Item Flagged As Gluten, Website Says No?

[SMRI]

I scanned a barcode for something yesterday and it flagged it as having Gluten.  I thought I had read that the products were gluten free and I just double checked their company website and they said that all of their products were Gluten free.  The app flagged "Food Starch-Modified" as containing gluten.  So, gluten or not?  Maybe because it's ambiguous what the "Food Starch" is that the app flagged it???  I checked the food list and it says that modified food starch is ok.  This was for a Daily's frozen drink.  Open Original Shared Link .  Since I'm still learning all of this, I'm relying on this app to tell me if there is for sure gluten (or possibly gluten) no so much that it's really gluten free.

[kareng]

That is a common problem with these apps. Really best to read the ingredients as the packaging has the most up-to-date ingredients.

 

 I have had those pouch drinks and they are fine.  They are made with wine.

 

 In the US, on the rare occasion the MFS is made with wheat, it will say so.  MFS (Wheat)  

[SMRI]

The app pulls up the ingredients when you scan the bar code and it matched what was on the package. "m still learning what is good and bad on the labels so the app is helpful.  Maybe it's a default safety since it's pretty generic ingredient.  It's good to know they are ok though.  I love these .

[psawyer]

In my 14 years gluten-free, I have never encountered a case where MFS was wheat. As Karen said, if it was wheat, it would have to say so in the USA. The same is true in Canada. It is usually corn or tapioca, BTW.

[kareng]

I have seen " modified wheat starch" a couple of times. It's that stuff that tests at less than 5 ppm. They use it a lot in

Europe. It's very expensive and wouldn't be used very often from what I hear. And it still lists the word " wheat" in the ingredients.

Back to these apps - I have seen people believe the app over their own eyes on products that should never have gluten - like plain canned or frozen fruit. It is probably impossible for the app to have or check every single product and they seem to just say - not gluten-free if its not on their list or not one they have checked on.

I think these apps play on the myth that gluten " hides" in food. In most countries, that is not true. Wheat must be labelled. Rye is rarely in anything besides bread or crackers and they will list it because they are required to list ingredients - allergens or not. Barley will be listed as barley or malt or brewer's yeast ( by product of barley) The only tricky bit might be some of these odd wheat strains - tricale, spelt, etc. But, those aren't in " normal" food. They are a specialty thing meaning you would have to go looking for them.

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/forbidden-gluten-food-list-unsafe-ingredients-r182/

[SMRI]

There are 122 items on that list--some in chemical compound form.  Its going to take my old, foggy brain a while to recognize all of those on site, which is why I like the app.

[kareng]

There are 122 items on that list--some in chemical compound form. Its going to take my old, foggy brain a while to recognize all of those on site, which is why I like the app.

I linked to show you the very odd varieties of wheat that are out there. But most I never even seen in a non- specialty food. Lots of them say " wheat" or barley .

Go with the app. Don't get the frozen drinks. Buy only the brands the app has looked at. Sounds like it will steer you away from gluten. If you really want to be sure you aren't getting any gluten - just buy whole foods with only 1 ingredient. That will make things very easy and clear.

There is always time to add those food back in later. Too much processed stuff can be hard to digest in a healing GI system.

 

 

edit- sorry.  That sounded kind of snippy.  My point is that these apps always have people coming on and saying  "if my ap says canned peaches are not gluten-free, they aren't".  They can be helpful but don't rely completely on the app for what is right for you to eat.