11 replies to this topic

[Deb O (UK)]

[font=Comic Sans Ms]

Hi there, please bear with me as I'm very new to gluten-free!

I'm still at the stage where I'm preoccupied with checking labels and noticed that the ingredients listed on a pack of Wotsits (corn puffs) included 2 types of wheat. (Have inadvertently thrown away the packet so can't be specific ) However, underneath the ingredients the pack stated that this product is 'suitable for coeliacs'.

Now I might be missing something, but what's this about?!

I'm not at all bothered about eating Wotsits (I could easily do without ) but am now feeling confused and disconcerted about labelling.

Can anyone shed any light on this please?

[nikki-uk]

It's confusing isn't it?

They are labelled 'suitable for coeliacs' because the level of wheat is within the Codex standard.

http://www.coeliac.o...tailers/150.asp

[Deb O (UK)]

It's confusing isn't it?

They are labelled 'suitable for coeliacs' because the level of wheat is within the Codex standard.

http://www.coeliac.o...tailers/150.asp

Thanks for this. I guess I'll trust the label if it states 'suitable for coeliacs'.

[darlindeb25]

Deb, just a word of advice from another Deb--I wouldn't trust the label. Who can truthfully say how much is too much for us? Who really knows? If I read anything that remotely resembles gluten, I don't eat it. Just my opinion. I was purchasing vitamins from Pacific Pride and they told me they were gluten free, but on the label I read, barley grasses. They gave me the same answer--they feel there is not enough gluten to constitute calling it gluten--in my opinion, it's not up to them how much is not too much.

Deb

[taz sharratt]

Thanks for this. I guess I'll trust the label if it states 'suitable for coeliacs'.

deb im from the uk and know what youare on about, walkers have the same prob too, for instance the lamb and mint flavour says suitable butwhan you look at ingriedients it says contains wheat, i know celiac uk says you can have wheat but for me i know if i have the lamb and mint crisps i get ill. i wouldnt just take the word of the pack, just cos it says doesnt mean its gospel. even my regular items that i buy i still check labels to make sure they havent changed the ingriedients.

[nikki-uk]

deb im from the uk and know what youare on about, walkers have the same prob too, for instance the lamb and mint flavour says suitable butwhan you look at ingriedients it says contains wheat, i know celiac uk says you can have wheat but for me i know if i have the lamb and mint crisps i get ill. i wouldnt just take the word of the pack, just cos it says doesnt mean its gospel. even my regular items that i buy i still check labels to make sure they havent changed the ingriedients.

Taz is right,I should of mentioned that some coeliacs cannot tolerate codex.

Also,CUK advise that you eat no more than 6 slices of Codex bread a day -(how that translates into bags of wotsits I don't know!)-so there is a limit to how much codex you can eat in one day.

It's all very confusing I know!

My husband (who is a coeliac) always says 'If in doubt-leave it out'
He doesn't seem to react to codex but only occasionally eats anything with it.

Good Luck with the diet!
It does get easier!

[Deb O (UK)]

Taz is right,I should of mentioned that some coeliacs cannot tolerate codex.

Also,CUK advise that you eat no more than 6 slices of Codex bread a day -(how that translates into bags of wotsits I don't know!)-so there is a limit to how much codex you can eat in one day.

It's all very confusing I know!

My husband (who is a coeliac) always says 'If in doubt-leave it out'
He doesn't seem to react to codex but only occasionally eats anything with it.

Good Luck with the diet!
It does get easier!

[color=#993399]

Thanks so much to everyone who's replied - I feel easier about it now. It feels isolating when you're on your own trying to take all this on board. This board is brilliant - packed with info and so many people helping each other out, it's inspiring!!
I think "If in doubt - leave it out" is good advice!!

[taz sharratt]

Taz is right,I should of mentioned that some coeliacs cannot tolerate codex.

Also,CUK advise that you eat no more than 6 slices of Codex bread a day -(how that translates into bags of wotsits I don't know!)-so there is a limit to how much codex you can eat in one day.

It's all very confusing I know!

My husband (who is a coeliac) always says 'If in doubt-leave it out'
He doesn't seem to react to codex but only occasionally eats anything with it.

Good Luck with the diet!
It does get easier!

hi nikki uk, its so confuseing about the codex thing is nt it, i havent a clue what it means? i do the same as your hubby if in doubt leave it out. i really dont undersand and i think my ignorance will get me in to trouble so i dont bother with wheat which is a shame cos if i underdtood it i may have a bit more of a vaired diet and could maybe have shredded wheat? again dont know if i could. do you? sorry was just curious about this one.

[nikki-uk]

hi nikki uk, its so confuseing about the codex thing is nt it, i havent a clue what it means? i do the same as your hubby if in doubt leave it out. i really dont undersand and i think my ignorance will get me in to trouble so i dont bother with wheat which is a shame cos if i underdtood it i may have a bit more of a vaired diet and could maybe have shredded wheat? again dont know if i could. do you? sorry was just curious about this one.

Taz,I'm afraid Shredded Wheat is a definant no-no (shame,because my hubby loved them!)

If something has a Codex level of gluten it means there are less than 200 parts per million.
This really is a minute amount of gluten,but nonetheless some coeliacs find that it gives them diarrhoea and stomach pains/bloating.

Alot of G.F breads in the U.K contain Codex,and will clearly state it.

So,I suppose the only way to see if you can tolerate it is to try some.(a bit of a 'suck it and see' theory)
Sadly to date,there are no clear answers on the Codex debate.
There have been no long term studies to see if when a 'sensitive' coeliac reacts to Codex,it is actually doing harm to the villi in the bowel.

A rule of thumb is this,

Most foods on the packaging will have a 'contains box' which will list the main allergens
E.g- Contains Milk,Gluten or Nuts
Obviously avoid these like the plague!
But some will only say ''Contains Milk''.
However the ingredients list will list Wheat.

This is where it gets confusing-in the latter instance I would first check the CUK bible (as we call it!)
If any items in the bible contain for instance Barley it will have a small diamond symbol next to it.It will be within the Codex amount.
The same for wheat,(it has a small triangle symbol next to the listed food)
Then it's up to you whether you want to eat a product with trace amounts of gluten (Codex level)

Another thing I do is email the company if not sure about the food.

Finally ,if unsure you could try The Gluten Free message Board who will have a much better idea about UK foods and someone on there may have already got the info on a certain food.

http://members2.boar...com/glutenfree/


The only cereal my hubby now eats BTW is Whole Earth Cornflakes (completely G.F) available from Morrissons,Sainsbury's and Asda's.

Hope that helps!!

[Deb O (UK)]

Taz,I'm afraid Shredded Wheat is a definant no-no (shame,because my hubby loved them!)

If something has a Codex level of gluten it means there are less than 200 parts per million.
This really is a minute amount of gluten,but nonetheless some coeliacs find that it gives them diarrhoea and stomach pains/bloating.

Alot of G.F breads in the U.K contain Codex,and will clearly state it.

So,I suppose the only way to see if you can tolerate it is to try some.(a bit of a 'suck it and see' theory)
Sadly to date,there are no clear answers on the Codex debate.
There have been no long term studies to see if when a 'sensitive' coeliac reacts to Codex,it is actually doing harm to the villi in the bowel.

A rule of thumb is this,

Most foods on the packaging will have a 'contains box' which will list the main allergens
E.g- Contains Milk,Gluten or Nuts
Obviously avoid these like the plague!
But some will only say ''Contains Milk''.
However the ingredients list will list Wheat.

This is where it gets confusing-in the latter instance I would first check the CUK bible (as we call it!)
If any items in the bible contain for instance Barley it will have a small diamond symbol next to it.It will be within the Codex amount.
The same for wheat,(it has a small triangle symbol next to the listed food)
Then it's up to you whether you want to eat a product with trace amounts of gluten (Codex level)

Another thing I do is email the company if not sure about the food.

Finally ,if unsure you could try The Gluten Free message Board who will have a much better idea about UK foods and someone on there may have already got the info on a certain food.

http://members2.boar...com/glutenfree/
The only cereal my hubby now eats BTW is Whole Earth Cornflakes (completely G.F) available from Morrissons,Sainsbury's and Asda's.

Hope that helps!!

This is really useful Nikki, thanks!! Deb

[Debbydocious]

Hi also new to this label checking paranoia . So did you agree on whether Wotsits are ok or not as I love them lol. Im also in the UK

[kareng]

Hi also new to this label checking paranoia . So did you agree on whether Wotsits are ok or not as I love them lol. Im also in the UK

The info on this thread is 6 years old. You will want to get more current info. Products and company paractices may have changed in that amount of time.