Is Bud Light Selzer Gluten-Free?

[Theresa2407]

Bud Light has a flavored Seltzer with 5 percent alcohol saying it is gluten free using malted rice.  Is this a trusted statement and safe to drink? 

[Scott Adams]

If the company who makes it says that it is gluten-free, then it should be gluten-free. Budweiser would not claim this unless it was true.

[Sam100]

On 4/22/2020 at 4:51 PM, Scott Adams said:

If the company who makes it says that it is gluten-free, then it should be gluten-free. Budweiser would not claim this unless it was true.

Hi Scott, are you sure this is true? Because for the past couple of months I have drunk gluten free Peroni and I still get symptoms.. so how can Budlight products be trusted also?

Thanks!

[Scott Adams]

I think you can trust a large company like this when they put "gluten-free" on a label. If it were not gluten-free they would be sued and lose millions. That said, it's really up to you what you want to believe. It think there is a deep distrust I see in posts against big companies, some of which I understand, but not when it comes to things like this. They typically do far more than smaller companies do before using such claims on their labels, due to the huge liability associated with mis-labeling a product.

[Theresa2407]

18 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

I think you can trust a large company like this when they put "gluten-free" on a label. If it were not gluten-free they would be sued and lose millions. That said, it's really up to you what you want to believe. It think there is a deep distrust I see in posts against big companies, some of which I understand, but not when it comes to things like this. They typically do far more than smaller companies do before using such claims on their labels, due to the huge liability associated with mis-labeling a product.

Thank you Scott

[cyclinglady]

Nope.  I would not drink it.  These products are not under the regulation of the US FDA and legally do not need to meet the gluten free guidelines. They are under the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco.  The same goes for USDA products, though this government branch does a good job of following FDA guidelines.  

https://celiac.org/about-the-foundation/featured-news/2014/08/fda-gluten-free-food-labeling-information-page/

This topic is highly controversial in the celiac community.  Best to drink a certified gluten-free alcohol product if your choice is fermented (e.g beer) and contains barley or wheat products before the fermentation process.  These are often considered “gluten removed”.  They are not the same as distilled (e.g. vodka) which are safe for celiacs even if wheat was used in the starting product.  

If you are a healed celiac, then go ahead and experiment.  You can afford the risk.  If a newbie, I would stay clear.  Honestly, a damaged gut is probably even going to react to even wine.  

[cyclinglady]

24 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

I think you can trust a large company like this when they put "gluten-free" on a label. If it were not gluten-free they would be sued and lose millions. That said, it's really up to you what you want to believe. It think there is a deep distrust I see in posts against big companies, some of which I understand, but not when it comes to things like this. They typically do far more than smaller companies do before using such claims on their labels, due to the huge liability associated with mis-labeling a product.

Ever try to sue a big company?  It is not easy.   You better have a huge legal staff, because they do.   Imagine trying to prove that a product actually cause a celiac flare-up.  I can not.  I take that back.  Maybe, if you can get Erin Brockovich.  ?

[Scott Adams]

You didn't see its ingredients...it's not beer, doesn't have barley or wheat in the ingredients, and is made with malted rice and labelled gluten-free.

On a side note I used to brew gluten-free beer using homemade malted rice and sorghum. 

[cyclinglady]

You are right!  I was definitely wrong.  I went with the beer example.    Why?  When I went into the corporate sites, I had to disclose my date of birth!  What?  I refused.  Are you allowed to order product on those sites?   Well, let’s say I made up a year....1943 and it rejected me.  But again, maybe I forgot to add a zero in front of my birth month.  I do get impatient!  

So, to the OP, this Bud is really gluten free per the blogs I found.    But if you are healing (within months of your diagnosis), be wise about drinking.  Give yourself time to heal.  Otherwise, enjoy!  ?

[Sam100]

 

23 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

Nope.  I would not drink it.  These products are not under the regulation of the US FDA and legally do not need to meet the gluten free guidelines. They are under the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco.  The same goes for USDA products, though this government branch does a good job of following FDA guidelines.  

https://celiac.org/about-the-foundation/featured-news/2014/08/fda-gluten-free-food-labeling-information-page/

This topic is highly controversial in the celiac community.  Best to drink a certified gluten-free alcohol product if your choice is fermented (e.g beer) and contains barley or wheat products before the fermentation process.  These are often considered “gluten removed”.  They are not the same as distilled (e.g. vodka) which are safe for celiacs even if wheat was used in the starting product.  

If you are a healed celiac, then go ahead and experiment.  You can afford the risk.  If a newbie, I would stay clear.  Honestly, a damaged gut is probably even going to react to even wine.  

A damaged gut will react to wine? huh? I was planning on switching from beer to wine and now I'm confused. I thought wine was already gluten free and there would be no chance of cross contamination?

 

[cyclinglady]

48 minutes ago, Sam100 said:

 

A damaged gut will react to wine? huh? I was planning on switching from beer to wine and now I'm confused. I thought wine was already gluten free and there would be no chance of cross contamination?

 

No, wine will not cause a reaction (celiac flare up).    But think about inflammation and missing villi in the small intestine.  Alcohol can be hard on a damaged gut.  Experiment and see how you feel.  

I can drink now, but not when I was first diagnosed.  

[Nick11]

On 4/26/2020 at 3:19 PM, Scott Adams said:

You didn't see its ingredients...it's not beer, doesn't have barley or wheat in the ingredients, and is made with malted rice and labelled gluten-free.

On a side note I used to brew gluten-free beer using homemade malted rice and sorghum. 

Crazy response to say you can trust big companies, anyone with Celiacs knows they mislabel and misrepresent the products any chance they get. Putting gluten free labels on so many items that are either made on shared equipment or have sleeper ingredients just to attract Celiacs as buyers. You really think they are making this seltzer or any other product in it's on equipment or section of a warehouse. Complete trash companies looking to profit.

[Scott Adams]

Where is your evidence that this product contains gluten? Your claim here is that because this company is big they are simply lying about this to make money? Sorry, but this isn't evidence. We've presented the info here directly from this company, which is the best information we have. Spreading conspiracy theories about large companies is just nonsense.

Their liability is huge, and it would take just one law firm to go after them and win huge amounts of money if they were lying. On top of this, home tests like Nima Sensor are now in people's pockets, so anyone can test, for example, their Cheerios now and see if they are gluten-free. That test likely would not work on this beverage, however, getting this product tested would be relatively easy, and not expensive to do.