Starkist Mexican Tuna Pouch?

[Elle4916]

Hi, 

 

I am new to these boards. I'm a newly self-diagnosed Celiac, and can't get tested because the gluten challenge hurts too much. 

 

For lunch today I ate a Starkist Gourmet Creations Mexican Tuna Pouch and I am feeling like I've had gluten. I feel so foggy headed I can barely hold a conversation, very full, and I'm starting to feel the dreaded cramping that I get when I'm glutened . I called the company and the person didn't  know if it had gluten. She said she would get back to me once she knew for sure, but I'm wondering if anyone else knows if this product is gluten-free? It has "vinegar" and "natural flavors" listed on the pouch, so I think it's possible it either has gluten in it or was prone to CC. I could just kick myself for eating it without being sure. 

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Elle 

[kareng]

I don't know the ingredients but "natural flavors " and vinegar do not contain gluten.   Because you haven't been tested, maybe it something besides gluten or in addition to gluten?  Can you eat the plain tuna by the same company? 

[Elle4916]

I've read where vinegar can sometimes be malt vinegar and natural flavors can sometimes have wheat, but I'm not sure. No, it's definitely not anything else I ate. But thanks. Yes the plain tuna I tolerate just fine. 

[bartfull]

If it were malt vinegar it would say so on the label. And "natural flavoring" would most likely not be barley or rye. (Anything wheat must be labeled by law). Odds are you are like most of us - when we first go gluten-free we feel great for a few weeks, then we backslide into feeling crummy for a while. Just about any food can set us off, even if it doesn't contain gluten because our guts are still inflamed.

 

Try to stick to simple whole foods at first. Processed stuff has so many ingredients and in some cases, chemicals. Those things are hard on a healthy gut, let alone someone with damaged guts.

[squirmingitch]

The ingredients in that product are:

Ingredients: Light Meat Tuna, Jalapeno Peppers, Sunflower Oil, Red Bell Peppers, Vinegar, Water, Salt, Sugar, Maltose, Natural Flavors.

 

I would suspect the Jalapeno peppers. I can't imagine a damaged gut handling jalapeno's too well.

[Elle4916]

That makes sense. And I just realized that there was cross contamination in the cream cheese that I used because my future father in law used a knife that was touching his bagel to spread cream cheese on it. That's probably what did it, plus the jalapenos bothering my stomach.

 

Thanks everyone! 

[Panama]

If your future father in law used a knife to spread cream cheese on his bagel and you used it, it could have been cross contamination (especially if he does not eat  gluten free).

 

I also notice that the product included both jalapenos and red peppers which are members of the nightshade family. Can you eat peppers, potatoes, tomatoes. etc?