
The Gluten Project: A Search Engine for 35K Certified Gluten-Free Products - dpflan
https://glutenproject.com/
======
phone_book
Why not call this Project Glutenberg?

Seriously though this looks good. Every week I end up searching for either,
"Is X gluten free" or "gluten free Y", followed by looking at nutrition labels
on google images, hoping a company website actually lists something, or
looking at 4 year old forum posts.

Few suggestions: \- Can you do away with the load more button? just autoload
on scroll. \- Also maybe alphabetize the list, I clicked on cereal and it's
just random. \- The search seems strange, I put in Chex but it seems to match
anything with 'Che*' \- Also maybe have separate pages. Like, I want to click
on cereal and then drill into the cereal products with search. It seems like
there is just a master list and search works over that.

~~~
quickthrower2
> Why not call this Project Glutenberg?

That would be way too cheesy.

~~~
lokopodium
Cheese is normally gluten-free.

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flybayer
Hey, the founder here! I'd love to answer any questions you have or take
constructive feedback :)

It's built with React, Next.js, and hosted on Zeit.co

All the code is open-source:
[https://github.com/BeeDesignLLC/GlutenProject.com](https://github.com/BeeDesignLLC/GlutenProject.com)

~~~
dpflan
How did you fill the database? Is it manual, automated, crowd-sourced? Did you
convert this GCFO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization) PDF to a more
dynamic, searchable, user friendly experience?

~~~
flybayer
I used pdf2json to scrape all the data from the GFCO PDF, which they publish
annually. So mostly tool-assisted manual labor :D

However, I'm now negotiating with GFCO to get continually up-to-date
information. I'm also working with another major GF certification and will
soon be adding their products too.

~~~
DanBC
Do different certification organisations have similar requirements?

GFCO seem to require less than 10 PPM, and no barley. Is that consistent with
other orgs?

~~~
flybayer
GFCO (glutenfreecert.com) holds the manufacturer to whatever they self-declare
(20ppm, 10ppm, 5ppm, etc and even undetectable).

GFCO certifies individual products with testing.

GFCP certifies facilities with required systems and processes. These folks
basically do the certification at a higher place in the chain and is where the
industry is headed.

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ttflee
Enjoy gluten, if you can.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_(food)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_\(food\))

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rch
I need the same thing for buckwheat free products... People with imaginary
gluten sensitivities (only a subgroup) are creating more and more real allergy
hazards for me.

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bloak
I don't understand how allergy hazards are being created for you. Please
explain.

As far as I can tell, buckwheat is a fairly exotic ingredient even in
specialist wheat-free foods. We once bought some buckwheat pasta: never
finished the packet. Typical wheat-free pasta is made from rice and maize. I
can't think what the justification would be for adding buckwheat as a minor
ingredient to something.

~~~
wyager
> I don't understand how allergy hazards are being created for you

My guess: cry wolf syndrome.

Waiters, chefs, etc. only have so much energy and attention they can dedicate
to minding food allergies. If people with fake gluten intolerance constantly
barrage food workers with (usually clearly nonsense) requests to modify food
items or dumb questions that anyone with a real food allergy would already
know the answer to, it’s going to sap the ability of food workers to help real
allergy patients.

~~~
code_duck
The gluten-free trend is helpful and non-helpful. Restaurants having vaguely
or probably gluten-free items doesn't help me at all, because I can only eat
strictly gluten free, as in certified gluten free by a lab, or whole foods
such as raw chicken cooked in strictly untainted setting at home and handled
at every step of the way using items that have never been used for gluten.
Very few restaurants have that level of facilities or staff education. It's
like having a peanut allergy where one speck will cause doom, but it's a
delayed reaction that can build up over months, too.

After I was diagnosed I tried eating at restaurants and believing they could
be careful enough, and it did not work out. The problem is often contamination
of their ingredients - even if something has no gluten ingredients on the
label, and even claims to be gluten free, it doesn't mean it's safe for
celiacs. Even dried herbs and spices are commonly tainted. So you'd have to
find a restaurant that has certified gluten free whole food ingredients for
everything, and a complete duplicate kitchen where nothing has ever touched
gluten.

You could take a gluten testing kit with you, but that's expensive,
inconvenient, impractical, and you still might end up sitting at the table
with nothing to eat.

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jnordwick
> "(undiagnosed) Celiac disease"

Why undiagnosed? My brother has actual celiac, there were actual tests and
biopsies that could be done.

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flybayer
Good question! She stopped eating gluten a couple years before learning
investigating a Celiac test. The problem is Celiac tests only work if you are
currently eating gluten.

Since even a tiny speck of gluten gives her insane pain, she'll probably never
be able to get properly tested.

That said, several doctors think she does have Celiac.

~~~
seanalltogether
Honestly including that information on your website seems unnecessary.

~~~
Kadin
There's sort of a... thing in the gluten-sensitive community where people who
have Diagnosed Celiac sometimes shit all over people who aren't diagnosed, and
one of the first questions that comes up when you discuss gluten sensitivities
with other people who are semi-knowledgeable is "oh are you diagnosed?" (as
though it matters).

It doesn't really matter (unless you want to be able to deduct the cost of GF
food on your taxes or try to get insurance to pay for them), but I could see
why someone might just preemptively get that question out of the way first.

~~~
CodeWriter23
“Have you been tested to know eating beef is physically harmful to you?” is a
question nobody would dream of asking a vegetarian/vegan. Veggie/vegan people
exclude meat for reasons ranging from allergies, other health issues,
political stance, an understanding (or misunderstanding) of how the food chain
works, or just as a matter of personal choice. Does anyone subject a person’s
choice to not eat meat to any kind of qualification?

But talk about omitting gluten from one’s diet, and suddenly one’s personal
health information is fair game for any stranger to inquire about.

Just an observation from this wheat- and gluten-loving individual.

~~~
code_duck
I agree with that and disagree from various viewpoints.

When I'm trying allergy elimination diets, I really, really care about whether
something has the allergen in it, even though I've yet to be diagnosed or
proved harm from it. I still treat it like I am avoiding it 100%, since you
have to for the trial, and expect other people to.

On the other hand, when people without true severe gluten sensitivity claim
they have celiac, it muddies the waters for those who do in terms of public
perception.

On the other hand, it kind of doesn't matter if people see one of those people
eat gluten and not react, though. I wouldn't react instantly so they'd never
see me suffering either.

~~~
CodeWriter23
People running around with false claims of celiac disease is not something
I’ve encountered. I know a lot of people who don the moniker “gluten free”.

~~~
code_duck
What I mean is when people somehow determine they have some form of gluten
sensitivity, ranging from mild bloating to celiac-like symptoms of NCGS, and
call it ‘celiac’ without realizing how specific that is.

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csallen
Congrats on the launch! What are your long-term goals for this? Is this a side
project right now and, if so, do you hope to eventually go full time?

~~~
flybayer
Thank you Courtland!

Our long-term goal is to be the best global resource for finding certified
gluten-free products. We want to have products from as many GF certifications
as possible.

Another huge thing is adding ingredient lists and filters for other food
allergies since many GF folks have other allergies.

I've been working full-time on this for about 7 weeks, but I'm expecting to do
more consulting work before it provides a full-time income.

All revenue will come from affiliate links on each product.

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jamisteven
This is great but the GUI, in my opinion is not conducive to drive sales, it
seems very odd to me.

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lokopodium
Remember, if you are not actually gluten-intolerant, excluding gluten carries
no health benefits at the price of significant inconvenience.

~~~
toomanybeersies
The gluten-free fad has been a double edged sword for actual gluten-intolerant
and celiac people.

On one hand, there are a lot more gluten-free products on supermarket shelves,
all of which are legally required to be certified gluten-free. So big win
there.

On the other hand, restaurants and chefs aren't taking requests for gluten-
free food seriously, because there's a good chance it's just a fad dieter.

~~~
oligopoly
I find it interesting there is a market for gluten-free stuff. I get if you
are buying some diet fad you might buy something like that but if you are
actually allergic why not just abstain from bread or pasta for example? If you
are gluten intolerant and pasta makes you sick there's a good change you don't
even want to see anything resembling what made you sick. I guess if one is
self diagnosed then it might not be a problem.. Gluten-free products are
expensive as hell.

For lot of allergics out there you can't even entertain the thought of eating
out in a restaurant because of cross contamination (peanuts etc).

Being food allergic myself it has forced me to eat healthy and avoid crap
food. Having a muscular ripped body is just one of the benefits.

~~~
clintonb
Gluten/wheat are used in a lot of foods. Peanuts and dairy? Not so much. I
continue to be amazed at how many food items contain wheat.

~~~
oligopoly
Well I just eat the same shit - chicken, rice and broccoli - everyday. Problem
solved. Wouldn't have it any other way honestly. After you eat certain foods
long enough your body starts to crave them. Would have the same combo on final
meal.

~~~
clintonb
That's one option, and that option works for you. However, in a world full of
flavors, some people want something better than "the same shit."

