The Zeer Blog

We are enormously excited to introduce our latest companion and tool for helping people with Celiac Disease answer the question of what is and isn’t gluten free.

GlutenScan is the first iPhone app that allows people to pick up a product in the grocery store, type in a Name or UPC and determine if that product is safe or not.  If a product contains gluten, glutenScan automatically searches the database and recommends gluten free alternatives.

Our first release includes ability to call the manufacturer quickly if you have a question, high resolution photos so you can be sure be sure that the product you’re holding in your hand is the one in our database, and easy browsing for over 130 categories in one click.

GlutenScan goes beyond your gluten free food book or list.  Over 30,000 products in our database are assigned a gluten-free safety status; We are continually adding or updating 500+ products every week so you can get the most updated information available to make your decisions.

Features:

1. Gluten free safety status attached to over 30,000 food products
2. Database contains products from over 10,000 manufacturers
3. 500+ products added or updated each week
4. Search products by Name, Category, UPC, and Manufacturer name
5. Call the manufacturer at the touch of a button
6. Comprehensive list of problem ingredients and synonyms
7. High resolution images of each product
8. Easy to view highlighting of problematic ingredients
9. Access to over 130 categories in one click
10. Find Alternatives for any product instantly

Process & Expertise:

GlutenScan’s comprehensive list of problem ingredients was prepared by experts with over 40 years combined celiac & gluten free nutrition experience. This medical advisory and research team makes glutenScan the most thorough, instructive product and ingredient resource available for individuals with celiac disease. To read more about the process & expertise behind glutenScan & Zeer.com visit our process & expertise page.

Pay Only For What You Use!

One of the first iPhone applications available on a subscription basis, glutenScan is currently offered at an intial discounted rate of $1.99 for 30 days of use. Continue as necessary by extending your subscription for $1.99 for another 30 days, or $3.99 for 90 additional days.

The gluten-free sandwich is not an easy or cheap food to come by. Not only do you have to do your research to find a delicious gluten-free bread or wrap, but you also have to find gluten-free fillings, too… like gluten-free mayo, mustard, and of course, deli-meat.

To make it a little easier to find gluten free deli meats you can eat, we’ve used  Zeer Select to unearth some potential gluten-free finds to beef up your lunchtime.

Applegate Farms Honey & Maple Turkey Breast
Not only are all Applegate Farms turkeys vegetarian and grain fed from birth, they’re also antibiotic free, too. So next time you find yourself munching on some deli meat from Applegate Farms, give them some props for providing natural, hormone-free deli meat that is also gluten and casein free!

Wegman’s Oven Browned Turkey Breast
Remember Thanksgiving? Boy a lot had changed since going gluten-free. This gluten & lactose free oven-roasted turkey breast a great find for those of us looking for a lean turkey breast that is also affordable. And for those of us who miss thanksgiving, don’t worry it’s also great with cranberry chipotle cheese.

Hormel Deli Roast Beef
Hormel isn’t exactly known for its natural foods, but their Deli Roast beef contains no artificial ingredients and is gluten & MSG free. If you’re concerned about cross-contamination from using the slicer at your local deli, then this pre-packaged roast beef is great in a pinch.

Boar’s Head Boneless, Skinless, Maple Glazed Roasted Chicken Breast
Thinly sliced chicken breast really does not get enough credit at lunch-time. This gluten and saturated fat free maple glazed chicken is a sweet and flavorful deli meat that won’t make you drowsy like turkey can. That means you’ll be full, happy and awake when you get back to your desk after lunchtime.

Buddig Extra Thin, Original Corned Beef
Buddig company has many gluten-free options but one of their best is their extra-thin original corned beef. This affordable deli meat is a great & reliable deli comfort food that makes two pieces of millet bread actually seem like a sandwich.

When many of us were younger, hard plastic was as every day as toilet paper. Our toys were made of it, our lunchboxes, and even our sippy cups and baby buggies. In a consumer shift as dramatic as the move from glass to plastic in the 1980s, is the growing movement against plastics in modern-day 2008. At the center of this debate is Bisephenol A, or BPA, an industrial chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products.

Though BPA been used for generations to create the nearly unbreakable, often clear plastic that made Nalgene bottles a staple of the modern athlete, fear of neurological and tissue damage has caused modern day moms to roll back to the classic glass baby bottles of the 1950’s.

Why Moms Are Worried

Recently, BPA studies on rat pups have begun linking BPA to the accelerated growth of prostate and mammary tissue, a phenomenal that increases the chance of prostrate and breast cancer developing in adults. Though no formal statement has been issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services linking Bisphenol A and cancer in children and adults— pregnant women, those with small infants, and even the Canadian government aren’t taking any chances.

Moms Fight Back, Go BPA Free

A gigantic grassroots movement of parents against hard plastics that contain the chemical agent Bisphenol A has emerged and given plastic companies like Platex and Nalgene the nearly insurmountable challenge of getting rid of the very same plastics that helped their business grow. Since large companies are overwhelmed by the cries of parents against hard plastic, green and organic companies have answered the call and developed BPA-Free alternatives such as Silicone nipples and Silicone slips for glass baby bottles and metal bottles for toddlers.

Can We Really Go BPA Free?

With all of the new products emerging, on the market – everything from BPA-Free Breast pumps to BPA free pacifiers – you’d think that by the end of this year, parents would be able to avoid BPA all together.

The problem gets even more complicated when we consider the impossible task of trying to rid our lives of these plastics. BPA is so widely manufactured that it’s very difficult to reduce your exposure completely, but according to some sources there are ways to minimize Bisphenol A’s potential effects.

What You Can Do

As consumers, we’re often prey to scare tactics aimed to steer our purchasing decisions, so it’s important to remember to keep your head when making decisions for your entire family. Before you make the switch, take the time to read reviews from real moms on alternative baby bottles and food containers for your baby.

And please, always double check your sources. BPA and non-BPA bottles could look similar when ordering online. After all, we’re human and all of us are prone to mistakes. Even authors of best selling baby books!