Healthy eating for tender tummies

With customers from Alberta to Alaska to Alabama, Edmonton-based Kinnikinnick Foods has earned the respect of buyers of gluten-free foods.

If someone you know suffers from Celiac disease, chances are they’ve heard of Kinnikinnick Foods. As a matter of fact, customers throughout North America from Alaska to Florida and all points in between depend on overnight delivery of gluten-free bakery food from this Edmonton-based company.

From farmers market to world market

Kinnikinnick Foods’ breads, buns, bagels, cookies, muffins, cereals, soups, sauces and snack foods make up one of the largest selections of fresh and frozen gluten-free foods in the world. And it all started back in 1991 when founder/president Ted Wolff made his first sale at a farmers market. A small retail location opened in 1992, soon followed by a larger facility opening for business the next year. Increased demand for the food products meant further expansion in 1997 to a 12,000 sq. ft. facility which includes a retail outlet, production and administrative offices. The most recent expansion of the plant occurred in January which added another 5,000 sq.ft. to the plant bringing total facility space to 17,000 sq.ft.

Jerry Bigam was once a customer of Kinnikinnick, buying food for his wife who has Celiac. Today, he’s a co-owner and the CEO. He credits the growth of the company to a raised awareness of the disease, once thought to only afflict children.

“My wife was undiagnosed for 25 years,” says Bigam. “And that’s a typical situation for many people with the disease. But there is much more awareness today with more people familiar with the disease and getting checked for it.”

Gluten-free foods help autistic kids

In addition to providing foods that are gluten-free, Kinnikinnick is also finding demand for foods from people who have developed wheat allergies. And those who have allergies to dairy products, yeast and eggs are discovering Kinnikinnick products as well.

According to Bigam, a recent development has turned out to be one of the most rewarding benefits in the alternative food business. Kinnikinnick makes gluten-free, casein-free foods (GFCF) as well; casein is the main protein in milk and dairy products. And these GFCF foods are finding a place in the diet of autistic children with positive results.

“Autistic children have shown dramatic changes when they are on a GFCF diet,” he says. “Of course, diet is only one component of treating autism along with medication and behaviour therapy, but it’s having an important impact on children’s lives.” (Bigam recommends anyone interested in the impact of a GFCF diet on autistic children to check out www.gfcfdiet.com where a group of University of Florida professors are conducting an anecdotal survey of parents with autistic children.)

To ensure the foods are contamination-free, Kinnikinnick operates the only plant in North America to have a segregated area dedicated to producing GFCF foods and one of the few companies on the continent to have a dedicated gluten-free production plant. According to Bigam, production staff is specially trained in gluten-free baking and handling. Suppliers of raw materials are required to submit analyses to ensure their products are contamination free.

Next-day delivery

But where do you find Kinnikinnick foods? The early days of selling at farmers markets, health food and specialty stores like Nutters has grown into listings at all the major grocery stores in Canada along with a thriving Internet business. A small number of U.S. retail stores are also being supplied.

“In the last two years, gluten-free foods have gone upscale. You’ll find our foods in Sobey’s in the Maritimes, Loblaws in Ontario, Safeway, IGA and Overwaitea stores in the West and Thrifty’s on Vancouver Island,” says Bigam.

Customers who order foods via the Web store, receive next-day delivery thanks to an elaborate distribution system that relies on a network of overnight air couriers.

“Distribution is absolutely critical because we don’t use any preservatives in our food. If we don’t get it to our customers in four or five days, it’s simply not edible. So we’ve developed a distribution system that I believe is second to none. Based on the response we’ve received from our customers, it’s been quite successful.”

The greatest reward? A mother’s thanks

Getting responses from customers is what gives Bigam the greatest joy. Each day, he can depend on getting at least a couple of emails praising Kinnikinnick products. But one email he received from a mother of an autistic child stands out from the rest.

“She wrote, ‘God bless you. You have given my daughter back to me.’ Her daughter’s behaviour went through a dramatic change from beating her head on the floor to a cognitive child who still has learning disabilities but is a totally different individual. Now that’s rewarding,” he says.

What’s with that name?

Kinnikinnick. Once you get your tongue wrapped around that name, you don’t soon forget it. But what is a kinnikinnick? Also known as the Bearberry, this bush has historically been a plant of some importance to both animals and humans. The berries, which last through the winter when all other fruits are gone, are a favourite of black bears in early spring.

When Native Americans mixed the leaves with tobacco, they referred to it as Kinnikinnick, which is derived from the Algonquin word for “mixture.” When smoked in a sacred pipe, it is supposed to carry the smoker’s prayers to the Great Spirit. Other applications using the leaves included a tea to treat urinary tract diseases, a powder applied to sores and the berries were also made into a tea to fend off obesity. Very nutritious and high in vitamin C, the berries were used as a diet supplement during cold winter months.

For more information, visit www.kinnikinnick.com.