Product Update

[eeyor-fan]

Con Agra Just got back to me. I've been fighting for a list with them for 2 weeks. Called previosly and found out that my fave...Swiss Miss Fat Free Marshmellow Lovers Hot CoCoa is gluten-free but now they finally gave me a list in writing. Is it me, or are most of the food companies owned by 3 or 4 huge corporations??

Cheers

Bridge

************************************************

November 16, 2005

Dear Bridget,

Thank you for contacting us.

The following ConAgra Foods products do not include gluten from wheat,

barley, rye or oats as ingredients, either listed specifically on the

label nor in spices or flavorings. In addition, these products have

tested negative for gluten at less than 5 parts per million (ppm) using

standard industry testing methodology (R-Biopharm AG Rida Quick Gliadin

R7003 immunochromatographic test). ConAgra Foods lists major

allergens,

including wheat, prominently on all product labels. As product

formulations do occasionally change, always check product labels.

Hunt's Tomatoes Ketchup 27000 38249

Hunt's Tomatoes Sauce 27000 39014

Hunt's Manwich Original Sloppy Joe Sauce 27000 44110

Hunt's Tomato Paste 27000 38815

Hunt's Original Style Traditional Spaghetti Sauce 27000 42238

Hunt's Original BBQ Sauce, 18oz 27000 38508

Hunt's Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding, 4/3.5 oz 27000 41110

Van Camp's Pork & Beans 52000 01122

Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix 15700 07279

Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter 45300 00040

Gulden's Mustard Spicy Brown Mustard Squeeze 64144 32160

Healthy Choice Country Vegetable Soup 50100 40262

La Choy Soy Sauce, 15 oz 44300 12511

La Choy Soy Sauce, 10 oz 44300 12513

Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes, 10 oz 64144 28243

SNACK

Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn 27000

48606

Orville Redenbacher's Pour Over Cinnabon Microwave Popcorn 2ct 27000

48171

Orville Redenbacher's Kettle Korn 3/3.5 oz 27000 48393

Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop! Kettle Korn 3/3 oz 27000 48223

Orville Redenbacher's Butter 3/3.5 oz 27000 48856

ACT II Butter Lover's Microwave Popcorn, 3/3.5 oz 76150 47310

ACT II Kettle Corn Microwave Popcorn, 3/3.5 oz 76150 22402

FROZEN

Healthy Choice Cajun Style Chicken and Shrimp 72655 40731

Healthy Choice Grilled Turkey Breast 50100 40803

Healthy Choice Country Glazed Chicken 50100 40654

Healthy Choice Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream 72655 40859

Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Bars 94643 41727

Healthy Choice Vanilla No Sugar Added Ice Cream, 1.75qts 72655 40853

Healthy Choice Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk, 1.75qts 72655 40845

Healthy Choice Mint Chocolate Chip, 1.75qts 72655 40849

Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken Breast and Rice 21131 50608

Banquet Sliced Beef Meal 31000 10910

Banquet Creamy Broccoli Chicken & Cheese, Family Size 31000 11347

REFRIGERATED

Reddi Wip Original Whipped Light Cream, 14 oz 70272 48104

Reddi Wip Original Whipped Light Cream, 7 oz 70272 48101

Fleischmann's Original Margarine Stick 298310

Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine Sticks, 16 oz 298370

Parkay Butter Squeeze, 12 oz 29000 65150

Blue Bonnet Regular Margarine Quarters 298220

Egg Beaters Cheese & Chive 70272 00273

Egg Beaters Southwestern 70272 00270

Egg Beaters Refrigerated Egg Product with Spout, 16 oz 70272 00216

Egg Beaters Refrigerated Egg Product in Cups 29000 00215

Butterball White Turkey Smoked Family Size 45300 24120

We hope this information is helpful.

ConAgra Foods Consumer Affairs

050779107A

[Guest Viola]

Thanks for posting this Bridge!

[Jae Medina]

THANK U SO MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWERS ON SWISS HOT MIX.. IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND HAVENT HAD IT SINCE I FOUND OUT I'M GLUTEN INTERANCE.. UT BEEN CRAVIN ESPECAILLY ON COLD DAYS.. THANKS AGAIN.. GOING TO THE STORE RIGHT NOW AND BUYING A FEW PACKS.. LOL.. THANKS AGAIN AND FOR THE OTHER ITEMS AS WELL.. STAY HAPPY HEALTHY AND HAVE A GLORIOUS DAY..JAE..

[ravenwoodglass]

THANK U SO MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWERS ON SWISS HOT MIX.. IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND HAVENT HAD IT SINCE I FOUND OUT I'M GLUTEN INTERANCE.. UT BEEN CRAVIN ESPECAILLY ON COLD DAYS.. THANKS AGAIN.. GOING TO THE STORE RIGHT NOW AND BUYING A FEW PACKS.. LOL.. THANKS AGAIN AND FOR THE OTHER ITEMS AS WELL.. STAY HAPPY HEALTHY AND HAVE A GLORIOUS DAY..JAE..

Jae, the original post was 5 years old. Companies do change formulas so please be sure to check the label and ingredients. ConAgra will clearly list gluten ingredients, as far as I know, so if you don't see 'wheat, rye or barley' listed it should still be safe.

[celbel]

I have been on a gluten-free diet for the last five weeks. I'm still learning too many things the hard way. Last Friday, my DH did the grocery shopping and brought home a Healthy Choice Cajun Style Chicken and Shrimp dinner because he thought it might be safe for me. Wheat is not listed anywhere on the label, but I've read that celiacs should be wary of "flavorings" or "natural flavorings". So I sent a brief email to ConAgra foods, asking if there is any type barley or malt ingredients present in any their flavorings. This is the response I received:

Dear -----,

Thank you for your request for more information about the ingredients in our products.

We comply with Federal regulations for allergen labeling. These regulations require all major food allergens to be listed in plain language on the ingredient list, and/or be noted in plain language in a 'Contains' statement appearing just after the ingredient list. For consistency, ConAgra Foods always uses the 'Contains' statement. The allergens we list will include any of the eight major food allergens that are used in ConAgra Foods products. The major food allergens as defined by regulation are Crustacean Shellfish, Egg, Fish, Milk, Peanut, Soy, Tree Nuts, and Wheat.

Allergenic ingredients will be listed in the ingredient statement and will be noted in the Contains statement if they are included in flavorings or spice mixes. Please keep in mind that product formulas do change occasionally, so it is important to read the ingredient statement each time you purchase the product.

ConAgra Foods would like to help you with this request to the best of our ability. However, because the information you have requested is considered to be proprietary and a trade secret of ConAgra Foods, we are unable to supply this information.

If you have any allergen concerns outside of the Top 8 Food Allergens, we recommend you do not consume the product and consult your physician.

We appreciate your patronage and value our consumers. We hope you will continue to enjoy our line of quality food.

Sincerely,

------

Consumer Affairs

Ref: #####

[Mtndog]

I have been on a gluten-free diet for the last five weeks. I'm still learning too many things the hard way.

ConAgra Foods would like to help you with this request to the best of our ability. However, because the information you have requested is considered to be proprietary and a trade secret of ConAgra Foods, we are unable to supply this information.

I am so sorry- their response was really lame and in my opinion, insufficient. We have EVERY right to know what is in our food.

[DownWithGluten]

FROZEN

Healthy Choice Cajun Style Chicken and Shrimp 72655 40731

Healthy Choice Grilled Turkey Breast 50100 40803

Healthy Choice Country Glazed Chicken 50100 40654

Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken Breast and Rice 21131 50608

Banquet Sliced Beef Meal 31000 10910

Banquet Creamy Broccoli Chicken & Cheese, Family Size 31000 11347

Has anyone successfully eaten any of those above frozen dinners? I would love to have more 'quick' gluten free options to microwave at work, etc. I even used to eat the country glazed chicken before going gluten free so it'd be nice to re-add old dishes of the past. lol.

[Lisa]

Open Original Shared Link

ConAgra

(Act II, Alexia, Hebrew National, Egg Beaters, Crunch 'N Munch, Healthy Choice, Hunt's, Jiffy Pop, La Choy, Libby's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, Pam, Parkay, Peter Pan, Poppycock, Redi-Whip, Ro*Tel, Rosarita, Slim Jim, Swiss Miss, & more)

For a complete list of their brands, click here.

8/08

"ConAgra Foods currently does not make "gluten-free" claims on any of our products as there are no federal regulations defining "gluten-free". I can, however, share some information that will be helpful for any of our ConAgra Foods products so you can determine whether or not the product contains gluten.

* The flour used in our products is often wheat flour and should be avoided by individuals with gluten sensitivities.

* Some fermented or distilled products, such as vinegar, may be drived from wheat. We suggest that you speak to your physician to determine if you need to avoid distilled products derived from wheat, rye, barley, or oats.

* If Natural Flavors, Artificial Flavors, or Spices listed in the ingredients list contained wheat, oat, barley, or rye, these ingredients would be listed in parenthesis immediately following the ingredient.

We always advise consumers who may have sensitivities to recheck the ingredient list on the package each time you purchase it. Products are oftentimes reformulated and the ingredients may change.

If you have a question regarding a specific ingredient in a specific product, please let me know. We would be happy to contact the supplier to determine if it contains an ingredient of concern."

(unsigned) ConAgra Foods, Inc. Consumer Affairs, 887-266-2472, www.conagrafoods.com

[kimis]

I didn't see FAT FREE reddi whip on that list....does that mean it has gluten in it, or are they just messing with me

[Lisa]

I didn't see FAT FREE reddi whip on that list....does that mean it has gluten in it, or are they just messing with me

They're messing with you.

[celbel]

Open Original Shared Link

We always advise consumers who may have sensitivities to recheck the ingredient list on the package each time you purchase it. Products are oftentimes reformulated and the ingredients may change.

(unsigned) ConAgra Foods, Inc. Consumer Affairs, 887-266-2472, www.conagrafoods.com

Lisa, I appreciate that you have posted this letter, but I also note that it is already two years old. The email I received from ConAgra is only two days old and implies that they can hide barley ingredients because barley is not a "top 8 allergen". I found the tone of their reply to me not only evasive, but also enormously condescending. I, for one, will no longer allow any products from ConAgra - with all of its mystery ingredients - anywhere near my home.

[Lisa]

I apologize for the non-current list is provided. I generally try to be as accurate as possible.

I do find it hard to believe that ConAgra has changed it's labeling policy, after so many years. We in the Celiac community have know that their labels were accurate in their full disclosure of any forms of gluten.

I will write to them, requesting their current labeling policy. I have said many times, your information is only as good the customer service representative from a company.

[ravenwoodglass]

I didn't see FAT FREE reddi whip on that list....does that mean it has gluten in it, or are they just messing with me

Fat free items can be made thicker with gluten starches. I wouldn't use it without calling the company to be sure. Make sure you have the UPC code from the can, write it down if you don't want to buy something you may have to return.

[Lisa]

Rye, malt or barley would unlikely be used as a thickener, and wheat would be listed.

[plantime]

The problem I see is that barley malt is used as a natural flavoring. It is not one of the top 8, so it can be hidden in the list.

I have eaten Banquet's sliced beef meal without noticeable symptoms. That does not mean that I recommend it to other people. I have found it to be too salty and not filling enough for my tastes. What I do for convenience, is take toddler-sized divided dishes with lids and make my own freezer dinners out of leftovers. Tastes good, filling, high quality, and glutenfree!

[imouse1]

I didn't see FAT FREE reddi whip on that list....does that mean it has gluten in it, or are they just messing with me

I don't know about Reddi Whip but I do know that when I ate Cool Whip I deeply regretted it. I know that modified food starch doesn't have to come from wheat, rye, or barley but I can say that I was throwing up and was extremely swollen for a week (after being almost completely gluten-free for 8 weeks). NO BUENO. Just a warning. I've eaten the healthy choice fudge bars from this line of frozen foods and haven't had symptoms in the past. I'm picked up a box and will have a few at our barbecue this weekend. Believe me, if I get sick, I'll let y'all know and Con Agra will definitely know. I'm not sure what they mean by "starch" but I'm about to find out!

[psawyer]

In both Canada and the US, the single word "starch" as an ingredient means cornstarch.

"Modified food starch" can be corn, but it is more likely to be tapioca. In the US, if it is wheat that must be clearly disclosed on the label as "wheat." There are several ways that comply with FALCPA, but they all contain the word "wheat:"

"Modified food starch (wheat)"

"Modified wheat starch"

"Modified food starch...

Contains: Wheat"

[ravenwoodglass]

I don't know about Reddi Whip but I do know that when I ate Cool Whip I deeply regretted it. I know that modified food starch doesn't have to come from wheat, rye, or barley but I can say that I was throwing up and was extremely swollen for a week (after being almost completely gluten-free for 8 weeks). NO BUENO. Just a warning. I've eaten the healthy choice fudge bars from this line of frozen foods and haven't had symptoms in the past. I'm picked up a box and will have a few at our barbecue this weekend. Believe me, if I get sick, I'll let y'all know and Con Agra will definitely know. I'm not sure what they mean by "starch" but I'm about to find out!

I don't know what got you but it wasn't gluten in Cool Whip. Con Agra is a good company about labeling. What did you put the Cool Whip on? Could you have gotten cross contamination from the kitchen or another possibility is something got you from a day or two before as many of us have delayed reactions. There may also be something in the Cool Whip that you don't tolerate other than gluten. Some of us do have other intolerances, the most common being casien (milk protein) and soy.