Whole Foods Brand Organic Trail Mix

[Merika]

Hi,

My local Whole Foods has started carrying these delicious looking dried fruits and nuts by the produce aisle - packed in deli-type clear boxes with deli-type labels. It's packed by Whole Foods in Austin, Tx. Since they are so nearly impossible to contact, I thought I'd post my findings here. It took me NINE days to get this info, and I still have not heard back about one product.

Organic Trail Mix is NOT GLUTEN FREE. The date pieces are dusted with flour and this is NOT ON THE LABEL.

Dried White Figs are gluten free.

Dried Mangoe Slices are gluten free.

Safe eating,

Merika

[Mango04]

Thanks for letting us know! Is it just called "Organic Trail Mix?" I eat the Organic Cranberry Harvest Trail Mix, which I always thought was fine. Maybe I'll have to look into that one further.

ps I'm really glad the dried mango slices are gluten-free. I would be really really sad to give those up!

[bluelotus]

Thanks for posting. You have to be very careful with Whole Foods stuff.....lots of hidden glutens, which is so disappointing since I have always expected more from organic brands. Bummer. Hope you didn't get sick.

PS Be careful with Whole Foods pasta sauces - they may look safe but most aren't gluten-free

[kevsmom]

Merika - please tell me it's not so!! I was at Whole foods yesterday, and bought a big bag of it. I guess I'll have to give it to my son.

Cindy

[Merika]

Thanks for letting us know! Is it just called "Organic Trail Mix?" I eat the Organic Cranberry Harvest Trail Mix, which I always thought was fine. Maybe I'll have to look into that one further.

The one I have says "Organic Trail Mix". The number below is 126641. The ingredients listed are: raisins, sunflower seeds, date pieces, roasted peanuts, dried apricots, raw pumpkin seeds, raw almonds, dried apples, walnuts. I have left off the word "organic" which precedes nearly every ingredient.

The date pieces are dusted in flour. This is actually somewhat common- dates or other dried fruit is dusted to prevent them from sticking to the other pieces in the container. I really wish this sort of thing had to be listed on the ingredients. Hey....I just thought of this....in 2006 isn't it the law to list "wheat" or "in a facility which processes wheat" on the box????? Maybe they found a loophole on deli-packed stuff - it wasn't actually from the deli, but it's packaged with one of those per pound deli/bulk bin stickers.

Merika

[dlp252]

I buy the 365 brand cranberry trail mix in the celophane type resealable bags...I'm wondering if those are okay...the dried fruit seems to stick together a bit so I'm hoping that means they AREN'T dusted with anything, lol. Maybe I'll have to call on those.

[tarnalberry]

date pieces, fairly uniquely, are almost universally dusted in oat flour (so it won't be reported, even under the new law), because of the high moisture content of dates. many other dried fruits - even chopped - have a much lower water content and do not have a flour coating. (of course, if unsure, call to find out.)

[Carriefaith]

Just out of curiosity, is Whole Foods a grocery store or a health food store? Sorry for my ignorance but I don't believe those stores exist in Canada.

[francelajoie]

Just out of curiosity, is Whole Foods a grocery store or a health food store? Sorry for my ignorance but I don't believe those stores exist in Canada.

It's a huge health food store. Just as big as Atlantic Superstore. The place is great.

[tarnalberry]

Just out of curiosity, is Whole Foods a grocery store or a health food store? Sorry for my ignorance but I don't believe those stores exist in Canada.

I would have called it a grocery store, but a high-end, heath food oriented one. It's certainly a store that blurs the line between the two categories. ;-)

[Carriefaith]

Wow, I wish there was one here. I would love to have a health food store the size of the Atlantic Superstore.

[Rachel--24]

Does this rule apply to only *dried* date pieces? What about the whloe dates in the packages in Whole Foods produce section...are those ok?

[Merika]

Rachel,

The whole dates at WF should be ok. Not necessarily true with other non-California typed eww-gross dates. (sorry, don't know how else to describe them!)

Tiffany,

I've also found oat flour on dried fig pieces. Again, haven't run across it in whole figs, but do on the pieces. And I had to call and talk to a guy in a factory about that one....The date pieces in question were coated in WHEAT flour, I was told.

Merika

Oh, and today WF emailed me and mentioned that compliance with this new labeling law does not take effect until the END of 2006. (I hadn't asked, he just volunteered...)

[tarnalberry]

wacky on the wheat flour. I understood oat was preferred due to taste reasons, but someone's gotta be different, right? ;-) that doesn't really surprise me about the fig pieces (that water content thing and all), though it's unfortunate...

[kathy1]

PS Be careful with Whole Foods pasta sauces - they may look safe but most aren't gluten-free

In reference to the past sauces, are you referring to the ones that are maked gluten free?

[jerseyangel]

This is all good info,--does anyone know if Sun Maid whole pitted dates (in the red bag) are safe? I've been snacking on them with no problem.

[bluelotus]

In reference to the past sauces, are you referring to the ones that are maked gluten free?

I wasn't aware that they marked any as being gluten-free on the bottle, other than mentioning sauces are gluten-free on their specialty diet lists (you can find the lists online). I got sick from a 365 marinara sauce that looked fine based on ingrediants. Only a couple of their sauces are on their gluten-free list (I hadn't checked the list when I bought the sauces; I guess sometimes I ignorantly expect things to be clearly listed on ingrediant labels...wishful thinking, I suppose. I've since lowered my expectations ). Hope this info helps!