Mueller's gluten-free spaghetti now at Publix

Mueller's used to be my preferred brand of pasta, before I discovered that Publix brand spaghetti seemed to taste just the same and it cost a lot less.

That all became a moot point when I had to go gluten free. But since Publix doesn't have its own brand of gluten-free spaghetti, I was pleased to find that Mueller's has a new gluten-free spaghetti now available at Publix.

It costs $1.79 for an 8-ounce package, which is only 20 cents more than Mueller's regular spaghetti. Of course, the Publix spaghetti costs just 79 cents.

I tried it and it was good, but probably no better than the other gluten-free spaghetti I've been touting for the past two years, made by Heartland.

I've only seen Heartland spaghetti at Walmart, where a 12-ounce package costs $2.18. That makes it cheaper than the Mueller's on a cost-per-ounce basis.

But anyway, it's nice to have choices. I don't think you can go wrong with either Mueller's or Heartland. In both cases, you can find the gluten-free spaghetti in the regular pasta sections at Publix and Walmart.

In addition to spaghetti, Mueller's website says it is also coming out with gluten-free penne and fusilli products.

Here's what Mueller's says on its website about the safety of its gluten-free products:

"We follow the proposed rule in the Federal Register (72 FR 7295) that tests for gluten at the 20 parts per million level. While we do not have dedicated equipment for Mueller's Gluten Free Pasta, we have a very detailed protocol in place to prevent cross contamination and ensure safety for consumption. The gluten level of the product is verified to ensure that it does not exceed 20 parts per million."