Honees Cough Drops- gluten-free or no?

[Emma R.]

Hello everyone!, 

 

I am fighting off a cold and picked up some cough drops labeled gluten free. It is the brand Honees, the honey, menthol and eucalyptus specifically. The bag says they are gluten-free but contain wheat. Which I know some celiac can still eat gluten free wheat and some can not. But besides that at the bottom of the label it says, "YES, WE"RE GLUTEN FREE. Honees contain less then 20PPM of gluten. Pursuant to FDA regulations, products containing less than 20 ppm are gluten free." The website further explains they have 5 PPM per serving. 

So are these considered safe? If each cough drop contains 5 PPM then if I had 6 in a short period would that cause a reaction? That would be over the 20 PPM mark. 

I know the FDA regulations are sometimes weird for gluten free foods. So what is the best option?

 

Thanks! 

 

For further clarification I am a diagnosed celiac 

[RMJ]

The FDA 20ppm regulation assumes someone can eat one kilogram of food containing that level.  A few cough drops won’t be anywhere near a kilogram!  However, some people with celiac disease are more sensitive and can’t handle the FDA’s allowed amount.

I see that the ingredient in question is glucose syrup derived from wheat.  The National Celiac Association says it is ok. 

Glucose syrup

[Scott Adams]

Do the cough drops say they contain 5ppm, or that they are tested to that level? I suspect the latter, as 5ppm is typically considered the lower level that can be detected. 

Yes, I would say they are gluten-free if they are tested to the level of 5ppm.