Newby With Some Food Questions--are These Safe?

[mom2two]

Stupidly I looked at the labels in the store (with my four and two year old in tow) and they looked ok to me and I bought them but i'm not trusting myself to catch everything yet and still call on everything. I'm only one month into this and it's my daughter that is diagnosed so it is almost impossible to tell if she's been glutened since she's only four. But I failed to note that neither of these products have phone #s or web sites--Aghhh... So anyone know if they're safe?

Here's the ingred. list for Mrs. Butterworth's Lite (reduced calorie)

(high fructose corn syrup, water, contains 2%or less of cellulose gum, natural and artificial flavor, carmel color, corn syrup, salt preservatives (sodium benzoate, sorbic acid) phosphoric acid, caramel color, sodium hexametaphosphate)

I've read that artifical floavor and carmel color are safe with new ingrediants laws IF it is made in the USA and this is. I just want to make sure as my daughter will only eat the gluten free/dairy free waffles when coated in this syrup!

Also, the season-all seasoned salt contains (salt, spices (including chili pepper, black peper, celery seed, nutmeg and coriander) onion, paprika, maltodextrin, garlic, silicon dioxide (added to make free flowing) and annatto (color)

Thanks for any and all help you can help me in trying to keep my daughter healthy!

[wolfie]

McCormick will label any gluten clearly if it is in any of it's products.

Mrs. Butterworth is not gluten free, as far as I know. I called back in April and was told that there was barley in the flavoring. They may have changed, but you should call & ask. I think that Pinnacle Foods is their parent company.

You can use Maple Syrup (the real stuff), as it is gluten free. Aunt Jemima is also gluten free.

[Franceen]

Here's the website for Mrs. Butterworth's (Pinnacle). They have a link for online questions and comments.

Open Original Shared Link

[hannahsue01]

I e-mailed the company that makes Mrs. Buttersworth this morning and this is the response I got. Bad news is my favorite syrup has gluten but looks like they make on that is gluten free. I hope this helps.

Thank you for taking the time to inquire about Pinnacle Foods

Corporation

and the products we produce which might be gluten-free. We appreciate

your interest in our company and our products.

At the present time, Vlasic® Pickles, Sauerkraut and Peppers and Log

Cabin® Country Kitchen syrup are gluten-free. The vinegar used in

production of these items is corn-based, rather than wheat-based.

Other

items in our product lines (which include Mrs. Butterworth¿s, Swanson®

frozen foods and Open Pit® barbecue sauces) generally contain

wheat-based

ingredients in the form of modified food starches and other thickening

agents.

[mom2two]

Thank you all for your help in going through this maze of labels. I can't thank you enough, you've been so helpful!!!!

[GFBetsy]

I got that same canned response. THis is the email I sent back to them:

Thank you for your prompt reply to my question. However, I find it humorous that you suggest that I should "review the list of ingredients on the package prior to purchase to assure that you are meeting your specific dietary needs," as the list of ingredients on the package was insufficient to inform me whether or not Mrs. Butterworth's syrup contained gluten in the first place. The list of ingredients on the package states: "Ingredients: High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt, cellulose gum, molasses, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium hexa-metaphosphate, citric acid, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors." Nowhere in that list is wheat (or another gluten containing grain) mentioned.

In addition, your email states: "Other items in our product lines (which include Mrs. Butterworth's, Swanson® frozen foods and Open Pit® barbecue sauces) generally contain wheat-based ingredients in the form of modified food starches and other thickening agents." According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act that went into force at the beginning of the year, if this product contains wheat or an ingredient derived from wheat, your company is required to say as much ON THE PACKAGE. The following is from the FDA's website:

"FALCPA requires food manufacturers to label food products that contain an ingredient that is or contains protein from a major food allergen in one of two ways.

The first option for food manufacturers is to include the name of the food source in parenthesis following the common or usual name of the major food allergen in the list of ingredients in instances when the name of the food source of the major allergen does not appear elsewhere in the ingredient statement. For example:

Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and/or cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, whey (milk), eggs, vanilla, natural and artificial flavoring) salt, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), lecithin (soy), mono-and diglycerides (emulsifier)

The second option is to place the word "Contains" followed by the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived, immediately after or adjacent to the list of ingredients, in type size that is no smaller than the type size used for the list of ingredients." (Open Original Shared Link).

As your email states that wheat is used in Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, and your ingredients list does NOT state that there is wheat used in Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, your company could be letting itself in for a world of hurt (like a major lawsuit). I myself have been allowing my celiac daughter (who is not quite 2 years old) to consume this product, assuming that your company was following the labeling laws passed by the FDA. I am VERY, VERY disappointed to discover that (by your own admission) you are not following those laws.

Sheesh.

[hannahsue01]

I got that same canned response. THis is the email I sent back to them:

Thank you for your prompt reply to my question. However, I find it humorous that you suggest that I should "review the list of ingredients on the package prior to purchase to assure that you are meeting your specific dietary needs," as the list of ingredients on the package was insufficient to inform me whether or not Mrs. Butterworth's syrup contained gluten in the first place. The list of ingredients on the package states: "Ingredients: High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt, cellulose gum, molasses, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium hexa-metaphosphate, citric acid, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors." Nowhere in that list is wheat (or another gluten containing grain) mentioned.

In addition, your email states: "Other items in our product lines (which include Mrs. Butterworth's, Swanson® frozen foods and Open Pit® barbecue sauces) generally contain wheat-based ingredients in the form of modified food starches and other thickening agents." According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act that went into force at the beginning of the year, if this product contains wheat or an ingredient derived from wheat, your company is required to say as much ON THE PACKAGE. The following is from the FDA's website:

"FALCPA requires food manufacturers to label food products that contain an ingredient that is or contains protein from a major food allergen in one of two ways.

The first option for food manufacturers is to include the name of the food source in parenthesis following the common or usual name of the major food allergen in the list of ingredients in instances when the name of the food source of the major allergen does not appear elsewhere in the ingredient statement. For example:

Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and/or cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, whey (milk), eggs, vanilla, natural and artificial flavoring) salt, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), lecithin (soy), mono-and diglycerides (emulsifier)

The second option is to place the word "Contains" followed by the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived, immediately after or adjacent to the list of ingredients, in type size that is no smaller than the type size used for the list of ingredients." (Open Original Shared Link).

As your email states that wheat is used in Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, and your ingredients list does NOT state that there is wheat used in Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, your company could be letting itself in for a world of hurt (like a major lawsuit). I myself have been allowing my celiac daughter (who is not quite 2 years old) to consume this product, assuming that your company was following the labeling laws passed by the FDA. I am VERY, VERY disappointed to discover that (by your own admission) you are not following those laws.

Sheesh.

Way to go!!! Thanks for speaking up! I did not know this but it's a bummer not all food companies seem to be following these laws.

[brizzo]

1 ingredient in your spice could be of a questionable source.

Maltodextrin="Maltodextrin can be derived from any starch. In the US this starch is usually corn, elsewhere such as in Europe it is commonly barley or wheat. This is important for celiacs since the wheat/barley derived maltodextrin can contain traces of gluten"... wickipedia

You need to call the company and ask what grain source thier maltodextrin is derived from