Can I get a Woot Woot for the gluten-free community?
C’mon…let me hear it.
Woot Woot!!!
And that my friends is the sweet sound of a small victory.
See…we are making a difference in our gluten-free corner of the world.
Rachael Ray has issued an apology for calling gluten-free eaters picky and for using cornflakes in a gluten-free recipe.
Here is the official apology:
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Dear Gluten Dude,
Thank you for your note about the โMake Over Your Dinner Partyโ feature in the March 2013 issue. In retrospect, the use of the word โpickyโ was unfortunate. We should have distinguished more clearly between selective eaters and those who are gluten-free for health reasons. Our intention was not to make light of any health condition or allergy.
Our editorial staff โ which includes people with celiac disease โ aims to be especially vigilant when recommending recipes and products as gluten-free. Starting in our January/February issue this year, we even added the โGluten-Freeโ category to our recipe index, another effort to recognize and meet the needs of gluten-free cooks.
In regard to the Cornflake Chicken Cordon Blue recipe, we are aware of the fact that Kelloggโs Corn Flakes contain gluten. We developed this recipe using gluten-free cornflakes โ as a matter of fact, several brands make gluten-free varieties, including Arrowhead Mills and Erewhon. Because of an editing error, the specification โgluten-freeโ was removed from the cornflakes in the ingredients list. We regret the mistake and are running a correction in our next issue. In the future, we will be sure to indicate when an ingredient should be gluten-free.
Thank you again for bringing this issue to our attention.
Sincerely,
The Every Day with Rachael Ray Team
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Was it written by corporate lawyers? Probably.
Do we have a long ways to go? Absolutely.
But small steps baby…I’ll take it.
GD,
I’m one of those peace, love, yoga, holistic nutritionists who avoids conflict at all costs. I’ve been on this mission to increase awareness of celiac disease and help people thrive for over a decade. I’m so passionate about my work, but I do it in a “xoxo” way. Yikes, I don’t want anyone mad at me. =) I LOVE having you on my team (so to speak), with your unique skill set and snarky attitude. Way to go, GD. Keep up the good work. You have the alpha-celiac gene. Thank you!
Melissa
xo
Thank YOU Melissa and xo back at ya ๐
Dude,
One step forward and probably five steps back. BUT…at least we got an apology! Whether it was from her lawyers or not….at least she acknowledged that she f-ed up!
Way to go DUDE!!! WOOT WOOT!
$5 says the new hire, replacing the one that made the “unfortunate editorial error”, is who wrote it. Legal likely reviewed & made them say sorry. Baby steps!!
At least they acknowledged their mistake.
I think it’s great that Rachel Ray (or whoever) wrote that letter! It was not required of her. I’ve read a lot of nasty things written about her for doing what she did but I don’t agree or find it fair. I believe she realizes she made a mistake and had the best intentions by responding to us. Now, she will even print the correction in her magazine. I think it is an appropriate response and I appreciate that she is trying to rectify the situation. That is much more than Dr. Drew did!
I think we should focus on creating advocates, and I don’t think that happens by being mean. Yes, we should point out mistakes. I know we all want this perfect, gluten free world but by being nasty and polarizing when people make honest mistakes, I do not think we help our cause.
Until recently, most medical doctors didn’t even know about Celiac Disease and many still are ignorant, but we expect a celebrity to be better informed than a medical professional?
Ideally, one day our illness will be common knowledge, and the world will become safer and kinder for Celiacs. I dream of an easier gluten free existence! Until that day comes, let’s please focus on positive advocacy and promote the knowledge and understanding that will make people want to help us.
Here’s my point Jane: If she just forgot about the cornflakes, I would have let it go or perhaps just tweeted her privately about it. But calling us Picky is not a mistake. It’s a judgement on her staff’s part and it goes a long way in the fight for celiacs to get respect and health. And that’s why I called her out.
And I don’t consider my approach to be “mean”, but straightforward, with a side of snarky.
Sometimes we have to raise our voices to be heard. That’s what I’m doing.
It takes a lot to step up and admit when you are wrong. Corporate lawyers or not, this took balls. Kudos for admitting to a mistake and saying she and her staff will try not to do anything so moronic in the future. This is far more than any other celebrity has stepped up to do and hopefully will begin to set the bar higher.
Totally agree Adalaide. Like I said…small steps. We’ll take ’em.
Whoyah, a victory.
Jane, i don’t agree with you. This is what she does for a living, actually all her staff does. She could have (did?) made people very sick. The volume needs to be turned up. It can’t always be puppies and rainbows.
Jersey Girl
At least they acknowledged it I guess. It still makes me upset, but small steps. Small steps.
Jersey Girl, I respect your opinion. I did write that I think it is correct to point out mistakes. I didn’t mean to imply “puppies and rainbows.” I just don’t think it’s necessary or effective to be rude to those we want on our side. By being respectful while being vocal I believe we can accomplish a lot more. We want understanding from others but are not willing to understand them? You may still disagree but I wanted to clarify my tone.
Man, obviously I did not get my point across. Gluten Dude, I was not writing about you. I am referring to the posts after posts from the original story.
Yes, let’s please all let her know how we feel! Yes, it was a horrible thing she did. That being said, I happen to know some fair weathered “GF” people. If those people were the ones who I had observed and who had educated me about Celiac Disease, I would think the same thing as Rachel Ray did.
I watched a girl claim she was GF at a party while she was eating wheat lasagne just a few weeks ago. This is what people see. It irked me and it happens all to often. I have Celiac Disease and am very sensitive. I cannot eat at restaurants at all. I love all food and would gladly eat everything, if I could. People at the party asked why I wasn’t eating and I told them while sitting right next to the “BS/GF” girl and right after what she had said. I didn’t bash or criticize her, I just relayed the facts and answered their questions in front of her.
I just don’t think we should bash Rachel Ray. I am not talking about on this site but about bashing her directly. I prefer educating her. I love that you posts these things and I love that we can all complain and state how we really feel. I just think that when we write to Rachel Ray that we use language that encourages her to want to help us.
Gotcha…thanks for clarifying Jane. I reserve all my name-calling for Kim K ๐
Well this post was a good one to read … thanks for sharing Gluten Dude ๐ I am glad that Rachel (in whatever form it came) did correct her errors and it has brought to light that she needs to be a bit more careful in the future ~ all positive things.
I am glad also because she is a chef that I can watch and have enjoyed some of her episodes, so I was so disappointed in her when the first post came out and now pleased that the Rachel Ray “group” has recognized it and are making important corrections.
Which reminds me I got a recipe off her years and years ago for a dish called “Double dumpling Chicken Stoup” that has always been a favorite in our house, I need to get the stuff and make it up gluten free!
I know off topic ha ha ~ I am sick and working today so fighting a horrid cough that is making me brain foggy ๐ Ug ~
I hope everyone has a fabulous day and once again Thanks for the encouraging post Gluten Dude …
Way to go Gluten Dude!! I like it!
I got a similar form letter from my notes to them. Its not much but its something, at least.
The more we fight this, the better.
If someone extends an apology and admits the error with sincerity,
then I always accept it. ๐
To err is human, to forgive divine, yes?.
I was very irate at first because I felt it was beyond insensitive for the “picky” label to be applied to gluten- freers and I was very disappointed and disheartened to see it last week.
But, someone from her company has extended an apology and that’s good enough for me. Time to move on–we’ve got bigger to fish to fry
and more work to be done..
.
Great job! Success!
Now, now, no need to make nasty claims about lawyers. If anything, the marketing people wrote this. ๐ But honestly, although I doubt Rachel Ray herself was the one dotting the “i”s and crossing the “t”s in this note, I’m willing to bet the editors did write it, or contribute heavily to it. In my experience of being part of an editorial team, the discovery of an error is a sobering experience that editors take seriously, especially when there’s been backlash from readers.
Gluten-free recipe-writing is still a relatively new field, and standards are being created and revised every day. Especially in a food publication whose primary focus isn’t gluten-free, there are bound to be slip-ups, in content as well as in tone. And I’m glad that the less specialized publications are working to showcase inclusive recipes (even if does come off as a bit money-grubbing). So I appreciate the apology! And I’m with Melissaโglad you’re fighting the good fight to get this kind of response from the people who, like it or not, are helping to shape the rest of the world’s perception of the gluten-free community.
What a perfectly appropriate apology! I’m trying so hard to teach my kids that being responsible for your actions and being able to apologize correctly is a rare an beautiful skill– but knowing how to accept the apology is just as important.
I’ll take this and the next time I say, write or do something that offends, I hope that the same courtesy is extended to me!
Awsome! woot woot!
And I love that the clip fits so well haha. Good to say your sorry when your out on deep waters.
Good work Dude, seems like a fair apology to me, whoever wrote it ๐
I also wish they’d stress how important is it to watch out for cross contamination. Touch the bread drawer handle, glutened butter or peanut butter and a celiac’s foot, it’s a week of being sick.
So, one year later and she airs the show in which she doesn’t even mention Celiac… I say Ms. Ray should just stop talking about gluten issues until she receives an adequate education. She is causing way more harm!!
Yep. I talked about it here: http://glutendude.com/celebrities/rachael-ray-ignores-celiac-disease/
Then Rachael goes on Jimmy Kimmel and says 20 years ago people just got stomach cramps and dealt with it. WELL, she is an uneducated person in my opinion. I don’t wish Celiac on anyone but her I would.
She was on Jimmy Kimmel this past week saying the same thing again. Ya never know, she could easily develop the disease herself, suddenly develop migraines, etc….Then she would understand. Oh well, we can not control their thoughts or behaviors.
Hi Gluten Dude,
I just came across your website today based on your most recent post, the response to the HuffPost article – great response, by the way.
This article is good….but the video accompanying it is FANTASTIC!!! I LOVE your sense of humor!!!!
Keep at it. Based on those two articles, I’m now a regular reader. (damn you, have another “to do” on my list LOL). ๐
๐
There could be a day where she and Jimmy Kimmel suddenly start having migraines, brain fog, joint pain, gerd, thyroid problems etc. and then find out they have celiac disease themselves. Then they will understand and know how bad it sucks to have celiac disease.