A pastry chef, Michelle Johnson was diagnosed with celiac disease in her last quarter of culinary school in 2014. Her world was turned upside down with her diagnosis. She continued with her plans to open a cottage food bakery "Shelly's Cakes and Pastries." Michelle provided custom cakes, cake props, and desserts to Warner Brothers Studios, Universal Studios, and the public for many years. Unfortunately, she continued to suffer celiac symptoms despite the fact that she was wearing a mask during gluten production.

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    At this point Michelle decided to stop selling gluten containing products and focused on taking care of her ill special needs sister. She continued to only sell select gluten free items. She cared for her sister until she sadly passed away due to health issues.

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    Over the next few years Michelle started a family of her own and continued to be diagnosed with more autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus and hypothyroidism. In a desperate search for healing, she removed all processed foods from her diet and focused on only whole foods, mainly meat, eggs, nuts, and dairy. Within a few months her lupus levels were in remission and her celiac transglutaminase IGA levels (which had always been slightly elevated) went negative for the first time in 10 years.

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    Michelle couldn't figure out how she was still getting contaminated with gluten when she was purchasing all Certified Gluten Free products and never eating out at restaurants. Thats when she started digging. She was enlightened that companies do not legally have to write on their packaging "processed in the same facility as gluten or wheat products." After calling and speaking with many well-known gluten free companies, about 90% of them process their products on the same equipment or lines as gluten or wheat. Companies can have the Gluten Free- Certification Logo but still use the same equipment as gluten containing products. While she understands these lines are sanitized and tested, there is no way to test every inch of every line. The legal amount of gluten allowed in a "gluten free" labeled product is 20ppm or less. A product with the Gluten Free Certification logo must be 10ppm or less. Michelle would consume several processed foods and with small amounts in each food it added up and continued never to allow her intestines to heal fully. Some products even tested positive for gluten using Nima Partners gluten tester, which were labeled certified gluten free!

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    At this point Michelle had a 4-month-old, breast-fed baby who was diagnosed with a milk and soy protein allergy. She was forced to go dairy and soy free on top of gluten free. There were very limited gluten free snack items made in dedicated gluten free facilities let alone organic, dairy and soy free snacks. Michelle decided to create her own Celiac Friendly Granola Bar. The Celiac Code was born. A company that will not only provide delicious organic bars to the celiac and gluten free community but also offer the key to the code of not getting sick from gluten contamination.