten free restaurants.
If I were to test a product that’s “certified gluten free” and it came back as “gluten found” (I personally have never had this happen- but I see it often on social media) I would contact the company, let them know and ask them their protocol for ensuring their product is gluten free and free of cross-contamination.
My final thoughts are that the Nima Sensor is a great tool to help me make informed decisions as to what I eat, however, I still am and will always be aware of what and where I’m eating in order to stay healthy. If I’m uncomfortable in a situation and feel my food was not prepared correctly, even if the Nima says it’s “gluten free,” I still will not eat it because I follow my intuition. Everyone needs to do what’s best for their own body and situation, so I’m glad to have the Nima help empower us as we make those personal decisions!
Tips for Eating at Restaurants if you’re Gluten Free
You may also find this post helpful that I wrote on tips for eating at restaurants if you’re gluten free.
If you have a Nima or even if you don’t, I would love to hear your thoughts on it! As always, I’m not a medical professional so the advice I give is strictly based on my own experiences and opinions.
Have a wonderful weekend! xo