MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills, Inc. has launched a new web site, liveglutenfreely.com, designed to provide consumers with information on gluten-free products and gluten-free recipes. The site lists General Mills products labeled gluten-free and features kitchen-tested recipes for preparing an array of gluten-free foods.

"One of the most frequent inquiries our customer service department receives is ‘What products are gluten-free?’" said Katie Lay, marketing manager, General Mills Health and Wellness division. "Consumers should always consult product labels prior to purchase, but our new web site can give them 24/7 access to information about General Mills’ gluten-free products. We also created an electronic newsletter by the same name that consumers can subscribe to when they visit liveglutenfreely.com. Gluten-free product information and gluten-free recipes will be sent directly to their inboxes."

General Mills in recent months has upped its presence in the gluten-free category with products such as a line of Betty Crocker gluten-free dessert mixes. The company also offers Yoplait yogurt, Larabar fruit and nut bar, Betty Crocker Fruit Snack, and Chex cereal product lines that contain several gluten-free items.

Michelle Tucker, a registered dietitian and senior scientist of the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, said the web site is "an excellent tool" for helping consumers find information on gluten-free foods, but added that consumers need to remember to always read ingredient listings and look for the words gluten free near the nutrition and ingredient list on package labels before adding a food item to their shopping cart.