Cross Contamination even though it's marked "Certified gluten-free"?

[GiGi29]

I bought a snack bar the other day called "Chia Bar" at Target.  I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a substantial snack, though.  On sale, it was $4 for a box of 5 bars.  Not too bad, until you get home and realize that the size of the bar is 0.88 oz.  TINY!

Anyway, on to my question: the bar is labeled "Certified Gluten Free" with that black circle with "gluten-free" written in it.  When I see this, I think "yay! Something I can for sure eat!". BUT, on the back of this bar, it reads in part, "Good manufacturing practices are used to segregate ingredients in a facility that processes other products, which may contain ... wheat...".  So, my question is: How can this be labeled "Certified gluten-free" when it appears that there is a chance of CC?

[bartfull]

I could be wrong but I believe if it is certified gluten-free it has been tested. Did you get sick?

[GiGi29]

I ate it this morning, and I don't have GI reactions (just brain fog, confusion, etc. reactions), so I don't know.  I think I'll be fine, but I was just curious about the certification process.  If it's been tested and is OK, then I'm fine with it. 

[shayre]

If it's labeled "gluten free" then there is still 20 ppm (parts per million) contamination allowed, though I am SURE that some don't test and are much greater.  If it is "certified gluten free" then they are allowed 10ppm.  I still question testing sometimes.  I react to 10ppm still.  My threshold is somewhere between 5ppm and 10ppm, but 10 being too high.  Most people are not as sensitive as I, so for most 10ppm is probably okay.  It DOES however add up, so watch out for that...10ppm for breakfast, 10ppm for lunch...etc....suddenly you are way over the limit.  I bought some rice rolls from Costco not long ago that were gluten free.  I called on them, because I was feeling bad.  They told me that they tested, and the contamination tested at 7ppm.  There was 6-8 rolls in the pack.  I said wait a minute, is that "per roll" or "per package"?  He said that he thought that it was the package, but he would double check to make sure.  He called me back...and it was actually per ROLL!  Holy snikeys!  I was eating a couple of rolls...or 3 at a time.  It also adds up for me from day to day...not just during the course of one day.  A little bit everyday seems to build up for me also.  Beware...I also bought some organic fruit snacks for my kids, but I was eating them too.  It said gluten free, but I called to get the contamination information.  She assured me that they tested to 5ppm an below.  Well...kept getting sick on those too.  Same thing with some organic gluten free popsicles...sick every time.  I called, and they said that they don't test at all...but they labeled it gluten free...so how do they know if it is (or the if the ingredients that they order are really free of gluten).  They do not. 

[bartfull]

If you ate three rolls it would add up to 21 parts per THIRTY million. That still comes to 7 PPM.

[squirmingitch]

Here is the info. on the Certified Gluten Free Certification process which the Health Warrior Chia bars come under:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[GiGi29]

Wow - you guys are so helpful!  Thanks so much!  I'm feeling good today, so I don't think I got glutened, but I'll keep the "it adds up" comment in mind for similar products.

[squirmingitch]

GiGi, it doesn't really add up. See Bartful's comment above. If you add up the ppm of gluten for each thing then you also have to add the TOTAL of non gluten ppm of each item & in the end you STILL end up with say the 7 ppm for the whole day or the week or whatever.

Example: If you add 1 drop of bleach to 100 drops of water & then do that to 10 containers then you have an end product of 1 to 100 NOT 10 to 100. If you total all the drops of bleach then you have to ALSO total all the drops of water. See?

[GiGi29]

Yes, I know.  I actually have a math degree, but it was interesting to know that shayre had some gluten-ing symptoms after eating several foods like that even though, in total, the ppm was still under 20.

[cyclinglady]

I have eaten these little chia seed bars on some of my bike rides and I did not get glutened.  I can say that when I was first diagnosed, I thought I was getting glutened from certified gluten-free foods like bread.  Turns out I had and still have an issue with Xanthan Gum.  Go figure! It never bothers my husband and he's been gluten-free for 14 years.  I switched to Guar Gum in baking and avoid Xanthan Gum.  It's just a "me" intolerance. 

[CeliacMom2008]

Squirmingitch, it actually does add up.  Yes, the PPM will still be below the limit, but the amount of gluten you consume will accumulate.  However, just because something is less than 20 PPM, it does not necessarily contain any gluten.  0 is less than 20.  The test just tests for less than 20.  There are also tests that test for under 5 PPM.  

[avlgrl]

Shayre...I agree with you. Doesn't matter if the math adds up or not. Bottom line is that processed products are allowed a certain amount of gluten and if esp. sensitive as I am, then processed foods are always a risk - in any quantity.. The only ones I really trust are the ones that say they process their food in a gluten-free environment. Even then, some ingred that they may get from another source may not be 100% gluten-free.

Still, foods that clearly state they make in a contamination free environment are the only ones that really get it. Other companies just jump onto the gluten-free bandwagon, follow the FDA guidelines (which do not require notice of cross contamination processing) and are not so concerned about those of us with celiac. I agree with shayre that trusting their testing is sensible.

Really, I find it very difficult to be truly gluten-free when eating processed foods. Still, I give some a try because I get tired of all paleo all the time. Sometimes, I just want convenience.