We do not even allow oats here!
We are committed to providing a space that is gluten-free, vegan (includes dairy-free and egg-free), soy-free and dye-free. Why? Because there is a major lack of safe spaces in and around Chattanooga for people with these dietary restrictions. We go the extra mile to ensure that our facility is a safe space for all of these dietary restrictions. When we say that our items are gluten-free, soy-free, etc. we mean that they are made in a completely dedicated environment for these things. Especially when it comes to gluten, there are SO many places that claim that their items are gluten-free, but their items are made right next to, and even often using the same equipment as, items that contain gluten! Many of these places have not even given enough attention and care to know that it is actually illegal for them to label something as “gluten-free” when they are not using a dedicated facility. Unfortunately, this is not well regulated, and MANY places get away with this illegal practice, leading to multiple cases of cross-contamination. Practices like this have forced people with dietary restrictions to have to either blindly hope that these places have cared enough to put in the necessary research and precautions and that they are being honest, have to meticulously watch the every move of the person preparing the food and constantly ask them to change gloves or utensils, or they have to forgo being able to go out and enjoy foods all together.
We are extremely meticulous, and we have put in many years of research to create the dedicated space that we have. One extra step that we take to accomplish this is by banning any oat products. We do not allow any oat products to be used in our facility, even if the product claims that it is “gluten-free.” This may seem strange to some, but the fact is that, even if the oat product is free of gluten, oats are still comprised of a protein called avenin. The molecular structure of avenin is very similar to that of gluten, and in some circumstances, avenin can cause people to experience undesirable outcomes, similar to when they ingest gluten.
Some people are also confused about why we are a dedicated soy-free facility. Although soy in itself does not contain gluten, and the molecular structures of soy and gluten are quite different, soy is very frequently processed with wheat or other gluten-containing compounds, and is therefore contaminated with gluten. Plus we are also dedicated to using healthier alternatives in our items.
