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Here you will find the answers to many of the detailed questions about the Silly Yaks range of 100% wheat free, gluten free products and how they relate to a variety of issues, medical conditions and health or dietary requirements.  If you cannot find the answer to your specific question here, please contact us and we will do our best to provide the information you’re after.


Additives (2)

Are Your Products Additive-Free?

Silly Yak Foods does not add artificial colours, flavours or preservatives to any product that we manufacture.  Some of our ingredients may contain small quantities of preservatives (see the entry on Added Sulphites below).  In all cases the proportion of preservative in the final product is well below the amount that must be declared on the label under Australian law.

Are Any of Your Products Vegan?

We do not label any of our products as vegan because all of our products are manufactured in the same environment in which we manufacture our pies, which contain both meat and eggs.  We do make every effort to avoid cross contamination but we are not prepared to guarantee any product in our range as being 100% free of animal products.

The products in our range which contain no animal ingredients include:

Allergies (1)

What is Dextrose Monohydrate?

Dextrose Monohydrate, more commonly known as glucose, is a simple sugar or monosaccharide.  Chemically, glucose can be made to adopt a number of different forms, although only one, delta-glucose or “right handed glucose” is found in nature.  Dextrose monohydrate is the food industry term for delta-glucose.  It is a 100% natural sugar, found in fruits, vegetables and many manufactured products.

Silly Yak Foods uses dextrose monohydrate to neutralise the free fructose in our Apple Tarts and Apricot Tarts to make them safe for people with fructose malabsorption allergies, as described below.

Beer (1)

Do You Still Make Gluten Free Beer?

No, unfortunately we do not.  The Aztec Gold Gluten Free Beer, once sold under the Silly Yaks branding, is a discontinued line.  For further information, please click here.

Cafe (1)

Do You Still Own the Silly Yaks Cafe?

No we do not. In fact, the Silly Yaks Cafe no longer exists as a business name or trading entity.

We sold the cafe in October 2008 to an organisation called SACS Gourmet.  They operated the cafe through until September 2012, when it closed its doors.  The building which housed the old Silly Yaks Cafe is now part of the Fruit Pedallers organic food store.

Detailed information on the sale of the cafe, including the motivation behind our decision, can be found here.

Canola Oil (1)

What Antioxidant is Used in Your Canola Oil?

We purchase a premium brand of bulk canola oil specifically because it is guaranteed free of genetically modified organisms and because the only antioxidant added to the oil is natural Vitamin E.

Cooking Instructions (3)

What is the Best Way to Re-Heat or Defrost a Silly Yaks Bread Product?

Silly Yaks Bread Products can be defrosted in the microwave and will often benefit (like most gluten free bread products) from a short refresh in the microwave to soften the vegetable gums which are used to promote the setting of the product when it cools after baking.  This is also why gluten free breads tend to improve in texture (and sometimes taste) when toasted.

For detailed information about handling, defrosting and re-heating Silly Yaks Bread Products, please refer to our Bread Product Handling Instructions page.

What is the Best Way to Re-Heat a Silly Yaks Pie or Savoury Roll?

Silly Yaks Pies and Rolls can be re-heated in the microwave direct from the freezer or defrosted and then re-heated in a conventional oven.  For detailed instructions on exactly how to do this, please refer to our Pie and Roll Heating Instructions page.

What is the Best Way to Cook Silly Yaks Potato Gnocchi?

Silly Yaks Potato Gnocchi is best cooked direct from the freezer and requires fairly careful handling in order to achieve the best results.  Detailed instructions on how to get the best results out of your Silly Yaks Potato Gnocchi can be found on our Potato Gnocchi Cooking Instructions page.

Dextrose Monohydrate (1)

What is Dextrose Monohydrate?

Dextrose Monohydrate, more commonly known as glucose, is a simple sugar or monosaccharide.  Chemically, glucose can be made to adopt a number of different forms, although only one, delta-glucose or “right handed glucose” is found in nature.  Dextrose monohydrate is the food industry term for delta-glucose.  It is a 100% natural sugar, found in fruits, vegetables and many manufactured products.

Silly Yak Foods uses dextrose monohydrate to neutralise the free fructose in our Apple Tarts and Apricot Tarts to make them safe for people with fructose malabsorption allergies, as described below.

Discontinued Products (1)

Do You Still Make Gluten Free Beer?

No, unfortunately we do not.  The Aztec Gold Gluten Free Beer, once sold under the Silly Yaks branding, is a discontinued line.  For further information, please click here.

Flour (1)

What is Besan Flour?

Besan flour, also known as chickpea flour, garbanzo flour (in the USA) or gram flour, is a 100% gluten-free flour made from dried chickpeas.  Besan flour is high in easily digestible carbohydrates and protein, making it an ideal food for vegetarians.

Here at Silly Yak Foods we use besan flour in biscuits in order to achieve a crispness of texture and crunchiness in mouth feel that is otherwise quite difficult to obtain in gluten-free baking.  We also use besan flour in a small number of other recipes (such as our Biscuit Crumb recipe) where these characteristics are desirable.

Fructose Friendly (5)

Do you Make Products for People with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies?

Yes, we do!  A significant proportion of our product range is safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  For further details, including a full list of products which are Fructose Friendly™, see our Product Feature on Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.

What does “Fructose Friendly™” Mean?

“Fructose Friendly™” is the term used by Silly Yak Foods to denote those products in our range which are safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.

How Can You Label a Product “Fructose Friendly™” When it Contains Onion Stock?

The fructose in an onion is contained within the flesh of the onion, not within its juices.  If you make a stock from onions where 100% of the onion flesh is removed, that stock will be “Fructose Friendly™”, in that it does not contain fructans or an unbalanced fructose/glucose load and, as such, will not produce an allergic reaction in a person who suffers from a Fructose Malabsorption Allergy.

How Can an Apple or an Apricot Tart be “Fructose Friendly™”?

In making the fillings for our Apple Tarts and our Apricot Tarts we stew the fruit with dextrose monohydrate (commonly called glucose).  During the cooking process the excess fructose in the fruit bonds with the dextrose monohydrate, creating a sugar molecule (sucrose) which still tastes sweet but which will not provoke an allergic reaction in a person who suffers from a Fructose Malabsorption Allergy.  Hence the Apple Tart and the Apricot Tart are “Fructose Friendly™”.

Please note that we do not employ this technique in manufacturing the Apple & Plum Crumble Tart and this product is definitely not safe for consumption by people who suffer from Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.

Do you add Inulin to Your Products?

No, we do not add Inulins to any of our products.

Inulins are a group of naturally occurring (plant-derived) polysaccharides.  They are found in many groups of plants, including chicory, leeks, asparagus, onions, garlic and artichokes.  Inulins are not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are classified as soluble dietary fibre.  Due to their value as dietary fibre, as well as to a variety of claimed health benefits in respect of their role in nourishing good bacteria in the large bowel, inulins are increasingly being added to processed foods.  They are also touted as an excellent way of increasing the dietary fibre and health benefits of gluten free products, including bread.  Under a 2001 ruling by ANZFA (the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority), it is not necessary to declare the presence of Inulins specifically in processed foods – they may be declared generically as “dietary fibre”.

Despite their claimed health benefits, however, Inulins are fructans – long chain fructose molecules.  As such, they cause adverse reactions in people suffering from Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  Additionally, there is much anecdotal information available which suggests that consumption of inulins may also nourish less desirable gut bacteria and may encourage overgrowth of Candida Albicans (commonly known as a “yeast infection”).

Where possible, we ensure that our products are safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  For this reason we do not add inulins to any of our products.

Fructose Malabsorption Allergies (5)

Do you Make Products for People with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies?

Yes, we do!  A significant proportion of our product range is safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  For further details, including a full list of products which are Fructose Friendly™, see our Product Feature on Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.

What does “Fructose Friendly™” Mean?

“Fructose Friendly™” is the term used by Silly Yak Foods to denote those products in our range which are safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.

How Can You Label a Product “Fructose Friendly™” When it Contains Onion Stock?

The fructose in an onion is contained within the flesh of the onion, not within its juices.  If you make a stock from onions where 100% of the onion flesh is removed, that stock will be “Fructose Friendly™”, in that it does not contain fructans or an unbalanced fructose/glucose load and, as such, will not produce an allergic reaction in a person who suffers from a Fructose Malabsorption Allergy.

How Can an Apple or an Apricot Tart be “Fructose Friendly™”?

In making the fillings for our Apple Tarts and our Apricot Tarts we stew the fruit with dextrose monohydrate (commonly called glucose).  During the cooking process the excess fructose in the fruit bonds with the dextrose monohydrate, creating a sugar molecule (sucrose) which still tastes sweet but which will not provoke an allergic reaction in a person who suffers from a Fructose Malabsorption Allergy.  Hence the Apple Tart and the Apricot Tart are “Fructose Friendly™”.

Please note that we do not employ this technique in manufacturing the Apple & Plum Crumble Tart and this product is definitely not safe for consumption by people who suffer from Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.

Do you add Inulin to Your Products?

No, we do not add Inulins to any of our products.

Inulins are a group of naturally occurring (plant-derived) polysaccharides.  They are found in many groups of plants, including chicory, leeks, asparagus, onions, garlic and artichokes.  Inulins are not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are classified as soluble dietary fibre.  Due to their value as dietary fibre, as well as to a variety of claimed health benefits in respect of their role in nourishing good bacteria in the large bowel, inulins are increasingly being added to processed foods.  They are also touted as an excellent way of increasing the dietary fibre and health benefits of gluten free products, including bread.  Under a 2001 ruling by ANZFA (the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority), it is not necessary to declare the presence of Inulins specifically in processed foods – they may be declared generically as “dietary fibre”.

Despite their claimed health benefits, however, Inulins are fructans – long chain fructose molecules.  As such, they cause adverse reactions in people suffering from Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  Additionally, there is much anecdotal information available which suggests that consumption of inulins may also nourish less desirable gut bacteria and may encourage overgrowth of Candida Albicans (commonly known as a “yeast infection”).

Where possible, we ensure that our products are safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  For this reason we do not add inulins to any of our products.

General (5)

Do You Still Own the Silly Yaks Cafe?

No we do not. In fact, the Silly Yaks Cafe no longer exists as a business name or trading entity.

We sold the cafe in October 2008 to an organisation called SACS Gourmet.  They operated the cafe through until September 2012, when it closed its doors.  The building which housed the old Silly Yaks Cafe is now part of the Fruit Pedallers organic food store.

Detailed information on the sale of the cafe, including the motivation behind our decision, can be found here.

Do You Sell Direct to the Public?

Yes we do!

In October 2008, Silly Yak Foods sold the Silly Yaks Cafe in order to concentrate on what we believe we are best at – the development, manufacture and distribution of the highest quality 100% gluten free, 100% wheat free food products in Australia.  However, since that time we have been deluged with feedback telling us that you want to be able to purchase our products directly from us.

In response to this overwhelming feedback we have opened the Silly Yaks Factory Outlet Store.  The store is very much a work in progress, and has very limited hours of opening at present, but will be further developed throughout 2010.  Full details can be found here.

Do You Provide a Home Delivery Service for Your Products?

No, we do not.  We did trial a home delivery service but we’re really not set up for it and it caused many more problems than it solved.  There are a number of companies in Victoria who offer home delivery of gluten free products, including ours.

For information on the best of these Victorian options, click here.

We continue to seek partnerships with companies who are set up to provide a direct home delivery service and are able to handle products such as ours.  We are particularly interested in forming partnerships with organisations which are able to provide this service in states other than Victoria.  We would encourage any organisation which might be interested in discussing such a partnership to contact us.

What is Glucono Delta Lactone?

Glucono Delta Lactone, often abbreviated GDL, is a naturally occurring food ingredient and is one of a class of ingredients known as acidulants.  In food manufacturing, acidulants are used to reduce the pH of the food, retarding spoilage (GDL can be used as a natural preservative in some circumstances), as well as to prevent the discolouration of the final food product.  In large scale commercial manufacturing GDL is widely used in products such as tofu, honey, fruit juices and wine.

GDL is made through the fermentation of plant-derived glucose, generally rice or maize.  It is not made from wheat or from any other gluten-containing grain.  The final product, which is a fine white powder, is 100% free of wheat, gluten and dairy.  It is soluble in water, is completely non toxic and is completely metabolised by the human digestive system.

Silly Yaks uses GDL as a part of our yeast-free leavening mix, which we use to raise our Bread Loaves (not the Bread Roll products, which contain yeast) and our Pizza Base products.  We combine the GDL with Sodium Bicarbonate and Potassium Bicarbonate to form a baking powder.  When the baking powder is combined with water, the acidity of the GDL reacts with the Sodium and Potassium Bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide, which causes the bread to rise.

In yeasted products, the yeast metabolises sugars during the proving process and excretes carbon dioxide to achieve the same effect.

What is Besan Flour?

Besan flour, also known as chickpea flour, garbanzo flour (in the USA) or gram flour, is a 100% gluten-free flour made from dried chickpeas.  Besan flour is high in easily digestible carbohydrates and protein, making it an ideal food for vegetarians.

Here at Silly Yak Foods we use besan flour in biscuits in order to achieve a crispness of texture and crunchiness in mouth feel that is otherwise quite difficult to obtain in gluten-free baking.  We also use besan flour in a small number of other recipes (such as our Biscuit Crumb recipe) where these characteristics are desirable.

Glucono Delta Lactone (1)

What is Glucono Delta Lactone?

Glucono Delta Lactone, often abbreviated GDL, is a naturally occurring food ingredient and is one of a class of ingredients known as acidulants.  In food manufacturing, acidulants are used to reduce the pH of the food, retarding spoilage (GDL can be used as a natural preservative in some circumstances), as well as to prevent the discolouration of the final food product.  In large scale commercial manufacturing GDL is widely used in products such as tofu, honey, fruit juices and wine.

GDL is made through the fermentation of plant-derived glucose, generally rice or maize.  It is not made from wheat or from any other gluten-containing grain.  The final product, which is a fine white powder, is 100% free of wheat, gluten and dairy.  It is soluble in water, is completely non toxic and is completely metabolised by the human digestive system.

Silly Yaks uses GDL as a part of our yeast-free leavening mix, which we use to raise our Bread Loaves (not the Bread Roll products, which contain yeast) and our Pizza Base products.  We combine the GDL with Sodium Bicarbonate and Potassium Bicarbonate to form a baking powder.  When the baking powder is combined with water, the acidity of the GDL reacts with the Sodium and Potassium Bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide, which causes the bread to rise.

In yeasted products, the yeast metabolises sugars during the proving process and excretes carbon dioxide to achieve the same effect.

Glucose (1)

What is Dextrose Monohydrate?

Dextrose Monohydrate, more commonly known as glucose, is a simple sugar or monosaccharide.  Chemically, glucose can be made to adopt a number of different forms, although only one, delta-glucose or “right handed glucose” is found in nature.  Dextrose monohydrate is the food industry term for delta-glucose.  It is a 100% natural sugar, found in fruits, vegetables and many manufactured products.

Silly Yak Foods uses dextrose monohydrate to neutralise the free fructose in our Apple Tarts and Apricot Tarts to make them safe for people with fructose malabsorption allergies, as described below.

Gluten Free (2)

Some Recipes Include “Gluten Free Breadcrumbs” – What Exactly Are These Breadcrumbs?

Silly Yak Foods manufactures breadcrumbs exclusively for our own use as an ingredient in some of the products that we make.  The breadcrumbs are made from waste bread of all types, so long as it doesn’t contain grains.  In practice, this means that any specific batch of breadcrumbs will contain crumbs made from any or all of the following products: Plain Bread, Dinner Rolls, Small Baguettes and Large Baguettes.  As some of these products contain yeast, our breadcrumbs are not guaranteed yeast free.

For this reason we do not classify any product which contains breadcrumbs as being yeast free.

Please note that we do not manufacture breadcrumbs for resale.

Some Recipes Include Gluten Free Biscuit Crumbs – What Exactly Are These Biscuit Crumbs?

Once again, we manufacture a biscuit crumb exclusively for our own use as an ingredient in some of the products that we make.  The ingredients of these biscuit crumbs are as follows: Flour (maize, besan, rice, tapioca), Nuttlelex margarine, caster sugar, eggs, xanthan gum (415), baking powder.

Please note that we do not manufacture biscuit crumbs for resale.

GM Free (1)

Are Your Products GM-Free?

Silly Yak Foods does not knowingly use genetically modified ingredients.  We have obtained GM-free declarations from all of our major suppliers.

Halal (1)

Are Any of Your Products Certified Halal?

Yes, a number of Silly Yaks bread and pizza base products are certified Halal.  For a full list of Halal Certified products, click here.

Home Delivery (1)

Do You Provide a Home Delivery Service for Your Products?

No, we do not.  We did trial a home delivery service but we’re really not set up for it and it caused many more problems than it solved.  There are a number of companies in Victoria who offer home delivery of gluten free products, including ours.

For information on the best of these Victorian options, click here.

We continue to seek partnerships with companies who are set up to provide a direct home delivery service and are able to handle products such as ours.  We are particularly interested in forming partnerships with organisations which are able to provide this service in states other than Victoria.  We would encourage any organisation which might be interested in discussing such a partnership to contact us.

Ingredients (1)

Do Your Products Contain “Hidden” Ingredients?

Silly Yak Foods’ stated policy is to include all ingredients in the ingredients list on the product label even when the quantity of that ingredient is sufficiently small that we are not required by Australian law to include it in the list.  We believe that our customers have a right to know all of the ingredients of our products so that they are able to make an informed decision about whether or not a particular product is right for their needs.  Where there is any question of whether or not to declare an ingredient on the label, we will always err on the side of declaration.

Intulins (1)

Do you add Inulin to Your Products?

No, we do not add Inulins to any of our products.

Inulins are a group of naturally occurring (plant-derived) polysaccharides.  They are found in many groups of plants, including chicory, leeks, asparagus, onions, garlic and artichokes.  Inulins are not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are classified as soluble dietary fibre.  Due to their value as dietary fibre, as well as to a variety of claimed health benefits in respect of their role in nourishing good bacteria in the large bowel, inulins are increasingly being added to processed foods.  They are also touted as an excellent way of increasing the dietary fibre and health benefits of gluten free products, including bread.  Under a 2001 ruling by ANZFA (the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority), it is not necessary to declare the presence of Inulins specifically in processed foods – they may be declared generically as “dietary fibre”.

Despite their claimed health benefits, however, Inulins are fructans – long chain fructose molecules.  As such, they cause adverse reactions in people suffering from Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  Additionally, there is much anecdotal information available which suggests that consumption of inulins may also nourish less desirable gut bacteria and may encourage overgrowth of Candida Albicans (commonly known as a “yeast infection”).

Where possible, we ensure that our products are safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption Allergies.  For this reason we do not add inulins to any of our products.

Policies (1)

Do Your Products Contain “Hidden” Ingredients?

Silly Yak Foods’ stated policy is to include all ingredients in the ingredients list on the product label even when the quantity of that ingredient is sufficiently small that we are not required by Australian law to include it in the list.  We believe that our customers have a right to know all of the ingredients of our products so that they are able to make an informed decision about whether or not a particular product is right for their needs.  Where there is any question of whether or not to declare an ingredient on the label, we will always err on the side of declaration.

Product Handling (3)

What is the Best Way to Re-Heat or Defrost a Silly Yaks Bread Product?

Silly Yaks Bread Products can be defrosted in the microwave and will often benefit (like most gluten free bread products) from a short refresh in the microwave to soften the vegetable gums which are used to promote the setting of the product when it cools after baking.  This is also why gluten free breads tend to improve in texture (and sometimes taste) when toasted.

For detailed information about handling, defrosting and re-heating Silly Yaks Bread Products, please refer to our Bread Product Handling Instructions page.

What is the Best Way to Re-Heat a Silly Yaks Pie or Savoury Roll?

Silly Yaks Pies and Rolls can be re-heated in the microwave direct from the freezer or defrosted and then re-heated in a conventional oven.  For detailed instructions on exactly how to do this, please refer to our Pie and Roll Heating Instructions page.

What is the Best Way to Cook Silly Yaks Potato Gnocchi?

Silly Yaks Potato Gnocchi is best cooked direct from the freezer and requires fairly careful handling in order to achieve the best results.  Detailed instructions on how to get the best results out of your Silly Yaks Potato Gnocchi can be found on our Potato Gnocchi Cooking Instructions page.

Soy (1)

Why Do You Use Soy? Isn’t Soy Bad?

Periodically we receive emails asking us why we persist in using soy in most of our products when:

  • Soy is one of the most genetically modified of all food crops.
  • Soy is one of the food crops which is most extensively associated with deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
  • The phytoestrogens in soy have been alleged to be deleterious to human health.

We use soy in our flour blends for making Bread Loaves and Bread Rolls as well as for making Sweet Pastry and Savoury Pastry.  We use it to achieve a specific flavour profile as well as to improve the handling characteristics of both the bread doughs and the uncooked pastry.  In the case of Bread Loaves and Bread Rolls, the inclusion of soy flour in the flour blend increases the quantity of water which is retained in the final baked product, which reduces the rate at which the bread dries out and goes stale and hard.  The alternative to doing this would be to add artificial preservatives, which we are not prepared to do.

In answer to the other charges often laid against soy (and enumerated above), we would offer the following information…

Yes, soy is one of the most genetically modified of all food crops.  This is why we only use soy flour which has been certified GM-free.  None of our flours or other inputs contains or is sourced from genetically modified material.

It is also true that soy is one of the food crops which is most often associated with the destruction of Amazon and other native rainforest as a part of traditional “slash and burn” agriculture as practised in South and Central America.  However, Silly Yaks uses soy flours which are grown and processed wholly in Australia.  In this way we ensure that we do not in any way contribute to the destruction of native rainforest habitats in South America.

Finally, there is the question of whether or not the phytoestrogens found in unfermented raw soy products have a deleterious effect on human health generally and on male reproductive health in particular.  While some of the initial scientific studies of the effect of high levels of raw soy consumption on human health resulted in some rather strident claims to the effect that phytoestrogens can cause cancer, radically alter hormone levels and undermine male fertility, more recent research has thrown considerable doubt upon these early claims.

Phytoestrogens are not estrogens (steroidal hormones produced by the human body and part of the endocrine system) and their mechanisms of action and effect upon human hormone balance do not mimic estrogen.  Phytoestrogens are, in fact, found in most nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables.  Examples of common foods which are high in phytoestrogens include: most legumes (including lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and mung beans), linseed, ginseng, yams, rice, alfalfa, apples, carrots and pomegranates.  Not surprisingly, there is little suggestion in popular culture or elsewhere that we abstain from eating all of these foods.

The current state of scientific research tends to suggest that:

  • Moderate consumption of raw soy products has no demonstrably negative effects on human health.
  • Consumption of soy phytoestrogens cannot be demonstrated to have any significant effect on male health or fertility.
  • Consumption of phytoestrogens from soy products is likely to be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.
  • Soy is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, fats which are known to be highly beneficial to human health and which are generally not consumed in sufficient quantities in a Western diet.
  • Consumption of phytoestrogens from soy provides a net benefit to post-menopausal women, especially in the maintenance of bone mass and the prevention of osteoporosis.

Overall, we consider that the small amounts of soy that we use in our products do not pose any health risk to our customers.  In fact, as early onset osteoporosis is a common issue for sufferers of coeliac disease (both men and women), we consider that the inclusion of soy in our products is quite likely to provide a net benefit by increasing our customers’ intake of Omega 3 fatty acids whilst reducing their risk of osteoporosis.

Stock Powder (1)

What Stock Powder do you Use?

Silly Yaks uses a Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein stock powder manufactued in Melbourne by Halcyon Proteins Pty Ltd.  It provides us with a savoury flavour enhancer which is 100% free of wheat and gluten, is completely natural and is also yeast-free.  The product is manufactured from maize and rice bran oil.  This Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein stock powder is also 100% free of Trans Fatty Acids.

Sulphites (1)

Do Your Products Contain Added Sulphites?

Silly Yak Foods does not add sulphites to any of our products (see Are Your Products Additive-Free?, above).

From an ingredients perspective, the main issues are potato starch (which often has sulphite preservatives added) and tapioca starch (once again, sulphites are often used as a preservative or processing aid).  Other inputs, such as bacon and sundried tomatoes, contain sulphite preservatives.  However, the quantity of sulphites in the final product is extremely low.

Our potato starch contains no added sulphites.

Sodium Metabisulfite is used as a processing aid in the manufacture of our tapioca starch.  This is standard for almost all tapioca starches, in fact we are unaware of any tapioca starch available on the Australian market in commercial quantities for which this is not the case.  However, our tapioca starch is very low in sulphites.  The product specification sheet states that the total level of sulphites present in the tapioca starch is not greater than ten parts per million.  As the proportion of tapioca (dry weight, excluding water added) in our bread dough is less than twelve percent, the concentration of sulphites in a loaf of our bread would not be expected to exceed 1.2 parts per million.  This is a very low concentration indeed!

Vegan (1)

Are Any of Your Products Vegan?

We do not label any of our products as vegan because all of our products are manufactured in the same environment in which we manufacture our pies, which contain both meat and eggs.  We do make every effort to avoid cross contamination but we are not prepared to guarantee any product in our range as being 100% free of animal products.

The products in our range which contain no animal ingredients include:

Retailer (2)

Do You Sell Direct to the Public?

Yes we do!

In October 2008, Silly Yak Foods sold the Silly Yaks Cafe in order to concentrate on what we believe we are best at – the development, manufacture and distribution of the highest quality 100% gluten free, 100% wheat free food products in Australia.  However, since that time we have been deluged with feedback telling us that you want to be able to purchase our products directly from us.

In response to this overwhelming feedback we have opened the Silly Yaks Factory Outlet Store.  The store is very much a work in progress, and has very limited hours of opening at present, but will be further developed throughout 2010.  Full details can be found here.

Do You Provide a Home Delivery Service for Your Products?

No, we do not.  We did trial a home delivery service but we’re really not set up for it and it caused many more problems than it solved.  There are a number of companies in Victoria who offer home delivery of gluten free products, including ours.

For information on the best of these Victorian options, click here.

We continue to seek partnerships with companies who are set up to provide a direct home delivery service and are able to handle products such as ours.  We are particularly interested in forming partnerships with organisations which are able to provide this service in states other than Victoria.  We would encourage any organisation which might be interested in discussing such a partnership to contact us.

Stockists (2)

Do You Sell Direct to the Public?

Yes we do!

In October 2008, Silly Yak Foods sold the Silly Yaks Cafe in order to concentrate on what we believe we are best at – the development, manufacture and distribution of the highest quality 100% gluten free, 100% wheat free food products in Australia.  However, since that time we have been deluged with feedback telling us that you want to be able to purchase our products directly from us.

In response to this overwhelming feedback we have opened the Silly Yaks Factory Outlet Store.  The store is very much a work in progress, and has very limited hours of opening at present, but will be further developed throughout 2010.  Full details can be found here.

Do You Provide a Home Delivery Service for Your Products?

No, we do not.  We did trial a home delivery service but we’re really not set up for it and it caused many more problems than it solved.  There are a number of companies in Victoria who offer home delivery of gluten free products, including ours.

For information on the best of these Victorian options, click here.

We continue to seek partnerships with companies who are set up to provide a direct home delivery service and are able to handle products such as ours.  We are particularly interested in forming partnerships with organisations which are able to provide this service in states other than Victoria.  We would encourage any organisation which might be interested in discussing such a partnership to contact us.