Talenti Gelato

[Annaem]

I just called talenti gelato and they said the formulas haven't changed but they are removing the gluten-free label from their product. They are not made on separate lines by the way. They continue too provide a gluten free list online. I wrote to them about how disappointing it is for them to remove all their allergy labels. Really don't feel any confidence in thier products. Obviously there's a couple a contamination issue.

[mommida]

I bought them before they put gluten free on the label.  It made it easier to just read "gluten free" on the label, but it was pretty clear which products are gluten free from reading ingredients.  My family has been gluten free for over 10 years.  I can tell you 10 years ago there weren't as many main stream products available at the grocery store labeled gluten free.

[Fungi]

That's such a shame, that they are removing labels from their products. Although I don't use this particular product, I still think that everyone has a right to know what's in their food. Without the label of gluten free, this might prevent some people who are gluten sensitive to buy it. I wish that this company could see it from that angle. Maybe if yoinwrote a petition up posted it on here and had a bunch of period sign it then we could get their attention? Or maybe a group of us should boycott them? I don't know but I think that it's possible to be effective here.

[Lisa]

I, too, have been gluten free for over ten years.  It's  easy and a non-concern for me today.  Most of you will also, feel the same, after some time. Talenti is a great company who will clearly list all the ingredient on their delicious products.  I can look at the name and make a choice and sometime, I am surprised with wheat as an ingredient....BUT it was listed.  I read the label.  And person with Celiac needs to read the labels, regardless of a "gluten free" stamp, in my opinion.  I relate this to when my husband asked me to look to the right, while HE is driving to see if it's clear for him to pull out.  I am super aware, and he should be more.  I need to know myself not depend on a "gluten free" stamp on a product.  I think these companies are doing the best they can do in a rapidly changing consumer market.  It's only gonna get better and better, but not if we are so specific demanding.  Corporations and product supplies are not in charge of our health.  WE ARE.

 

I think that Talenti is good at listing ingredients, but also know there may be a cross contact issue.  But, a non concern to me.  

[CK1901]

Cross contamination is a concern for all celiacs. I don't view this as a grey area. I will not be purchasing Talenti any longer. For what they charge, which is borderline obscene, I think they can probably afford gluten testing. Many other companies use the shared lines, clean everything, test their products, and come up celiac-safe. For example, please see Caesar's frozen pasta.

 

They continue to make the claim online in a transparent attempt to keep their past customers, but the company hasn't exhibited any evidence that they are even trying to comply with the FDA new rules. In my opinion, that's just shady. They should hold themselves to a higher standard and follow the necessary procedures to make sure the gluten free demographic can eat their product safely.

 

Personally, I think they've probably always had contamination issues or unreliable outside vendors, but they waited until the last possible minute to comply with the FDA regulations and remove the labeling. The language they use on the website is very purposefully vague. I noticed they changed it again recently to be even more vague. I suspect it's probably the nuts and candies that are questionable, even if the lines themselves are fairly clean.

 

Since this situation came up, I've been wondering if there is a legal loophole in reference to posting a gluten free list online versus putting "gluten free" on the actual product.

[Lisa]

Regarding the cross contamination/contact issue... all  processing equipment is thoroughly cleaned during a product change. As I said previously, a shared facility has never been some thing I worry about.  But, that's just me.

[Gemini]

That's such a shame, that they are removing labels from their products. Although I don't use this particular product, I still think that everyone has a right to know what's in their food. Without the label of gluten free, this might prevent some people who are gluten sensitive to buy it. I wish that this company could see it from that angle. Maybe if yoinwrote a petition up posted it on here and had a bunch of period sign it then we could get their attention? Or maybe a group of us should boycott them? I don't know but I think that it's possible to be effective here.

I think if you want to know what is in a particular product, all you have to do is read the label.  By removing a gluten free label from a product, that in no way means it is not safe.  There are many people who want things made really easy for them so they won't have to read labels.  That is not something we should be doing.

 

Like Lisa, I am also gluten free for 10 years and I still read labels.  It is rare when I sustain a gluten hit and it has not occured from a product I bought in any store.  It was always in a restaurant when I was traveling and that has only happened twice, in 10 years of travel.

 

Talenti is under no obligation to cater to the Celiac population because there are enough people without Celiac who buy their product.  They removed their labeling because they had to, unless they want to test their product.  It's the same product as before, except for the gluten free labeling.  It seems many Celiacs eat this without issue so why all the upset about the removed labeling?  If the ingredients list is the same on the label, the product should still be safe for those who choose to buy it.

[kareng]

I wish you all would stop bringing this thread back up! Every time I see it pop up in my "new Content" I start craving Sea Salt Caramel!    And I don't need the calories!  But I would eat it otherwise!  (I might still get some tomorrow at the grocery)

[Lisa]

I wish you all would stop bringing this thread back up! Every time I see it pop up in my "new Content" I start craving Sea Salt Caramel!    And I don't need the calories!  But I would eat it otherwise!  (I might still get some tomorrow at the grocery)

Coffee and Chocolate Chip...so wonderful!

[kareng]

Coffee and Chocolate Chip...so wonderful!

STOP!

[Gemini]

I should be the one to say STOP now. I can't even eat gelato or ice cream because more than a few mouthfuls and I suffer the consequences. God Bless the people who thought of putting salt and caramel AND coffee and chocolate chips together! I'll have to make them in cookie form........ Ha, Ha!

[CK1901]

I don't think it's good advice, especially for any new Celiacs that may be perusing this board, to say that all we need to do is check the labels and not worry about whether or not a claim has been made. That has not been the case in my experience and I think this forum is ripe with other people who've said the same thing.

 

I've been cc'ed and glutened by plenty of products containing and/or contaminated with undeclared wheat. Also, just because you've been eating something forever does not mean it's safe. People have different levels of sensitivity and it's well known that auto-immune diseases can fluctuate or cycle in their severity at different times in an individual's life. I've had periods of time in my life where exposure to wheat didn't have the same impact that it does now.

 

Not to keep bumping this thread, but in my opinion, consistency is key when it comes to trusting a brand or product. This is not a situation where the product is unlabeled, but also produced in a facility/on lines with no wheat, or in a place that's cleaned thoroughly, and it's always been that way. I eat plenty of unlabeled products when the company is transparent about their manufacturing processes and consistent in their statements. The thing is that Talenti has said a couple different things over the past few years and that makes them, as a brand, seem untrustworthy to me.

 

From my perspective, the FDA passed their new gluten free labeling law, and in response, Talenti slunk away, removing all their claims. It seems pretty obvious that they have some issues with their ingredients or their manufacturing procedures. Personally, I think they DO have an obligation to the Celiac community because they have always advertised themselves as gluten free and continue to do so online, despite the fact that their actions imply the contrary. Removing the claim means that they very well may not meet the current legal definition and probably do not. Reminder, that legal definition was put in place for the very purpose of protecting our health.

 

I don't think this is acceptable, especially when you see companies like Amy's taking the exact opposite course of action. Instead of removing their claims, Amy's complied with the law in order to retain/secure their customer base. We've also seen several major brands START making the claim, like Hershey, for example. Tostitos is another one. They did the ethical thing (and quite frankly, the cost effective thing,) by waiting to make any labeling claims/changes until they knew the definitive legal guidelines.  Food manufacturers knew the law was coming. Some chose to respect it's intent and others took advantage of a limited timeline before ditching the "gluten free" label and jumping ship altogether.

 

Outside of ingredients that outright contain wheat, Talenti also uses a lot of ingredients that could be subject to cross contamination. I've never seen them account for that. Personally, I always thought gluten free Peanut Butter Cup gelato was probably too good to be true. There are plenty of Artisan products that are certified gluten free and probably don't have the consumer volume that Talenti has at it's disposal. Other companies make it work because they care about their customers. I'm the first one to say, Talenti is very tasty. That's really just not enough of a reason to eat it given recent events.

[Gemini]

I don't think it's good advice, especially for any new Celiacs that may be perusing this board, to say that all we need to do is check the labels and not worry about whether or not a claim has been made. That has not been the case in my experience and I think this forum is ripe with other people who've said the same thing.

 

Celiac Disease is not that hard to learn and manage.  There definitley is a learning curve but there is plenty of info out there on how to do so from reputable medical sites and books.  It's obvious when people fail to learn from the right places because these are the folks who think gluten lurks everywhere.  It does not but if that were true, no one would heal and we would be stuck at home, eating only whole foods and never venturing out to eat or living life normally, which is entirely possible with this disease.

 

I've been cc'ed and glutened by plenty of products containing and/or contaminated with undeclared wheat. Also, just because you've been eating something forever does not mean it's safe. People have different levels of sensitivity and it's well known that auto-immune diseases can fluctuate or cycle in their severity at different times in an individual's life. I've had periods of time in my life where exposure to wheat didn't have the same impact that it does now.

 

If you believe you have been cc'd or glutened that many times, then you need to review how you are doing the diet.  Sorry to have to add this ad nauseum, folks, but I have been gluten free for 10 years and the number of times I have taken a hit is extremely small....not even once a year.  I am an extremely sensitive Celiac also.  I had to make my house entirely gluten free because

that was the only way it worked for me. When I did get sick, it was almost always from other's mistakes and not from a product I bought at the supermarket that was cc'd. Many companies do not change their ingredients unless it's an announced change because they generally do not want to mess with something that works.  I routinely use products that I have used for 10 years and have never gotten sick from them so all this hype about products constantly changing is a bit mystifying to me as I can't be the only one who routinely goes long periods of time without getting sick. But I read the labels before buying and that seems to work just fine.  Nothing in life is guaranteed 100% but relying on labels is the best way to go.  If you have questions, call the manufacturer and make your decision from there.

 

Not to keep bumping this thread, but in my opinion, consistency is key when it comes to trusting a brand or product. This is not a situation where the product is unlabeled, but also produced in a facility/on lines with no wheat, or in a place that's cleaned thoroughly, and it's always been that way. I eat plenty of unlabeled products when the company is transparent about their manufacturing processes and consistent in their statements. The thing is that Talenti has said a couple different things over the past few years and that makes them, as a brand, seem untrustworthy to me.

 

From my perspective, the FDA passed their new gluten free labeling law, and in response, Talenti slunk away, removing all their claims. It seems pretty obvious that they have some issues with their ingredients or their manufacturing procedures. Personally, I think they DO have an obligation to the Celiac community because they have always advertised themselves as gluten free and continue to do so online, despite the fact that their actions imply the contrary. Removing the claim means that they very well may not meet the current legal definition and probably do not. Reminder, that legal definition was put in place for the very purpose of protecting our health.

 

No.....most likely that is not what is going on.  Because Americans are such sue happy people and mistakenly think that an FDA stamp of approval entitles them to a 100% safe meal or product, some companies are removing their gluten-free labeling because they don't want to spend the money and time to test and they don't want to be sued by people who may very well have gotten sick from something else in the product but choose to insist it was gluten.  This happens a lot.  I can also see them not bothering to test when the product is naturally gluten free.  Do we really need to ceritfy milk as gluten free before some people think it isn't cc'd?  I choose to rely on myself to figure out what is gluten-free anyway and not the government.  The FDA routinely puts their blessing on medications that are later recalled because they harm people........lots of people.  It really all comes down to reading the label, calling the manufacturer if you have doubts or questions and deciding from there.  Once you have been gluten-free for awhile and have really learned the diet well and what is in the food you eat, it becomes second nature and easy to figure out what is safe for you.

 

I don't think this is acceptable, especially when you see companies like Amy's taking the exact opposite course of action. Instead of removing their claims, Amy's complied with the law in order to retain/secure their customer base. We've also seen several major brands START making the claim, like Hershey, for example. Tostitos is another one. They did the ethical thing (and quite frankly, the cost effective thing,) by waiting to make any labeling claims/changes until they knew the definitive legal guidelines.  Food manufacturers knew the law was coming. Some chose to respect it's intent and others took advantage of a limited timeline before ditching the "gluten free" label and jumping ship altogether.

 

I am surprised you have referenced Amy's because Amy's  has had problems with cc'd products.....or they did in the past. That was the product line I got sick from and I know many Celiac's who do not eat Amy's products as they have gotten sick also.  The only thing that seems safe from Amy's, in my experience, is the gluten-free mac and cheese. Two of their other products made me extremely sick and it was a gluten hit so I don't eat Amy's.

 

Outside of ingredients that outright contain wheat, Talenti also uses a lot of ingredients that could be subject to cross contamination. I've never seen them account for that. Personally, I always thought gluten free Peanut Butter Cup gelato was probably too good to be true. There are plenty of Artisan products that are certified gluten free and probably don't have the consumer volume that Talenti has at it's disposal. Other companies make it work because they care about their customers. I'm the first one to say, Talenti is very tasty. That's really just not enough of a reason to eat it given recent events.

 

I do not eat gelato because of the dairy but which ingredients do you feel could be subject to cc?  This is one of the biggest misconceptions about the gluten-free diet.  I think people who fear that everything can be cc'd should just stick to a whole foods diet.  Of course it can happen and does but the vast majority of foods out there that have been made available to us, especially in the last 10 years or so, are safe.  Many of them have dedicated facilities also and if you can't trust that, then your option is whole foods only. But there are people who insist you can be cc'd by vegetables because they are coated in wax or by chicken if they eat a wheat containing grain in their feed, which we all know is not true.  I understand the being careful aspect of this disease because I've lived it for the past 10 years.  But if gluten-free foods are that contaminated, no one would heal.  I certainly never would have achieved this level of health if all those unlabeled or label removed foods had the potential to be cc'd. Companies are not going to be that careless and risk losing a lot of business or be sued.  Maybe the labels should read "naturally gluten-free but use at your own risk".  I know that if I ever do become sick from a product and it is a true gluten hit, I just don't buy the product again.  Lesson learned and this will not set you back on your healing...only if it happens frequently. 

 

I do not want newbies to think that the food supply is something to be feared and that finding safe food without a flashing certified gluten-free sign is impossible, because it is not.  There are many mainstream food products out there that can be enjoyed safely, even by sensitive Celiac's such as myself. I have found that eating cleanly can have it's drawbacks.  Sometimes foods which are rich will make my gut feel unsettled.  Has nothing to do with gluten, just food I am not used to eating anymore that is richer than what I am used to.

 

 

[kareng]

Well said, Gemini!

[squirmingitch]

I agree!

[CK1901]

 

 

[Lisa]

I am not going to get into the details of the on going discussion, because, I can't afford to.

 

But I will say, that everyone has a different way of coping when diagnosed.  Eleven years ago, I found myself crying in the middle of the grocery store, restaurants and at homes of friends, in total frustration and grief. I get that. I've lived that.

 

Today, I don't give it a second thought.  I live a life that is not deprived.  Although, I have not mastered the art of Southern Fried Chicken, but that's okay, too. And the dinner invitations have dwindled.  Were they friends anyway...  um no.

 

I have healed enough that a little bit of gluten, unintentional, gives me mild symptoms and I'm grateful for that, yet it keeps me vigil. A life long of gluten free dining is not a life noose  around your neck.  I say this, not to diminish the struggle of others, but yet, to offer hope that "normal" can be found.  Labels have have never failed me. Restaurants, I must "choose wisely".

 

I eat ice cream and rely on their labels, with comfort.