Peptiva Digestive Enzymes Not gluten-free!

[ALee]

Although the box has a gluten-free label, the ingredients indicates “contains wheat”! Called the company and after the rep talked with several supervisors they eventually found a folder with all ingredients in their products. The ingredients list has contradictory information. One sentence stated “contains wheat” then another sentence stated “contains no gluten ingredients like those found in wheat, barley, and rye”

At the request of the rep I sent this to a company support email.

 

[trents]

Good catch, ALee! Good detective work.

[Scott Adams]

My guess is that the maltodextrin in the UK may contain wheat, but in the USA it doesn't. Here is a screenshot of a box, and it does show "Contains: Wheat" on it:

 

Here is their gluten-free claim:

[trents]

I wonder how many people with celiac disease or NCGS have been made ill by this product. There's a good amount of potential for a law suite here. If I were this company, I would issue a recall and put out a news bulletin on the wire services.

[shadycharacter]

I suppose it is "20 ppm" gluten free but contains wheat that can be a problem for people with wheat allergy.

I've seen recommendations that people with wheat allergy should avoid products with wheat starch even if the gluten concentration is less than 20 ppm. One reason is that those allergic to wheat may react to  wheat proteins other than gluten, and being < 20 ppm gluten doesn't say anything about the content of other wheat proteins. 

At least in some places products can be sold as gluten free if they contain less than 20 ppm gluten.

For example, Schar sells frozen gluten free wheat starch based croissants.

[trents]

31 minutes ago, shadycharacter said:

I suppose it is "20 ppm" gluten free but contains wheat that can be a problem for people with wheat allergy.

I've seen recommendations that people with wheat allergy should avoid products with wheat starch even if the gluten concentration is less than 20 ppm. One reason is that those allergic to wheat may react to  wheat proteins other than gluten, and being < 20 ppm gluten doesn't say anything about the content of other wheat proteins. 

At least in some places products can be sold as gluten free if they contain less than 20 ppm gluten.

For example, Schar sells frozen gluten free wheat starch based croissants.

But it doesn't say "contains wheat starch" it says "contains wheat". I take that to mean not a wheat fraction. At any rate, the company certainly needs to clarify the apparent contradiction with more info on the package if wheat or some wheat component is an intentional ingredient.

[RMJ]

Depending on how you parse the “contains” sentence, the wheat might be from the fermentation medium used to manufacture the enzymes. 

Enzymes are typically manufactured by growing microorganisms (bacteria or yeast) that make the enzymes, and those microorganisms need food!

[shadycharacter]

16 minutes ago, trents said:

But it doesn't say "contains wheat starch" it says "contains wheat". I take that to mean not a wheat fraction. At any rate, the company certainly needs to clarify the apparent contradiction with more info on the package if wheat or some wheat component is an intentional ingredient.

Because wheat is an allergen it must always be declared if an ingredient. I think in EU there are 14 allergens that must always be declared. But for gluten there is an allowed maximum concentration of 20 ppm below which a product can be sold as gluten free. So if the amount of wheat is small enough, I suppose a product can be both labeled  gluten free and containing wheat at the same time. 

In this product the wheat seems to be fermented as well, which breaks down some of the gluten.

[ALee]

The company documentation internally was very contradictory. The rep I spoke with indicated they reached out to 3-4 different supervisors and each supervisor came back with contradictory information. One suggested I speak to my Dr. But I said my Dr. Wouldn’t know the ingredients or manufacturing practices for the company. After the rep found the printed documentation and read it to me they said they wouldn’t recommend me taking this even though s some of the supervisors said it would be fine.