Very Upset!

[watkinson]

My daughter and I (who are both celiacs) stopped by a store that we frequent in Clarksville Maryland. It's called Root's. A great store! However.....We were thrilled to see on the wall in the back, rack after rack of gluten-free foods, with a big sign that said "welcome to our new gluten free section". Wow!! escellent!!

But looking through the stuff we found several items that are not gluten-free, just wheat free. Example: Newman's chocolate cookies (kinda like oreo's). My daughter had made the mistake last year and bought a package. My daughter couldn't understand why she was so sick all the time. We finally discovered that they have barley flour in them. Anyway.... we told the mananger at the store that these were not gluten-free just wheat free. He said "the packages that are gluten-free state on the front of the package that it is gluten free, if it's just wheat free it won't say gluten-free". We told him that he should change the sign since it says gluten-free section, it should read gluten-free and wheat free section. He said that "the customers know that it is the alternative foods section." We said "no, you have it listed with a big sign "GLUTEN FREE SECTION" with several racks of gluten-free stuff. The Newman products are immediatly next to the sign. Most people would obviously asume they are gluten-free. We told him that wheat free does not mean gluten-free and that if I ate one of those cookies, that I would be sick for probably 2 weeks. In the end...he did nothing. As far as I know the sign is still the same way. I KNOW people will be getting sick and make the same mistake we did. If anyone else knows about this store please say someithing to the management. And if you are eating the Newman cookies check out the ingredients. Some of them are gluten-free but a couple aren't

Thanks, Wendy

[Nantzie]

I say go over his head until you find someone who listens to you. Go to the owner of the company if you have to. If they won't listen to you even at that level, maybe ask your diagnosing doctor to call them and read them the riot act. If they still won't correct the situation, call the media. There is one TV station in my area that has a consumer reports type department where they will help you out if you're getting a serious run-around by a company. Like those stories we all hear about when a contractor runs out on a half-done remodeling job. I think this would SERIOUSLY qualify as a consumer problem. It would be like a store saying their cakes and cookies were sugar-free for diabetics, and they weren't. That would raise a stink, and so would this.

This isn't what normal people think of as an allergy. We aren't talking about getting a rash, or just feeling nauseous for a few hours. This will DESTROY the lining of people's intestines. This isn't like diabetes where people can usually have a little bit of sugar. This is on a completely different level. Especially since some people don't get many symptoms and don't know when they've been cross-contaminated or have been eating something with hidden gluten. So people can be eating something they've been told is gluten-free for years without realizing it.

This whole situation just gives me chills up my spine. How dare they.

Nancy

[Judyin Philly]

Good Job Wendy---keep up the good work and hopefully others who are celiac disease and using the store will speak to the management too.

Thanks, Judy in Philly

[Becky6]

That is awful! I agree! Go above him! And some people who are new to this are just so happy to see safe foods that they may not even look at the label! Good for you for standing up for it!

[watkinson]

Thanks guys

I did E-mail the company yesterday. I asked for a reponse, but have still not recieved one. It's a great idea to talk to the owner, that will be my next step. Your'e all right though...it is terribe!! I mean obviously this guy just didn't get it, this is a serious disease with serious ramifications. I'll let you all know when or if I get a response from them.

Thanks, Wendy

[jenvan]

I also agree with Nancy. Get a district manager etc... It's different than wanting to complain about an incident that happened to you alone...you are trying to protect other people from getting sick. Good for you to take initiative! Let us know how it goes.

[nettiebeads]

I bet he was thinking "militant mom nut case" but we know how important the difference is between wheat free and gluten free. I wonder if the Better Business Bureau would be interested? It is false advertising.

Annette

[num1habsfan]

That sucks, Wemdy. i know there are some places like that too that its a health food store, but they have the gluten containing items mixed in between the gluten-free ones, and the gluten-free ones mixed in between the gluten containing items. But I can understand, very tight for space. (VERY tight).

But since you say "racks and racks" i assume that its a bigger store.

i think you should keep talking to whoever you can to get that problem fixed, maybe they think just because they dont have the disease themselves they dont think there is a difference between wheat-free and gluten-free, or even more probable, they just dont care.

good luck with that!

~ lisa ~