Yesterday, T and I attended the Celi-Act Gluten-Free Vendor Fair in Knoxville, TN. We had attended this event before, in 2012, and they’d had a huge turn-out. This year’s was no different. It was well attended, and had many great vendors. I met a lot of nice people, got a chance to chat briefly with my friend Leah McGrath (ingles dietitian), and some great conversations with some fellow attendees.
The only downside I found with the expo is the layout. It forced attendees into one long-line from start to finish. There were a few tables I had no interest in, such as Clear TRS, a company claiming they can remove heavy toxins from your body in a process better than chelation (dangerous; and I’m not convinced this product is any safer). This is generally done by parents trying to “cure” their autistic children. (Psst: You can’t cure us.) I listened to a few minutes of their spiel and was completely turned off and a bit offended. I would have preferred not to have had to go past this table at all, but with the forced line, there was no choice. I really don’t understand why they were at a gluten free expo.
Although this list isn’t inclusive of all the vendors, here’s who we spoke with: Kinnikinnick, Nestle, Prometheus Laboratories (about HLA gene typing for Celiac Disease), Nestle (Boost), Food Allergy Committee of East TN (FACET), Mina’s Purely Divine, Bare Belly Organics, Earth Fare, Food City, Benefit Your Life Market & Bakery (can’t wait to visit them!), and Tolerant Foods.
We also spoke briefly with a very nice young woman who is working on her Gold Project for Girl Scouts. I’m afraid I didn’t catch her name, but her project is educating people about going gluten free, as well as sharing gluten free recipes. You should check out her official Facebook page, Go Gluten Free.
The above photo shows some of the great products we came home with – either from samples or items that we purchased. I’ll share my review of each product as soon as I can! I will also be sharing information about Prometheus Laboratories and FACET.
Any of my followers get to go the expo? If so, what did you think? Discover any delicious new products?
