Weird Answer From Tetley Canada

[gabby]

I sent an e-mail to Tetley Canada to ask them about their Pure Camomile tea which has a nutrition label that says each cup contains 15mg of sodium. I wanted to know the source of the sodium. (note: no other brands of herbal teas contain sodium at all). I only noticed the sodium thing because I kept getting a headache after drinking this tea, and finally checked the label to see if it had anything added like a flavoring or maybe some caffeinated black tea.

I got this weird answer today. What do you think?

The sodium is from the camomile and the water. The nutritional data is

based on average analysis of the infusion in tap water. Tap water

contains sodium and some is also naturally present in the camomile.

Thank you for choosing Tetley

Huh? Since when does a nutrition label include elements of things that you might add to the product after buying it? I've never seen instant coffee labels take tap water into consideration.

I'm not losing any sleep over this or anything, but it just has me wondering why we bother having labelling laws at all if companies don't take them very seriously. Also, I'm wondering if the guy at Tetley was making fun of me...I hope not

[2Boys4Me]

I would phone Tetley and talk to an actual human being. Then you can ask about the whole tap water thing - which is pretty weird, in my opinion. What if you're at work and using bottled water, or hot filtered water from a cooler? Not everyone uses tap water. Maybe you have well water.

[penguin]

Personally, I steer clear of any company that's going to jerk me around like that

Go for another brand.

[Guest Robbin]

I agree with ChelsE-Get another brand. This is way too weird. How can they know what water you will use? Also, maybe you are developing an allergy to chamomile.

[gf4life]

I got headaches when I would drink Chamomile tea, too. But I always thought it was the honey that I was sweetening it with that was giving me the headache. I really don't like the taste of Chamomile, so I stopped drinking that, but I also avoid honey until I confirm wheather or not that was the cause of the headaches...

I don't drink Tetley, I am a Celestial Seasonings customer and I appreciate that they have labeled their teas gluten-free teas as being gluten free for many years!

[SharonF]

I believe chamomille is in the ragweed family, and people with allergies to ragweed can also have problems with chamomille tea. Perhaps that is the source of your headache?

[gabby]

I don't get headaches from drinking other brands of camomile (like Celestial Seasonings! yum)

I am not an expert in labelling, nor in food ingredients. So I sent my question (and Tetley's bizarre answer) to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. They were VERY interested in this situation.

[penguin]

I don't get headaches from drinking other brands of camomile (like Celestial Seasonings! yum)

I am not an expert in labelling, nor in food ingredients. So I sent my question (and Tetley's bizarre answer) to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. They were VERY interested in this situation.

Good call!

[gf4life]

I believe chamomille is in the ragweed family, and people with allergies to ragweed can also have problems with chamomille tea. Perhaps that is the source of your headache?

That is possible, too. When I had my allergy testing done as an adult they said that I was severely allergic to Alfalfa, Dust Mites and something else that always slips my mind and mildly allergic to EVERYTHING ELSE! So ragweed would be on that list...

[lovegrov]

No matter what their reply was (and it doesn't ound like they were jerking you around) there's no need to ever be concerned about the source of sodium. It will NOT contain gluten.

richard

[gabby]

If the sodium is coming from a flavouring compound, then there is a chance that it could contain gluten.

[lovegrov]

"If the sodium is coming from a flavouring compound, then there is a chance that it could contain gluten."

I don't understand. Seems to me the flavoring would then be the source of the gluten, not the sodium. Do you have a real-life example?

richard

[munchkinette]

You might be thinking of monosodium glutamate. I've seen that in the "maybe" category, but only because of traces from the source. The compund itself is just another chemical. "Salt" is a generic term but actual sodium is just sodium. The only place you really get sodium is from regular table salt (super cheap), which is sodium chloride. I think companies would have to TRY to get plain sodium from a different source, and that would be really expensive.

I would guess that the customer service rep was just stupid, not trying to be a jerk. I used to work in retail and I couldn't believe some of the stuff people made up because they didn't know the answer.

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

chamomille is in the RAGWEED family so if you have other allergies that might be the reason. It happens to me too...

Today I made phone calls to food companies again. I wanted to know what the NATURAL FLAVORS are in CELESTIAL SEASONING TEAS. I was shocked at the answer... the womans said I can't and won't tell you. It's proprietary and they don't have to tell us. She said it doesn't have Gluten but beyond that she wouldn't tell me anything.

pro·pri·e·tar·y

adj.

Of, relating to, or suggestive of a proprietor or to proprietors as a group: had proprietary rights; behaved with a proprietary air in his friend's house.

Exclusively owned; private: a proprietary hospital.

Owned by a private individual or corporation under a trademark or patent: a proprietary drug.

SO IF YOU HAVE A SECONDARY FOOD ALLERGY or intolerance to something like SOY (I call it poison) or anything other them gluten stay clear of these teas! If you are AREN'T getting better this might be the reason.

[psawyer]

"Salt" on a food label means table salt in Canada and in the US. It will be sodium chloride (NaCl) with trace amounts of sodium iodide (NaI) added. "Sea Salt" is pure sodium chloride (NaCl). Any other compound which is chemically a salt will be identified by its proper name, such as monosodium glutamate (the sodium salt of glutamic acid), commonly called MSG.