Turkey

[AmandaD]

We bought a Jennie-O "Natural" Young Turkey (says no artificial ingredients, minimally processed, 6 percent retained water). I couldn't find what's on their website called a "Prime" young turkey.

The one we bought should be okay, correct?

A

[Lisa]

It will be required by law to list wheat on it's lables.

[Flotenspieler]

As I recall, most of the Jennie-O stuff is gluten free. Here's the Hormel link to the list of their gluten free products (has a bunch of Jennio-O items there)

Open Original Shared Link

[lovegrov]

It's gluten-free. It's late, but one more reminder to all, if a turkey label doesn't list wheat, rye or barley, it's gluten-free. No need to worry. It's safe. Really.

richard

[ReneCox]

I was glutened by turkey on thanksgiving.(self basting) The ingredients did not list wheat rye or barley. When i called the company, they said it contained gluten. the ingredients did say 'natural flavorings" but not what they were

[ravenwoodglass]

I was glutened by turkey on thanksgiving.(self basting) The ingredients did not list wheat rye or barley. When i called the company, they said it contained gluten. the ingredients did say 'natural flavorings" but not what they were

This is why we need to call or verify everything we eat ourselves. Just because you read something that says an item is safe does not mean it is. I have made myself ill more than once because I read somewhere an item was safe only to find out the hard way that it isn't. Just because the label does not list gluten containing ingredients does not mean the item is safe for us to eat. Many companies in addition to putting gluten contain ingredients in their 'natural flavoring' will NOT disclose on a label the risk of Cross contamination. Do NOT assume that the bird is safe, call the maker and ask.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Richard, I diagree slightly.

Wheat has to be disclosed, but not barley or rye (not that I have ever seen barley or rye in a turkey).

Many natural flavoings have a wheat base, but it is unclear whether those have to be reported or not (evidenced by the self-basting glutening).

be safe, call the company...

[lovegrov]

"Wheat has to be disclosed, but not barley or rye (not that I have ever seen barley or rye in a turkey).

Many natural flavoings have a wheat base, but it is unclear whether those have to be reported or not (evidenced by the self-basting glutening)."

Because they are grains and would add nutrition to meat, barley and rye MUST by USDA law be listed in turkey and any other meat. I have called the USDA and specifically asked this question and they have confirmed it. This is a different rule from the new allergen one. The USDA law has been in effect for a number of years now.

Any wheat in any food absolutely MUST be listed, even if it's in the natural flavorings. There's no question about this -- it's the law now.

[lovegrov]

"I was glutened by turkey on thanksgiving.(self basting) The ingredients did not list wheat rye or barley. When i called the company, they said it contained gluten. the ingredients did say 'natural flavorings" but not what they were"

Please tell us which company.

I have never heard of a turkey with gluten unless it was stuffed, but if this company is not listing wheat it is violating a USDA law and the new allergen law. They need to be reported.

richard

[happygirl]

Richard, thanks for sharing that info. I knew about the allergen labeling law, but not the 'nutritional' part.

[ravenwoodglass]

"I was glutened by turkey on thanksgiving.(self basting) The ingredients did not list wheat rye or barley. When i called the company, they said it contained gluten. the ingredients did say 'natural flavorings" but not what they were"

Please tell us which company.

I have never heard of a turkey with gluten unless it was stuffed, but if this company is not listing wheat it is violating a USDA law and the new allergen law. They need to be reported.

richard

I would like to know the company also, but they may not be actually breaking any laws at this point. Companies are being allowed to run out their labels. If they had a lot of them who knows when the allergen label will show up. Also the gluten may not be wheat related, it could have been barley which is often used for color and flavor.

[tarnalberry]

I would like to know the company also, but they may not be actually breaking any laws at this point. Companies are being allowed to run out their labels. If they had a lot of them who knows when the allergen label will show up. Also the gluten may not be wheat related, it could have been barley which is often used for color and flavor.

As Richard stated, this is not about the allergen labeling law. This is about a USDA law, regarding *meat only*, that has been in effect for years, and includes *all grains*.

[ravenwoodglass]

Following is an excerpt from the FDA's labeling regulations. If you read carefully and particularly paragraph C you will see why this law does not protect celiacs as much as we would like. If a company can show that the amount of wheat is under the codex standard they can request that they not put it in the labeling. The FDA has not decided yet what the allowable amount of the toxin is, that will come by 2008, until then and perhaps after the codex standard will mean that things may not be as gluten free as we would like. To me gluten free is just that, non allowed in the food, but unfortunately that is not the case. Hence the reason we still deal with cross contamination and undisclosed gluten. Money talks and the big companies have alot. You can access a full copy of this by googling "FDA food labeling laws" It will be the first thing that comes up.

`"`(5) The Secretary may by regulation modify the requirements of subparagraph (A) or ( of paragraph (1), or eliminate either the requirement of subparagraph (A) or the requirements of subparagraph ( of paragraph (1), if the Secretary determines that the modification or elimination of the requirement of subparagraph (A) or the requirements of subparagraph ( is necessary to protect the public health.

``(6)

(A) Any person may petition the Secretary to exempt a food ingredient described in section 201(qq)(2) from the allergen labeling requirements of this subsection.

``( The Secretary shall approve or deny such petition within 180 days of receipt of the petition or the petition shall be deemed denied, unless an extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the Secretary and the petitioner.

``

© The burden shall be on the petitioner to provide scientific evidence (including the analytical method used to produce the evidence) that demonstrates that such food ingredient, as derived by the method specified in the petition, does not cause an allergic response that poses a risk to human health.

``

(D) A determination regarding a petition under this paragraph shall constitute final agency action. Public information. Deadline.``(E) The Secretary shall promptly post to a public site all petitions received under this paragraph within 14 days of receipt and the Secretary shall promptly post the Secretary's response to each. "

[tarnalberry]

But we're talking about a turkey, which does not fall under the FDA law, but the USDA law. Different law entirely.

[lovegrov]

As mentioned before, the law covering meats is a USDA law and has been on the books now for years. Even if the turkey manufacturer hasn't violated the FDA allergen law, the USDA law still applies. I have called the USDA more than once and confirmed that meats HAVE to list WRBO. It's just that simple.

richard

[lovegrov]

I'm still hoping ReneeCox will come back and tell us which turkey.

richard

[ReneCox]

It was just a frozen publix brand self basting turkey. After hearing what richard said about the laws, I had my doubts that the person I talked to on the phone was correct about the turkey containg gluten. I called again yesterday to see if maybe the person I spoke to before was mistaken, but the "manager" i needed to talk wasn't there. I'll try again today. It's possible that the person I spoke to was mistaken, but I did have a reaction from something on Thanksgiving. That is why I called in the first place.

[ReneCox]

ok everyone, The manager just called me back. He called lakeland where the turkey was originally from, and confirmed that there was NO gluten in the turkey. He apologized that I was given false information. The person who told me it did contain gluten seemed so confident that I did not second guess him. He told me it contained 2% gluten. I guess he was wrong...