Tea Bags

[mynxr]

I know this is probably going to sound crazy but here goes.  If you enjoy tea and are very sensitive to gluten, you might want to switch to loose tea instead of tea bags.  I learned last week that companies use wheat glue to glue the tea bags together on the assembly lines.  I was getting sick even after drinking "gluten free" teas.  When I looked into it further, I discovered that even those which state they are gluten free, use wheat glue.   Their teas are still under the FDA definition of gluten free but there is a risk of cross contamination.

 

I was so surprised when I found this out that I thought I should pass it along.  I know I wish someone had told me so that I wouldn't have gotten sick from my tea drinking.

[kareng]

This is just an internet myth.  Wheat paste would melt in hot water.  Most tea bags are "heat sealed" not glued.

[Serielda]

What Kareng said is right, plus there are gluten-free teas out there that seriously rock. In fact a huge selection of the republic of tea and two leaves is my fave brands. If you love tea it is easy to find safe ones out there. But be advised if your corn sensitive avoid Lipton as I have in the past noticed that corn by products was in the ingredients list.

[jean3na]

Breaking news from the FDA, and brought to the celiac community by Dr. Tom O'Bryan:

"Have you implemented a gluten free lifestyle, feel better, yet just not 100 percent? There are several reasons that this might be true for you, and one of the big ones could be Hidden Sources of Gluten. Startling isn't it? I mean really? Green tea? Unfortunately yes. 8 out of 20 green teas tested had toxic levels of gluten! It's the bags. Open Original Shared Link "

[cyclinglady]

Jean,

Did you actually read the study? Not to offend you, but the study pointed out that there may be issues with various testing methods in detecting gluten. There was no mention of tea bags!

To be very safe, buy tea from a reputable large company and read the label. I purchase Lipton all the time! Both hubby and I are gluten free and we consume lots of tea. Neither of us have been glutened by Lipton's heat-sealed bags either. Our current batch is sealed with a small staple. I also like Republic of Tea which is actually certified gluten free. I really adore Mrs. Patmore's Pudding Tea from their Downton Abbey collection.

[cyclinglady]

Ah, the Gluten Watchdog to the rescue! Tricia Thompson addresses this very study and independently tests on her own. Bottom line is.....it is safe to drink green tea! Again, I personally recommend reading labels and sticking with reputable tea companies.

Open Original Shared Link

[kareng]

Breaking news from the FDA, and brought to the celiac community by Dr. Tom O'Bryan:

"Have you implemented a gluten free lifestyle, feel better, yet just not 100 percent? There are several reasons that this might be true for you, and one of the big ones could be Hidden Sources of Gluten. Startling isn't it? I mean really? Green tea? Unfortunately yes. 8 out of 20 green teas tested had toxic levels of gluten! It's the bags. Open Original Shared Link "

 

 

I don't see where they even mention the bags being tested?  

[jean3na]

Jean,

Did you actually read the study? Not to offend you, but the study pointed out that there may be issues with various testing methods in detecting gluten. There was no mention of tea bags!

To be very safe, buy tea from a reputable large company and read the label. I purchase Lipton all the time! Both hubby and I are gluten free and we consume lots of tea. Neither of us have been glutened by Lipton's heat-sealed bags either. Our current batch is sealed with a small staple. I also like Republic of Tea which is actually certified gluten free. I really adore Mrs. Patmore's Pudding Tea from their Downton Abbey collection.

Yes, thank cyclinglady, the references I post  are how you can know that I have.

[kareng]

Yes, thank cyclinglady, the references I post  are how you can know that I have.

Please point out where it's says the gluten is in the tea bags? It appears they only tested the tea, not the bags?

[HauntedEyes]

Back when I first saw that myth, I researched the tea bags because at my workplace they provide iced tea for everyone. I discovered Lipton is NOT safe for a celiac. So at my workplace, they switched from Lipton to another brand for my sake. I had come across an email response from Lipton corporate to someone asking about gluten, which said that they cannot confirm their tea bags do not have gluten. They said some of their specialty teas DO have it, and there is also potential for cross contamination. It was 2 years ago that I read that, so I no longer have the info where I read it. However, I just now did a web search and came across Glutenfree-lifestyle's website that lists gluten-free foods by company, and their Lipton listing specifically says not all gluten-free, so read all ingredient labels carefully "per email dated 1/23/09", so maybe the mentioned email is the one that I had originally read. But 2009 is a while back now, so perhaps Lipton has since become more celiac friendly since then.

However, I will not risk Lipton. I get sick every time I have Lipton teas, though have no problems with other brands. I'm one of those extra sensitive people who can't handle a crumb of gluten. Just remember, Lipton also produces soups, mixes, pastas and bouillons, many of which are not gluten free ... if they are being processed on shared equipment or in the same facilities, you are risking gluten. In fact, I read several of their dry soup mixes that formerly were gluten free started using yeast made from barley ... while there isn't a lot of the ingredient used, there's still  risk for the super-sensitive, and again the potential for cross-contamination from shared equipment/facilities.

[Lisa]

I have never had an issue with Lipton Tea. Not even on my radar.  Please state why you consider Lipton Tea unsafe HauntedEyes.

 

[HauntedEyes]

Lisa, as I stated above, I consider it unsafe because Lipton corporate says some of their teas are not gluten free (not all are unsafe, but some definitely use gluten as an ingredient), plus they admit the potential for cross-contamination. It may very well be fine for some of you, but I am one of those extra-sensitive celiacs (the tiniest bit can make me sick, and EVERY time I have had Lipton tea since going gluten-free I get sick from it. I do not get sick from other tea brands that affirm they are gluten free). I am sure there would not be much gluten in their teas, but since I am so sensitive, I do not risk it. So as I mentioned above, you need to make the decision for your self, whether it is worth the risk or not.

[notme]

i drink 'regular' lipton tea every morning (no fancy flavors, just hot tea) and do not have any issues with it.