We have, unfortunately, had to withdraw our invitation to be a judge at the FreeFrom Food Awards from one of our prospective judges. She is a freefrom wholesaler. You can find her on her Facebook page and I understand that she also has a blog.
The reason we have withdrawn the invitation is because she had expressed some rather strong opinions about some freefrom products on her Facebook page – nothing wrong in that – but had done so in a gratuitously offensive manner.
Just to set the record straight, we had two reasons for withdrawing our invitation:
1. We felt that the language that she had used about the products was inappropriate for someone who would be judging the awards.
2. We value the integrity of the FreeFrom Food Awards above all else and it is therefore essential for us to be absolutely sure that all of those that we invite to sit on our judging panels are entirely independent and objective and have no connection, either positive or negative, with any of the companies who might be submitting products to the awards.
It appeared from the comments that the lady concerned might have some particular problem with these brands which would prevent her taking a totally objective view of their products if she were to taste them – although, since all tastings/judgings are blind it is very unlikely that she would know them if she did.
However, even if we were convinced of her independence and objectivity, we would not be prepared to take the risk that she might recognise a product and therefore be biased either for or against it.
While, obviously, we believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion of any product, freefrom or otherwise – and we certainly engage in a good deal of what we hope is constructive criticism in our own product reviews – we do not see any need to be offensive just because one wishes to be critical.
As regards transparency and open-ness, the tables reporting on the awards judging not only give the judges comments, but give full ingredient details and flag up additives and manufacturing aids using a traffic light system so that readers can judge the products’s ingredients for themselves.
Just to set the record straight – I am not a wholesaler any more. I am a coeliac and I am concerned about the quality of products that are peddled to coeliacs. One of the reasons I closed my business was because I did not eat most of the products myself and did not feel comfortable selling them to others. I would far rather educate people in healthy eating and I have completely eradicated processed foods from my diet. The bottom line is we do not need these products and I have received nothing but praise for exposing these companies that charge high prices for poor quality products with little or no nutritional value. I have questioned some of these companies about the additives they put in their foods and not one of them has had the decency to answer me.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and nothing I have said is offensive. I have more integrity in my little finger than most of these ‘free-from’ companies.
Hi Helen,
Can I ask why you were happy to accept an invitation to be a judge for an award that appraises products which you consider unnecessary made by companies who you feel have little integrity?
Alex
I wholeheartedly agree with Alex . When asked on Facebook by Gluten Free foodies if I thought that their comments were “gratuitously offensive” I posted this
Quite frankly, yes. I think there are ways and means of getting your point across and to be blunt is not particularly helpful. I can’t say I’m surprised that you have had your invitation withdrawn. Yes, of course you are entitled to your opinion but there is a time and a place to express it. You have said that you have “eradicated processed food from your diet” and questioned companies about the “additives they put in thier foods”. If that is your lifestyle choice then OK but for others these processed foods do come in useful occasionally. Healthy, non coeliacs don’t live off processed foods and eat a mixture of both home made and processed products, so why should coelliac sufferers not have the same choice. Please don’t expect to be put in a position where you are able to comment on these companies who do so much to make life a little easier for those on a GF diet when you are so vocal and critical of what they do.
Seems to me that the free-from world has changed exponentially over the last few years and almost entirely for the better.
There was a time when gluten free products were of questionable quality and often only available on prescription. Today most of the major supermarket chains have free-from products on their shelves and the quality has improved enormously. Of course it is possible to discuss whether individual ingredients are desirable or indeed necessary, but the situation is infinitely better than it was and the food industry – like it or hate it – has played its part. We should be willing to acknowledge this and not go over the top when the industry does not always meet what are sometimes impractically high standards.
Hi Alex,
This doesn’t apply to all companies, there are some very good ones out there. The smaller ones are usually run by coeliacs who understand our needs. It’s good that Foods Matter are helping to spread the work although sadly they are charging to enter this year, I know they have to cover their costs. They also have advertisers like Livwell who make products for the supermarkets as well that are chock full of additives.
I received an e-mail yesterday from Coeliac UK with their advertising rates. How can we trust them to give us objective advice? I make no apologies for what I said, these large businesses are exploiting coeliacs.
My reply to Kim is on my page too.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=160953667262320&id=408500070287