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Celiac.com 04/01/2024 - Gluten-free doughnut enthusiasts should take heed as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues a recall notice for a product that contains wheat. Stonewall Kitchen of York, located in Maine, has voluntarily recalled its Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix due to concerns about potential wheat contamination. For individuals with celiac disease who must strictly avoid gluten, consuming contaminated products can lead to severe health complications. The recall encompasses doughnut mix units with specific details: Name: Stonewall Kitchen of York - Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix Packaged in rectangular cardboard box Enjoy By Date: 03-09-2025 & 03-10-2025 (located on the bottom of the box) UPC: 711381313329 Item #: 553429 The recall was initiated following a reported reaction and subsequent investigation, which revealed that wheat-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not disclose the presence of wheat due to a packaging error. Consumers who have purchased the affected product are advised to discard it immediately. Stonewall Kitchen is offering full refunds to those who purchased the recalled doughnut mix. For further inquiries regarding the recall, individuals can contact Stonewall Kitchen Premier's Guest Services via email at guestservices@stonewallkitchen.com, or by phone at: 800-826-1735 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM ET to 5:00 PM ET). It is crucial for individuals with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders to remain vigilant about product recalls to ensure their safety and well-being. Always check product labels and stay informed about any recalls that may affect gluten-free products in your household. Read more at: msn.com and fda.gov

Celiac.com 09/17/2020 - A recent "Advisory" issued on August 29, 2020 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), followed by a product recall, has brought up an interesting question: Which food safety system works better, the USA's or Canada's? The alert was issued two weeks ago for President's Choice Brand "Gluten-Free" Chicken Strips, the text of which reads: "In response to several reported reactions from consumers, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is recommending individuals with celiac disease, or others with gluten-related disorders, to not consume the product described below as it may contain undeclared gluten. " The advisory goes on to list the UPC number (0 60383 20488 4) and product code (2021 AL 20) of the chicken strips to avoid. What caught our eye about this particular alert was that it was an "Advisory," rather than a recall, and recalls are what we typically see issued by both the CFIA and the FDA. This raised the following question: What is the difference between a CFIA "Advisory" and a "Recall", and is it better to have both? On August 31, 2020 we sent an email to the the CFIA's media department where we asked several questions, and on September 2, 2020 we received the following responses from Christine: Q: What is the threshold minimum number of complaints required to trigger this type of public warning? Christine's Answer: "There is no set number of complaints required to issue a public warning. The CFIA issues public warnings on a case-by-case basis. In this case, the Agency had credible information from several sources that a particular product was the cause of several illnesses." Q: Did you test any of this company's products before issuing this warning? How did you determine that gluten was present in this product before issuing this warning? Christine's Answer: "In this case, the Agency acted on credible information from several sources that a particular product was the cause of several illnesses. It was affecting individuals with Celiac disease who normally show adverse reactions to the presence of gluten. Given the potential severity of reactions, the Agency chose to inform individuals with Celiac disease and other gluten related disorders based on a pattern of reactions." Q: Did you speak with any representatives at this company before issuing this warning? Christine's Answer: "Loblaw Companies Limited was contacted before issuing the consumer advisory and the recall warning." Q: Did any of the people who complained about the product run any tests for gluten? Christine's Answer: None of the complainants supplied test results for gluten to the Agency. After 25 years operating the Celiac.com Web site, including over 15 years of running our site's forum, one thing we've learned is that it can be very inaccurate to try to determine whether or not something has gluten in it just by someone's gut reaction to it. While some celiacs swear they can do this accurately, many celiacs, especially during the 1-2 year period following their diagnosis, can react in a similar way to all sorts of things like casein/milk, corn, eggs, soy, etc., possibly due to the "leaky gut" condition caused by the disease. Some celiacs swear they react to distilled alcohols made using gluten containing grains, even though scientists and the FDA have determined them to be gluten-free. Given the extremely high expenses that such an advisory could create for a food company, we were hoping to get a more specific answer to our first question, and were very surprised to discover that there is no threshold to trigger such an advisory. Could a single report from a celiac trigger an advisory to be issues? Below are examples of stories that ran in the press just one day following the advisory, which triggered Loblaw to voluntarily recall the product: Notice that none of these stories leave any doubt that there was gluten in the product, even though the CFIA made it clear in answering our first round of questions that the product never tested positive for gluten. At this point we were scratching our heads and wondering whether this system was working as planned, and whether it was doing a good job of keeping celiacs in Canada safe, or were advisories being issued without any real evidence that the product contained gluten? Since the CFIA indicated that there is no specific threshold for the issuance of such an advisory, we really had no idea if "several" complaints meant two or three, or two or three hundred. Directly following Christine's September 2, 2020 responses we sent a follow up question to her, but this time Patrick, rather than Christine, responded to it: Q: How can you be sure that the reactions that have been reported were not caused by a bacterial, chemical, or other issue with the product, rather than by gluten in the product? Patrick's Answer: "In this case, multiple individuals consumed the product and only those with celiac disease or allergies to wheat reported reactions. This points to gluten/wheat being the causative agent. In addition, some individuals reported anaphylactic shock. Those reactions are not associated with bacterial or chemical contamination in food. After the Consumer Advisory was issued, the food safety investigation was able to confirm that one of the ingredients contained gluten and a recall was issued by Loblaw Companies Limited." Patrick's response certainly makes this sound like an open and closed case of wheat contamination in a product that was labelled gluten-free. If true the CFIA's advisory system was very effective at detecting gluten in a gluten-free product, which is exactly what their advisory system was designed to do—protect its citizens as soon as possible from dangerous foods. Even though the CFIA's system appears to have worked well in this case, it also seems like it could easily result in costly errors. By not setting a threshold number of complaints, or verifying the presence of gluten in a product before issuing such an advisory, it's possible that a costly mistake could be made, and if so, such an error could severely damage a small company. In this instance the company was a large one, which means that the product was distributed more widely, and it was therefore more important to react quickly, especially for those with anaphylaxis. Many people in the USA have reported complaining to the FDA about the possibility of gluten in products that are labelled "gluten-free," for example certain General Mills cereals, however it appears that the FDA has a much higher threshold for issuing a product recall. At the time of writing this article we could not verify exactly how the warnings sent into the FDA are used to issue a recall, but we assume that they follow up by testing the reported batch and/or lot number of the reported products, and if gluten is found we assume they issue the recall. We wonder if the FDA's current system would have been able to detect gluten in these chicken strips and issue a recall as quickly as the CFIA's advisory system did? On one hand it makes perfect sense to verify complaints with positive testing for gluten before issuing any recall, if only to avoid costly errors that could harm companies, on the other hand it's possible that such delays could cause serious injury, or even deaths. Ultimately it's possible that both countries' systems could learn something from one another, and each could be improved. Tell us in the comments below which food safety system you like better, the FDA's possibly more conservative approach, or the CFIA's seemingly more aggressive approach? Read the original consumer alert at: healthycanadians.gc.ca

Celiac.com 01/31/2019 - The popularity of gluten-free and allergen-free foods is on the rise, and that’s generally good news. In theory, that’s good news, as it means more products, better selection and lower prices. However, it seems that the proliferation of gluten- and allergen-free products also means higher rates of allergen contamination. We’ve written about the upswing in gluten contamination in foods labeled gluten-free, but it appears as though the problem of allergen contamination in products labeled allergen-free is neither restricted to America, nor restricted to gluten. The latest information coming out of New Zealand shows that food recalls due to allergens have quadrupled over the past five years, with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) leading 144 investigations in that period. Meanwhile, official food recall investigations climbed to 28 in 2018, compared with just six in 2013. The new information and numbers show that more vigilance is needed on the part of manufacturers, grocers, consumers, and public health officials. Interestingly, wine received the most complaints, with reports of milk, egg, royal jelly and sulfites contamination. Recalls due to food allergens have affected numerous businesses. For example, in 2017, gluten-contaminated buckwheat flour triggered a recall by 27 stores, which pulled the product from their shelves. Do you know of any food recalls we may have missed? Share your thoughts below. Read more at Stuff.co.nz

Celiac.com 12/14/2018 - As the popularity of gluten- and allergen-free foods have exploded, so has the list of manufacturers rushing new products to market. Several studies have shown that numerous restaurant and commercial foods labeled as ‘gluten-free’ contain unacceptable gluten levels. Meanwhile, other news has revealed that many supermarket products labeled gluten-free in fact contain unacceptable levels of wheat. Now, news in from the UK says that manufacturers were forced to recall sixty-eight products linked to potentially lethal allergies or food intolerances due to being improper labeling. There have been several cases of accidental exposure to allergens causing death. Partly as a result, a renewed diligence among grocers and manufacturers has led to a number of product recalls. Recalled products include yogurt, salad dressing, supermarket croissants, biscuits and cottage pies. The figures suggest that companies may have supply, formulation, and/or manufacturing issues that leave them out of touch with the ingredients in their products. Recent major product recalls in the UK include: Sainsbury's in-store bakery All Butter Croissant recalled over undeclared almonds. Quorn’s recall packs of Gluten Free Burgers due to undeclared gluten. M&S’s recall of Gluten Free Scotch Eggs due to undeclared gluten. Mary Berry's Salad Dressing’s recall due to undeclared egg. Tesco’s recall of Hearty Food Company Cottage Pie and Hearty Food Company Sausage and Mash due to undeclared milk. Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City, University of London, said: "The recent deaths ought to be a wake-up call. Labeling is not working and confidence is falling. This is not a good state of affairs." The Food & Drink Federation (FDF), which speaks for manufacturers, said that, under UK regulations, “If a pre-packed food or drink product contains any of the 14 food allergens it must be declared and emphasized within the ingredients list.” The FDF advises that "In the unlikely event that once a product has shipped, a business discovers that this labeling has not been done correctly, it is their responsibility to inform the Food Standards Agency and immediately recall the product." The British Retail Consortium, which speaks for the major chains, said: "Supermarkets are fully aware of how crucial allergen labeling is. That's why in the small number of cases where an ingredient is not correctly labeled, retailers withdraw the product and notify the FSA." With numerous studies, products recalls, and news stories calling attention to the problem of gluten contamination in gluten-free food, look for retailers and manufacturers to take a more aggressive role in policing their labels, if only to escape the action of regulators and litigators.