PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division has announced the launch of a gluten free recipe section on its corporate website which the company said is designed to help make snacking easier and more enjoyable for consumers with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivities.
The new recipe section on the company’s website now features gluten free recipes that can be paired or made with Frito-Lay’s gluten free snacks, such as Lay’s Classic potato chips, Fritos Original corn chips and Tostitos Scoops! tortilla chips.
In May, the company announced a multi-year initiative to validate many of its products as gluten free, with labelling to follow. Frito-Lay developed a gluten free validation process with input from the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP) for testing ingredients and finished products to ensure they contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten before making a “gluten free” claim.
This level is in accordance with the limit set forth by the FDA in its Proposed Rule for Gluten Free Labeling (2007).
Frito-Lay partnered with Recipe ReDux, a network of registered dietitians and healthy food bloggers. During National Celiac Disease Awareness Month in May, Frito-Lay sponsored a week-long recipe challenge asking Recipe ReDux members to develop gluten free versions of traditional appetisers and meals usually off limits to the Celiac Disease and gluten sensitive communities, and that incorporate at least one of Frito-Lay’s gluten free products.
Recipe ReDux members submitted a number of recipes ranging from ‘Blue Corn Chip Crusted Cauliflower Gratin’ to ‘Chocolate and Potato Chip Cookies’ to ‘Chicken Mexicano with Nectarine-Avocado Salsa.’
“We know gluten free eaters often feel their options are limited,” said Danielle Dalheim, registered dietitian and associate principal nutrition scientist, Frito-Lay North America. “Frito-Lay hopes to bring some deliciousness to gluten free snacking. We’re offering fans a variety of gluten free recipes and letting them know many of their favorite Frito-Lay snacks can still be a part of a gluten free lifestyle.”
Celiac Disease is a digestive disorder triggered by intolerance to gluten, a generic name for certain types of proteins contained in the common cereal grains wheat, barley, rye and their derivatives. The only treatment is a lifelong adherence to a gluten free diet.
