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.

At Zeer, our goal is to make finding safe food easier than ever before. We hear every day from people who believe in our mission but just couldn’t shoulder our price.

You’ve written in, we’ve listened. Zeer Select is now only $4.95.

Everyone deserves the right to find safe food. That’s why we lowered our price so a greater number of people could benefit from the 40 years of Celiac Disease expertise that went into building Zeer Select.

Sign up now and get 30 days free. Cancel at anytime. Find Safe food.

To upgrade, login to your Zeer Basic account and click the upgrade link at the top of any page!

Enjoy and stay safe,

The Zeer Team

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.

Since the Zeer launch in early 2008, we have been inspired by the support and passion that our members and visitors have shown.  We’ve heard from many people who say they’d like greater insights into the foods they are eating, that they want help reading a product’s packaging. Today, we are proud to introduce several exciting enhancements to Zeer that are directly in response to these enthusiastic requests.

A Simpler, Easier Way to Find Safe Food

We are excited to announce the release of Zeer Select, the easy way to find gluten free food. Zeer Select is a database of over 30,000 food product that helps people stay safe, save time, & learn the gluten free diet. Zeer Select is a monthly subscription ($14.95 a month) where members can:

• Instantly see the gluten-free safety status for over 30,000 products in our database
• Discover gluten free alternatives for any product
• Search gluten free foods by category, brand, product, and UPC.
• View highlighted problem ingredients and manufacturer’s statements to help you learn why products are safe or not.

We began all this work from a belief that finding great food information online should be easy. For many, this may only be a minor inconvenience, but for individuals living on a gluten free diet, finding food that is safe and also delicious is essential. Now individuals on a gluten free diet have help in making sense of the 60,000 ingredients and 30,000 products from over 10,000 manufacturers.  In Zeer Select, we have assigned a Gluten Free Safety Status to over 30,000 products. Subscribers can search or browse the entire database to find specific products or browse by categories such as entrees, condiments, sauces, etc.

We have also engaged a group of leading medical and nutrition advisers and food researchers with deep personal and professional experience in celiac disease and the gluten free diet to help in the process of assigning gluten free safety status’ to products. We have analyzed every ingredient (and synonyms) in every product for problematic ingredients, considered issues of cross contamination and have manually reviewed (in duplicate) every manufacturer’s statement/allergen warning on every product in assigning the Gluten Free safety Status.

Zeer Select is updated continuously unlike books and static lists which become out dated very quickly. Each week 500 products are added or updated so that our users have the best information to make their decisions.

To check out all the exciting changes we’ve made to Zeer, login now, and let us know what you think.

We are very proud to present our first ever iPhone app, Food Reviews on Zeer. Now all the great information on Zeer is available while you’re on the go — nutrition facts, warnings, and our stellar user reviews, plus a searchable database for 100,000 + grocery products.

Take a tour of the exciting features our app now!

From our press release:

“The Food Reviews iPhone App gives consumers access to the Zeer database of grocery products across 35 categories, ranging from bread and breakfast foods to pizza and beer. Consumers can easily search important information, including nutrition facts in the standard FDA format, consumer reviews, ingredients, and manufacturer warning labels.

The first-of-its kind application also allows consumers to filter searches by average rating to help discover high quality foods while on the go. Consumers can easily keep track of their favorite foods and sync their favorite products automatically with Zeer.com. Shoppers preferring Organic or Kosher foods can easily filter their searches to see only these products. High quality images are also featured for each product, enabling easy identification while in the supermarket aisle and improving the overall shopping experience.”

We also created a fun 1 minute demo on YouTube featuring our very own CEO, Mike Putnam, showing you some our favorite features of our application. Enjoy!

You don’t need to be a late night reveler or a patriotic Irishman to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year. Instead fill your morning with a “magically delicious” feast of emerald, Irish, and green-themed foods.

Start your day out with Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness Fruit Juice Blend, a power protein drink that is as sneaky as a leprechaun. It even has observant reviewers like Miyuki Y. pointing out, “I don’t know exactly how healthy it is, but it’s green so it fools me too! Great meal replacement if you’re in a rush or fasting.”

If you want a breakfast worth getting up for, John McCann’s award-winning Steel Cut Oatmeal might be the ticket. Not convinced? Andrew D. seems to think the accolades are spot on – as that he gives this product made of 100% Irish oats Zeer’s most coveted rating of five stars.

If you’re looking to sneak in a little spice (and color) into those “traditional” Irish dishes, Lori N. points you Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, a zesty little concoction that “gives a perfect amount of flavor to dishes that need a little extra ’something’.”

If your pooch wants to celebrate St. Patrick’s day, too, take a tip from Bill B. and toss him a Greenie’s Smart Treat to get his day started with a jig (and fresh and clean breath!)

And if by the end of breakfast the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day hasn’t set in, don’t be afraid to slip a little bit of Bailey’s with a Hint of Mint Chocolate into your pot of (gold) coffee.

–

From the Zeer Better Buyer,  March12, 2009

The Better Buyer is a newsletter that brings the best advice found in Zeer reviews straight to your inbox. With Zeer’s Better Buyer, you can see what products are buzzing in the Zeer community, check out the newest Zeer members, and glimpse a smorgasbord of new reviews. To make sure you receive Zeer’s Better Buyer, sign up for Zeer and double check that the newsletter box is currently in the “checked” position on your email settings page here.

Even though yuletide cheer has been belting out from every supermarket speaker since Thanksgiving, Zeers are still enthusiastic about sharing their favorite seasonal foods (a good sign that the January 2nd weigh-in is still far from their minds.)

Kara H. has a little secret to share with gluten free foodies this holiday season; she keeps Pamela’s Product’s Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies tucked away in her purse while navigating the gluten-heavy spreads at holiday parties. Of course, if your Santa suffers from any of the top 8 allergens, Food Allergy Buzz blogger Jennifer B. heartily recommends filling his plate with Enjoy Life’s Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies.

If your cries of “Let it snow, Let it snow,” come true this year, Molly P recommends warming up your frozen limbs with Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Hot Cocoa prepared on the stovetop. For those of you who prefer gingerbread to chocolate, there are some beers brimming with the tastes of the season. One season appropriate beer is Harpoon Winter Warmer which gets a nod from Felicia S. as “the perfect beer to accompany a lot of the winter holiday foods if you’re a fan of flavored beers.”

If you prefer to eat your popcorn instead of stringing it, this week some of our top Zeer reviewers have unearthed Boston’s Lite Popcorn, a guilt-free snack that Tarah H. points out is not only “light and fluffy” but is dairy free and kosher, too.

Still feeling more like a grinch than an jolly little elf? Break out your latent coloring skills with this mysterious holiday themed product we found in the Zeer database: Color-a-Cookie-The-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Hand Decorated Cookie. Happy Holidays!

–

From the Zeer Better Buyer, December 16, 2008

The Better Buyer is a newsletter that brings the best advice found in Zeer reviews straight to your inbox. With Zeer’s Better Buyer, you can see what products are buzzing in the Zeer community, check out the newest Zeer members, and glimpse a smorgasbord of new reviews. To make sure you receive Zeer’s Better Buyer, sign up for Zeer and double check that the newsletter box is currently in the “checked” position on your email settings page here.

We’re having a virtual Thanksgiving and we need your help! When you share your Thanksgiving-themed Zeer reviews before November 21st, 2008, you’re automatically entered to win 1 of 3 chic, eco-friendly Zeer shopping bags. For more details, check out the Zeer Blog.

Ah, it looks like our virtual Thanksgiving is already rapidly underway! Stacy L. is in the Zeer kitchen shredding Hoffman’s Super Sharp Pasteurized Cheddar Cheese for Shannon S’s delectably gooey Mueller’s Elbow Macaroni and cheese.

Meanwhile Jiffy’s Corn Muffin Mix fan, Sarah C., fends off Zeer founder, Michael P, who tries to sneak a taste of the fresh baked cornbread cooling in the cast iron pan. If we’re lucky, maybe Christine M. remembered to bring Land O’ Lakes Sweet Cream Salted Butter to melt on top. If not, we could always use Lee Lacocca’s 60% Vegetable Spread. which Damien S. rejoices as “The best BEST buttery spread around.”

If the heat in the kitchen makes us thirsty, Southern transplant Molly P. will make sure our whistles stay wet with a couple pitchers of Lipton Iced Tea while Rachel K. keeps us giggling with Man Vintners South African 2005 Chenin Blanc, a wine famed for its “potential to instigate a lot of funny innuendos at the dinner table.”

Gluten-free Zeers will also be giving thanks this year because Lisa B. (who’s been sharing her GF Thanksgiving tips in the Gluten Allergy Community ) has whipped up a couple of perfect pumpkin pies using Whole Foods Frozen Gluten Free Pie Crust. Has Sara Lee been replaced by Lisa B.? Only taste will tell.

Barnaby D. can put down the Hungry Man Roasted Carved Turkey today because we’ll be having a Tofurkey (for our hungry Vegans and Vegetarians ). Which reminds me, should we spring for the Tofurkey Giblet Gravy, too?

-

From the Zeer Better Buyer, November 18, 2008

The Better Buyer is a newsletter that brings the best advice found in Zeer reviews straight to your inbox. With Zeer’s Better Buyer, you can see what products are buzzing in the Zeer community, check out the newest Zeer members, and glimpse a smorgasbord of new reviews. To make sure you receive Zeer’s Better Buyer, sign up for Zeer and double check that the newsletter box is currently in the “checked” position on your email settings page here.

For some of you, snacking isn’t a handful of Lay’s during a Project Runway marathon - it’s a part of your continual effort toward a healthier and happier life.

As many dietitians will tell you, you should eat more frequently, not less frequently when trying to lose weight. By having several mini meals several times a day you can help manage your hunger and keep yourself from getting seconds and thirds at lunch and dinner.

In the Fitness Fans community, Patti S. and Or M. tackle the tough question of “What do I eat before working out?” Both recommend snacking throughout the day, but holding off right before a workout since eating before leaves new and undigested food in your stomach. Instead, rock your work out first, then eat a light and savory snack while you prepare your dinner — veggies and a light dip or a half turkey sandwich should do the trick. But, Valerie T. prefers munching Edamame on some  with Kosher salt as a post workout reward.

What about those pesky chocolate cravings? Cara P. snacks it out with the chocolatey taste of Luna Nuts Over Chocolate which she claims stomp out a craving and fill her until the next meal. Meanwhile, you’ll find Weight Watchers champion Bill S. with a Vitalicious Deep Chocolate Vitatops stashed in his cycling jersey, a morning treat that easily turns into mock Brownie Sundae at night when topped with a little low fat ice cream.

Mom on the go, Tracey N. happily kicks hunger pain butt with Keebler’s Fudge Shoppe grasshopper Fudge Dipped Mint Cookies but what quick and healthy snack will keep your kids bellies happy? Ex-babysitter, Molly P. recommends giving toddlers Stonyfield Farm Banana, Vanilla Organic Yogurt, an instant favorite that will keep kids happy until dinner time. Hey, don’t deny yourself either, if you’re like Molly, you’ll get to sneak a taste, too.

—

From the Zeer Better Buyer, September 9, 2008

The Better Buyer is a newsletter that brings the best advice found in Zeer reviews straight to your inbox. With Zeer’s Better Buyer, you can see what products are buzzing in the Zeer community, check out the newest Zeer members, and glimpse a smorgasbord of new reviews. To make sure you receive Zeer’s Better Buyer, sign up for Zeer and double check that the newsletter box is currently in the “checked” position on your email settings page here.

It seems like everyone has a twitter account these days, I know I do, and Mike Putnam, CEO of Zeer, does too. We like to keep our finger on the pulse of the social world and get the word out about everything that is going on with Zeer.

Since people can opt in to following us, it’s a great alternative to traditional marketing – we can have a conversation, site users can choose to talk back, follow or unfollow us if we become boring or outdated (hopefully we’re not) and it’s a great repository for finding new blog content.

However, recently, I’ve been using twitter not only to communicate what is going on with Zeer, but I use it as a tool to find out what’s going on with my favorite blogs, news sources, and heck, even brands.

Twitter Empowers Consumers

As the USA Today reported in July, Twitter has become a powerful tool for brands to reach out to their customers. Big companies like Comcast, Whole Foods, and Zappos are tweeting and tweeting well.

There are already tons of fantastic food bloggers sharing their juicy recipes and blog posts online, but now that brands are invading the twitter space, the birth of a new kind of “tweet” has been born. Consumers can actually talk to a brand (as long as it’s within twitters limited 140 characters) and that brand can well… talk back.

So far, I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen brands promote contests, new products, and publicly show off their customer service skills. I’ve seen them respond to the public conversation about their product (a task made easier with tools like Summize or Tweet Beep) And, I’ve seen them be friendly, helpful, and informative when Twitter users have questions or concerns. If a brand you’ve used is on twitter and you want to reach someone who cares, Twitter is a great way to put pressure on a brand publicly to fix it fast.

And the best part is: You can follow or unfollow whoever you’d like. As long as their tweets are public, there is no need to “join in” on the conversation unless you want to. I can go days without saying anything on twitter, but when a brand things they have something newsworthy or interesting to say, you better believe they’ll be tweeting it.

If you’re following only people you care about (and not following just anyone who comes along) you usually can stay informed on issues you like and care about without having to read extra long blog posts.

Twittering About Food

So what food companies are on twitter? There are a lot of lists out there, like this great one called Social Brand Index but I’m making one here that’s food-centric. If you want to follow food throughout your day, then this is the blog post to reference.

Food/Specialty Products

Dewmocracy http://twitter.com/Dewmocracy
Elanas Pantry http://twitter.com/elanaspantry
M&Ms http://twitter.com/msgreen
The Organic Dish: http://twitter.com/theorganicdish
Pangaea Organica http://twitter.com/PangaeaOrganica
Popeyes Chicken http://twitter.com/PopeyesChicken
QinoOneVodka http://twitter.com/QinoOneVodka
Templeton Rye http://twitter.com/templetonrye
Vinquire Wine Search http://twitter.com/vinquire
Whole Foods http://twitter.com/wholefoods
zSweet Sugar Substitute http://twitter.com/brianazsweet

Brewing

21st Amendment http://twitter.com/21stAmendment
BridgePort Brewery http://twitter.com/bridgeportbrew
Flying Dog Ales http://twitter.com/flyingdog
Magic Hat http://twitter.com/magichat
Open Source Beer http://twitter.com/opensourcebeer
Scmaltz Brewing http://twitter.com/ShmaltzBrewingW
Lift Bridge Brewing http://twitter.com/LiftBridge
Deschutes Beer http://twitter.com/DeschutesBeer
Marin Brewing Co http://twitter.com/MarinBrewingCo
Moylans Brewery http://twitter.com/MoylansBrewery
Hooker Beer http://twitter.com/hookerbeer

Wine/Wineries
Wine Enthusiast http://twitter.com/WineEnthusiast
Cult Vines Winery http://twitter.com/cultvines
American Winery http://twitter.com/americanwinery
Don Giovanni Winery http://twitter.com/DonGiovanniWine

Am I missing a brand that twitters? Comment below with your best food brand bets!