Kinnikinnick Foods Inc. ^®
Gluten Free Has Never Tasted So Good

Maltodextrin is made from corn.

Maltodextrins are easily digestible carbohydrates made from natural corn starch. The starch is cooked, and then acid and/or enzymes are used to break the starch into smaller polymers (a process similar to that used by the body to digest carbohydrate).

Are generally sold as dried powders.

Are polymers of dextrose (sometimes labeled "glucose polymers").

Do not contain significant quantities of protein, fat or fiber.

Corn-based maltodextrins are not produced from and do not contain malt products.

Corn-based maltodextrins are safe for patients with celiac disease since they do not contain proteins from wheat, barley, oats or rye.

Maltodextrins are not known to contain MSG.

Diabetics should follow the advice of their physicians.

Maltodextrin's glycemic index should be considered metabolically equivalent to glucose (dextrose).

Inulin, which is most commonly made from chicory, is a soluble fiber. Inulin is naturally occurring in many common fruits and vegetable including Asparagus, Banana, Chicory, Garlic, Leek, Jerusalem Artichoke and Onions. Inulin has been clinically shown to have many health benefits. 1. It helps Calcium Absorption 2. It is prebiotic and Helps maintain Intestinal health 3. It helps regulate Triglycerides, Glucose and Insulin response in Diabetics (and Celiac Diabetics) Experimental studies have shown their use as bifidogenic agents, stimulating the immune system of the body, decreasing the pathogenic bacteria in the intestine, relieving constipation, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis by increasing mineral absorption, especially of calcium, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis by lowering the synthesis of triglycerides and fatty acids in the liver and decreasing their level in serum. These fructans modulate the hormonal level of insulin and glucagon, thereby regulating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism by lowering the blood glucose levels; they are also effective in lowering the blood urea and uric acid levels, thereby maintaining the nitrogen balance. Inulin and oligofructose also reduce the incidence of colon cancer. Source Are there issues with Inulin? Of course, just as there are issues with every single ingredient we use. People can be allergic or intolerant to almost anything. "Generally, oligosaccharides are well tolerated. Some people reported increased flatulence in some of the studies. At higher levels of intake, that is, in excess of 40 grams per day, FOS and the other oligosaccharides may induce diarrhea." At lower doses, research shows that inulin may in fact help alleviate diarrhea. "We observed trends consistent with the hypothesis that prefeeding inulin attenuates diarrhea and the reduction in cell proliferation caused by lactulose." People may experience bloating and increased flatulence if their diets are naturally low in Inulin (ie: you don't eat Asparagus, Banana, Chicory, Garlic, Leek, Jerusalem Artichoke and Onions). This may also occur if their intestinal levels of bifidobacteria are low. The gas production is actually a natural result of the growth of these healthy bacteria promoted by the Inulin and subsides once a healthy balance is achieved in the gut. There have only been 2 cases of people worldwide who had anaphylactic reactions to inulin in products (these were not our products). People with severe allergies to Asparagus, Banana, Chicory, Garlic, Leek, Jerusalem Artichoke and Onions should probably avoid products with inulin, although this should be verified with your doctor.

Our sugar may be beet or cane depending on crop availability. Because of supplier seasonal shortages, we can not guarantee which source we may be using at a specific time.

It is currently illegal in Canada and the US to use Stevia in baked products.

Our products do not contain preservatives.

Note: Our seasonal products which contain dried fruit (Hot Cross Buns, Fruit Cake, Festive Bread) DO have a preservative. The fruit mixture contains Potassium Sorbate. We continue to look for a verifiable Gluten free dried fruit mixture that does not contain preservatives.

We have developed an Ingredient Primer to help you understand what the ingredients we use are, what their source is and why we use them.

We've also added some of the more common GF and CF ingredients that we don't use but which you may run across in the grocery aisle.

Available in the Resource Center

KinnActive Baking Powder is a double acting baking powder that is aluminum and corn free.

No. Our salt is pure Sodium Chloride with no additives.

There are generally 3 reasons why you did not receive something you ordered.
Ingredients In order to provide you with safe, uncontaminated food, we must, without any question assure that the ingredients we use are reliable and safe and most specifically, gluten free and dairy free as applies. We develop close relationships with a few suppliers who take the time and interest to provide us with accurate information on their production techniques and give us assurances that there are no cross contamination issues. Finding companies that are willing to give out this type of information is exceedingly rare. This greatly limits our ability be flexible when it comes to finding alternate sources of ingredients, should a supplier be unable to deliver an ingredient. we can not and will not risk our customers health by using ingredients that we do not have confidence in. When a regular bakery runs out of flour, they can go anywhere to get more, we do not have that luxury. When ingredient supply problems come up, the only solution is to not make the product until we can get our assured source back in stock. Sometimes this is a matter of a day or two, but that can affect many orders scheduled to ship on the day the ingredient is unavailable. Equipment Because gluten free baking is so different from typical baking, much of the equipment we use is either highly modified or custom built. If one of these pieces of equipment breaksdown, it can cause delays as replacement parts and servicing can be hard to find. Timing Everything we do is based on Just In Time manufacturing. This allows us to provide the best possible service to our customers, including delivering fresh product anywhere in North America. However, any issues with equipment or ingredients can cause this to Just in Time system to breakdown. Due ot our shipping system, we are only able to ship Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We have a limited number of orders we can ship (based on our space allocation on the UPS plane out of Edmonton)  If a product is not available on either of these days, we have a couple of options. * If we have space on the next shipping day, we can hold an order and ship it the following day. This is our preferred method however it is not always possible. * We can short ship the order. You are not charged for what you don't get but you get your order on time. * We can hold your order. If you prefer, you can have us put a note on your file which states only ship complete orders. We will only ship when we can completely fulfill your order. Be aware that this may cause a delay of up to one week for the arrival or your order.

We do our best to ensure that you get everything you order but there are times when products or ingredients are out of stock. If you are short shipped, we DO NOT backorder. Because we don't bill your credit card until your order ships, you will not be charged for the products that we don't ship.

Our normal turn around for orders is within 10 working days from the time you place your order until the time you receive it.

If you order over the internet you should receive an email confirmation that indicated your expected shipping date and if you call you should be told the expected shipping date.

Orders are generally shipped via UPS Express and will arrive 1-2 days after they are shipped.

The 10 days is our maximum service standard. This is in part due to the fact that we are making fresh, preservative free products and do not stock any soft baked products (Breads Buns etc). We make each order fresh for you.

However, in most cases, our turn around time is significantly shorter than 10 working days. With and average of 1 week.

Be assured that your soft baked products are not 10 working days old when you get your order. They are shipped shortly after they are made to get you the best quality products we can make.

We do our best to ensure that you get everything you order but there are times when products or ingredients are out of stock. If you are short shipped, we DO NOT BACKORDER.

Because we don't bill your credit card until your order ships, you will not be charged for the products that we don't ship.

Currently, we can only ship to addresses in Canada, the Continental US, Alaska and Hawaii

Currently, our shipper UPS, will not deliver to PO boxes or APO boxes so we are unable to offer this service.

We have developed a unique shipping method, which allows us to ship preservative free, fresh baked goods anywhere in North America overnight (max. 2 days) for a flat rate of $10. As anyone who has shipped a package overnight knows, this is very expensive. One could expect to pay more than $75 for a typical order that we ship through UPS or Fedex. Because of our volume, we do get good rates from UPS, however we substantially subsidize the cost of shipping for our customers.

Companies that do backorder are generally shipping shelf stable product using ground transportation, which is very inexpensive, but can take more than a week to arrive. For us, this is not possible. The costs of shipping would make it impossible to offer our $10 fee. We made the decision not to backorder and make it clear on our payment screen that we do not backorder. That being said, our fill rate (complete orders) averages over 99%

Of course you are never charged for products that are not shipped, but we do understand that it can be frustrating not to receive products that you have ordered. If you wish, you can contact CustomerCare and have them put a note on your file that says -Do not ship unless completely filled- or -Do not ship without Donuts-. Do realize that your order will have to be rescheduled if we can not meet your original ship date and this could mean a DELAY of up to one week in receiving your order.

Generally the answer to this is yes. Due to the special arrangements required, please do not set up a hotel order by shopping online. Call us at least 4 weeks in advance and we can arrange to have your order arrive when you get to your hotel.

Let the hotel know by fax or phone that a package will be arriving for you and request "Hold For Guest"

Shipments can only arrive on Tuesday through Friday. If your stay does not fall within these days you may need to make other arrangements. Some hotels may hold a shipment for a day or two prior to your arrival. Contact the hotel to verify.

We can put a note on the package to leave at door, leave at neighbors, or no signature required.

Please note that this type of delivery is entirely up to the discretion of the UPS delivery driver. If the driver does not leave the package for any reason, it will be the responsibility of the customer to arrange for alternate delivery or pickup. Any loss, damage, theft or spoilage resulting from the extra time required for this delivery is the customers responsibility.

US Customs rules allow shipments under $200 to enter the US with what is known as "informal clearance". This eliminates the need for a customs broker to handle the shipment.

If we allowed shipments over $200, the additional customs charges would be billed to the customer. On average, a customs broker charges $30.00 to handle small shipments.

Customs clearing through a broker also takes an extra day or sometimes two. Because our products are delivered fresh, this would mean the products would be in transit for too long.

We have developed our fresh shipping program to provide you with the best possible products at the least possible price. Shipping already frozen products adds several problems.

If we ship frozen products in a standard box, the products would likely thaw by the time they reach their destination. You would then need to re-freeze them, which is safe to do but substantially affects product quality.

If we were to ship frozen products with dry ice or a cooler pack, it would add substantial cost to the shipping and we would not be able to offer our low flat rate shipping fee of $10.

We ship Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (large centers only).

Because we must ship products fresh and they can not sit over the weekend, products must arrive on or  before Friday

Currently most orders are shipped via UPS. Some remote areas in Canada may receive shipments through Canada Post Express Post.

We charge a flat rate fee of just $10 for all orders. Us customers are limited to a maximum of $200 per order excluding shipping due to US Customs regulations.

Credit card transactions will be Authorized with the issuer or the amount shown in your cart total  when you place your order.

Your card will not be charged until your order has shipped.

If your order is short shipped for any reason, the amount charged to your card will be adjusted accordingly. We DO NOT backorder.

The answer varies depending on where you are ordering from. US residents currently pay no tax of any kind on shipments to the US. Canadian residents have to pay 5% GST on shipping charges. Most items are GST exempt as food items. Those that are not (such as single serving snacks) will be charged GST. No PST or HST is due.

When you place an order with us, your credit card is authorized for the amount of your purchase. This is the same process that hotels and rental car companies use. Since we do not backorder, we do not bill you immediately to ensure that you are only charged for the amount due when shipped. The day your order ships, your card will be charged in full for the amount due less charges for any items not shipped.

US Customers can pay with Visa, Mastercard

Canadian Customer can pay with Visa or Mastercard.

In order to provide you with safe, uncontaminated food, we must, without any question, assure that the ingredients we use are reliable and safe and most specifically, gluten free and dairy free as applies

We develop close relationships with a few suppliers who take the time and interest to provide us with accurate information on their production techniques and give us assurances that there are no cross contamination issues. Even so, we do not use a manufacturer certification as the sole criteria for product acceptability. All new ingredients must be certified Gluten Free by our in house lab before we can use them. Certification testing can take several days.

This greatly limits our ability be flexible when it comes to finding alternate sources of ingredients, should a supplier be unable to deliver an ingredient in a timely manner. We can not and will not risk our customers health by using ingredients that we have not certified. When a regular bakery runs out of flour, they can go anywhere to get more, we do not have that luxury.

When ingredient supply problems come up, the only solution is to not make the product until we can get our assured source back in stock. Sometimes this is a matter of a day or two, but that can affect many orders scheduled to ship on the day the ingredient is unavailable.

Of course you are never charged for products that are not shipped, but we do understand that it can be frustrating not to receive products that you have ordered. If you wish, you can contact CustomerCare and have them put a note on your file that says -Do not ship unless completely filled- or -Do not ship without Donuts-. Do realize that your order will have to be rescheduled if we can not meet your original ship date and this could mean a DELAY of up to one week in receiving your order.

Unlike our previous site, the new site does not require you to use your email address as your user name. This allows you to change your email address at anytime.

You can change your billing and shipping email addresses by logging in and selecting Edit Billing and Edit Shipping.

Please note that if you do use your email address as your username, you will not be able to change it.

To change your password:

Log in to your account
Click Edit My Password
Enter your old password
Enter your new password
Re-enter your new password

Notes:

You can not reuse your old password
Your new password must meet minimum complexity requirements

If stores manage their own accounts with us, they may choose to list what products they carry. Otherwise, most stores that buy our products do so from a distributor and we have no way of knowing what they carry. In either case, it is advisable to contact the store directly to ensure they have what you are looking for.

our products are sold through distributors and we do not know what stores are buying or when they are buying it. Some of our over 30 distributors provide us with store lists every couple of months, some yearly and some not at all. This is based on their policies and we have no control over the information they wish to provide. We update our store finder when we get new information, however, this information is only who has bought from the distributor, not what they bought, when they bought or if they are continuing to buy the products. We also rely on our customers to let us know of new stores carrying our products and stores that have either stopped carrying our products or who are no longer in business.

This is why we always recommend that people call before making a special trip. This is a good idea in any case as even stores that regularly carry our products are frequently out of stock due to the ever increasing demand for GF products.

If you can not find a store locally carrying the products you are looking for you can always place an order either on our website or by calling our toll free number 1-877-503-4466

Our products are sold through distributors and we may not know who is carrying them. If your local store is carrying Kinnikinnick products and is not listed , please let us know so we can update our store finder and help other people find them.

If your store does not carry our products you can print out our store introduction letter (available in the Resource Center) and take it into the store manager. This letter provides company information,a list of distributors the store can buy from and offers you a place to explain why you want the product. Support groups or groups of families often photocopy this letter and bring in many to help convince the store manager that there is a waiting market.

Because our products are sold through distributors, we don't know what stores are carrying what products. You can locate stores in your area by using our store finder.

Please note: The store finder is only a guide to stores who have carried at least some of our products in the past. It may be inaccurate or out of date. Please call the store to check for availability before making a trip.

If you can't find a product locally, you can always order online from our website or call us toll free at 1-877-503-4466.

Your account will be locked out if you try to log on to our site and fail 5 times. This helps prevent what is known as a "Brute Force Attack". A Brute Force Attack is a hacker technique which uses automated programs to try and guess user names and passwords. If this attack succeeds, it is possible for an attacker to steal personal information.

By putting a limit on the number of times an account access can fail and then enforcing a timeout period, we make such attacks much more difficult and generally, an attacker will move on to a different website where such protections are not in place.

Secure passwords can be a pain. They can be hard to remember, they're not easy to type and they're hard to come up with in the first place. However, tThere is a very good reason for choosing a secure password.

The table on the link shows just how easy or how hard it can be for a hacker to break into an account using a method known a Brute Force Attack

Length of the password	Character set
	lowercase letters	lowercase letters and digits	Both lowercase and uppercase letters	all printable ASCII characters
< = 4	instant			2 min
5	instant	2 min	12 min	4 hours
6	10 min	72 min	10 hours	18 days
7	4 hours	43 hours	23 days	4 years
8	4 days	65 days	3 years	463 years
9	4 months	6 years	178 years	44530 years

It's obvious the longer and more complex your password is, the more secure it is.

As personal information theft becomes more of a problem, we are doing our part in helping your keep your information secure. This website implements security precautions to help prevent identity theft. These include support for only the latest browsers, High grade encryption, strong password requirements and account lockout policies.

Due to packaging and production issues we are not able to offer mixes or flours in bulk at this time.

Currently we do not have Kosher certification at either of our facilities.

Currently our breads and buns are fortified. We are fortifying with Thiamine, Vitamin B2, Niacin, Folic Acid and Iron

All of our soft baked products contain no preservatives and should be kept frozen until use.

Cookies, mixes and raw ingredients do not need to be frozen. Store in a sealed container in a dry location.

If you order directly from us, products are made specifically for you and are shipped fresh to your door via overnight courier and you will need to freeze them immediately.

Most oats available in North America are NOT acceptable as they are contaminated with other gluten containing grains.

Some studies have shown that some people may be able to tolerate Pure Uncontaminated Oats.

We believe more studies are necessary to ensure the long term effects of oats in a Celiac Diet and have made the decision not to carry them at this time.

We are in the planning stages of a recipe book to be available in late 2007. We also have an extensive online recipe section.

If you can't find or read the recipe on the package, you can view preparation instructions from the label for all our products in the Resource Center

We occasionally hear from customers that their local store has told them that a Kinnikinnick product has been discontinued. Most of the time this is not the case. There are several reasons for this:

Store employees may be uninformed
Store may not be carrying the product any longer and does not want to upset the customer
Distributor may be having supply problems due to high demand
Kinnikinnick may be having supply problems due to high demand
If we are discontinuing a product you will see a notice on our website.

Our Bread Mixes are formulated for home use and are different that the mixes we use for our pre-baked bread and buns. Our pre-baked products require special equipment and processing techniques which are not suitable for home use.

None of our mixes are formulated for use in a bread machine. You may have some success using a machine with a Programmable cycle. Use a Quick bread cycle or program to not let mixture rest.

For best quality use before:

Frozen Goods - 8 months
Cookies - 1 year
Mixes - 1 year (minimum)

Due to production and shipping constraints we are not able to offer a Special Order service.

Note to Edmonton and Area Customers: We do offer a special order service for birthday and wedding cakes for pickup at our Edmoton retail store. Contact the store directly for availability and pricing.

When we made the decision to remove dairy from most our our products, the most widely available replacement for dairy ingredients are soy based.

Once we made the switch we began to get more call from customers that soy was a problem. Over the past few years we have been working hard at the removal of soy from our products. We did remove soy from many of our products in 2004. About half of our products are currently soy free.

However, there are physical properties which soy provides which have not yet been duplicated by industry and removing it greatly affects product quality. We are constantly evaluating new ingredients and technologies and we will remove soy when we can use another ingredient without compromising quality.

There are two reasons we have not started offering other grains like Teff and Amaranth.

Supply: These grains are not available in large enough quantities or can not be assured of a stable supply.

Purity: Many of these grains can not be guaranteed GF as they are often milled on contaminated mills.

We are unable to offer organic products for several reasons.

Many of the specialized ingredients we use are simply not available as organic

Most mills grinding organic flours also grind non-GF grains, making them not suitable for GF use.

Organic ingredients (even if they were available) would add a substantial cost to an already high cost product.

We do make every effort to provide customers with the healthiest available food choices but our highest priority is to produce a truly GF product

Most of our products are sold to stores through distributors. Our distributors have approximately 45 products available to them. These products are our best sellers.  (see list in the Resource Center)

Individual stores make decisions based on customer input, shelf and freezer space and perceived demand. If you would like to see products that are on our Top Seller List in your local store, print out the list and talk to your local store manager. Many stores will do special orders if you purchase a case from them.

Every product we produce is gluten free.

All of our products are produced in our two dedicated Gluten Free facilities.
All our ingredient suppliers are required to provide gluten free statements
All our ingredients are tested using various gluten testing protocols in our lab by our food scientist. All our products are randomly tested by the CFIA (Canadian equivalent of the FDA) as gluten free is a regulated term in Canada
We do not outsource any manufacturing so we maintain control of all processes at all times.

We believe we take the most precautions of any company in the world to ensure our products are gluten free.

A key job here at Kinnikinnick is held by our purchasing department. They track down GF ingredients, arrange for gluten statements from the supplier, bring in samples of new ingredients for testing in our lab and monitor any change notices from suppliers ensuring our supply chain is truly GF.

Every product we produce is gluten free.

All new ingredients are tested using the High Sensitivity ELISA Gluten Test (HSEGT) in our lab by our food scientist.
All our major ingredients tested at each new shipment using the HSEGT in our lab
All our minor ingredients are randomly tested using the HSEGT in our lab
All our ingredients are spot checked using the Gluten rapid test kits
All our products are randomly tested by the CFIA (Canadian equivalent of the FDA) as gluten free is a regulated term in Canada

In the Fall of 2006, Kinnikinnick opened it's new Quality Assurance Lab. This 800 sqft facility is located in the largest of our 2 facilities. This lab is tasked with providing complete product quality assurance.

The lab tests for gluten and other allergens and pathogens. All arriving ingredients used in our products are tested for gluten in this lab based on several criteria which we have developed (see Do You Test For Gluten)

It also monitors and controls product quality in terms of color, moisture content, texture several other quality points.

All Kinnikinnick facilities are dedicated Gluten Free.

Kinnikinnick Employees are provided free GF breads, buns, cookies and other snacks as they are not allowed to bring such items into our facilities.

Gluten is a sticky, long chain protein molecule that is found in many grains including Wheat, Barley, Rye, Kamut, Spelt and Oats*.

Gluten can be toxic to people with Celiac Disease

Gluten in wheat flour helps bread and other baked goods stick together and prevent crumbling. Gluten is used in many processed and packaged foods.

*Some studies have shown that some people may be able to tolerate Pure Uncontaminated Oats. In Canada it is currently against the law to sell Oats labeled Gluten free and As Such we do not carry any products with oats.

Defining gluten can be somewhat confusing as it has become the generic term for a protein found in wheat, rye, triticale, spelt , kamut, barley, and oats.

In fact, it is the portion of gluten molecule called the prolamins which is toxic for celiacs.

The prolamins are gliadin in wheat, secalin in rye, horedin in barley and evedin in oats (see note on GF Oats) .

Confusion arises when the word gluten is used in conjunction with corn or rice (corn gluten, glutinous rice). Technically speaking corn and rice do have a form of gluten but THEY DO NOT have the toxic portion and are acceptable on a gluten free diet.

The following Grains and Starches are acceptable on a GF Diet:

Tapioca (Cassava, yucca, manioc)
Rice (brown, white, sweet)
Potato
Pea
Corn
Soy
Amaranth
Teff
Quinoa
Legume Flours (lentil, chickpea)
Buckwheat
Sorghum (milo)
This is only a partial list. Check with your local Celiac Association for more in-depth listings

Seeds such as sesame, sunflower, poppy, caraway  and flax are acceptable on a GF diet.

Milk from all mammals is made up of lactose (milk sugar), proteins, and fats.

Casein is a protein found in all kinds of milk (cow, goat, human etc).

Casein is the main component of cheese.

Note: Casein can sometimes be found in products labeled non-dairy in the form of sodium caseinate

Almost all of our products are casein free. The following are NOT CF.

Tapioca Rice Cheese Bread
Fruit Cake (seasonal)
Chocolate Covered Almond Biscotti
KinniBetik Chocolate Chunk Cookies

You can easily identify which products are GFCF (gluten free casein free) by looking for the ALTA GFCF Logo.

We also provide an Ingredient Quick Reference available in the Resource Center.