Hunt's Ketchup

[majicbunnies]

From an email response reguarding whether or not Huntz was gluten-free:

"We cannot state that this product is gluten free. It contains <20 ppm WBRO gluten. (10/25/05 email)"

[Lisa]

  majicbunnies said:

From an email response reguarding whether or not Huntz was gluten-free:

"We cannot state that this product is gluten free. It contains <20 ppm WBRO gluten. (10/25/05 email)"

If this e-mail response was l0/25/05 it is very dated. The new labeling law would require Hunt's to list wheat if it is an ingredient. It does not currently to my knowledge. This most likely was a 2005 CYA statement.

[lovegrov]

Hunts always put out a CYA but it was always understood that's what it was. Lisa is right, it would list wheat now if it had it.

richard

[majicbunnies]

  Momma Goose said:

If this e-mail response was l0/25/05 it is very dated. The new labeling law would require Hunt's to list wheat if it is an ingredient. It does not currently to my knowledge. This most likely was a 2005 CYA statement.

if it listed wheat, wouldn't it have to list gluten? I mean, they say they list for wheat, but they say nothing about gluten. Wheat free doesn't mean gluten free.

[Michi8]

  majicbunnies said:

if it listed wheat, wouldn't it have to list gluten? I mean, they say they list for wheat, but they say nothing about gluten. Wheat free doesn't mean gluten free.

The 8 major food allergens must be listed. Wheat is one of those 8, but not barley, rye or oats. So, no, if wheat is not listed it doesn't mean that it is necessarily gluten free.

However, I am confused as to the brand of ketchup you are talking about. Is it Huntz or Hunt's?

If it's Hunt's, then here is the most up-to-date info on gluten free products from their website (Open Original Shared Link)

Q: Which Hunt's tomato products contain gluten? Do you have a list of products that contain gluten?

A: Most Hunt's tomato products are gluten-free. The exceptions include Hunt's Ketchup and Barbecue Sauce, which contain distilled vinegar made from wheat or corn and may contain trace amounts of these grains. Therefore, they are not gluten-free. Among the 11 varieties of Hunt's Spaghetti Sauces, the following three varieties include an indirect source of gluten (wheat, oats, barley, or rye):

Original Meat

Four Cheese

Italian Sausage

It is always best to read the ingredient statement printed on the label because reformulation occurs from time to time.

Michelle

[Lisa]

  Michi8 said:

The 8 major food allergens must be listed. Wheat is one of those 8, but not barley, rye or oats. So, no, if wheat is not listed it doesn't mean that it is necessarily gluten free.

However, I am confused as to the brand of ketchup you are talking about. Is it Huntz or Hunt's?

If it's Hunt's, then here is the most up-to-date info on gluten free products from their website (Open Original Shared Link)

Q: Which Hunt's tomato products contain gluten? Do you have a list of products that contain gluten?

A: Most Hunt's tomato products are gluten-free. The exceptions include Hunt's Ketchup and Barbecue Sauce, which contain distilled vinegar made from wheat or corn and may contain trace amounts of these grains. Therefore, they are not gluten-free. Among the 11 varieties of Hunt's Spaghetti Sauces, the following three varieties include an indirect source of gluten (wheat, oats, barley, or rye):

Original Meat

Four Cheese

Italian Sausage

It is always best to read the ingredient statement printed on the label because reformulation occurs from time to time.

Michelle

The key word here is "distilled" and I still consider this Hunt's CYA statement.

[gfp]

  Momma Goose said:

The key word here is "distilled" and I still consider this Hunt's CYA statement.

Actually in the case of spirit vinegar its not the vinegar that's distilled...

They don't take the vinegar itself and distill it but they use distilled ethyl alcohol to make it...

That is "pure distilled vinegar" isn't made from taking vinegar and water and impurities to make in stronger but uses industrial alcohol as the starting point to be made into a strong clear vinegar...

There is a difference IMHO between vinegar and distilled grain alcohol...

The amount of "vinegar" we consume is tiny ... and its mostly water... (95%) from dluting the almost pure vinegar.

The amount of "alcohol" we might consume is much larger and its 40%+ by volume... BUT also the distillation doesn't get to go all the way... it does go beyond 40% because they water it down to a certain strength after BUT its not fully distilled to the theoretical 98% (which is the purest you can get alcohol by distillation)...if it WERE then unless they added flaoving later tequila would taste exactly like rhum and vodka...

So basically if grain alcohol potentially contains some traces of gluten it might be significant because we consume a much larger quantity... and also we know certain ones are not made using wheat, barley or rye anyway... hence we have a whole set of liquers that don't even start from grain... and when they do we know which ones.

distilled vinegar by contrast... firtly is made from commerial mollasses fermented which in the US is 80% corn... its not guaranteed it depends which is cheaper/convenient etc. but its usually corn... whereas a wheat vodka is ALWAYS wheat...

secondly we are taking AT WORST the same as the vodka but only using a tiny percentage or less of it...

Even volume for volume we use tiny amounts of vinegar... a shot glass of vinegar is A LOT....

Secondly the vinegar is already 1/8 of that amount because a 5% acetic acid solution is WAY stronger than vinegar... I think most stuff is 1.5-2%... (top of my head)...

So the amounts are very much less... its not actually starting off made from 100% gluten containing wheat or rye so it would be unlucky to even get a batch like that... and we consume a tiny fractions of what we might drink in terms of grain alcohol.

[lovegrov]

Barley and rye would not be a problem in ketchup. Wheat would be the only concern.

richard

[gfp]

  lovegrov said:

Barley and rye would not be a problem in ketchup. Wheat would be the only concern.

richard

Many ketchups contain "modified starch"...

Compliance Policy Guides, Chapter 5-Foods, Sub Chapter 578, Processed Grains, Section 578.100.

starch must be from corn unless stated, modified starch can be from anything...

[SunnyDyRain]

  gfp said:

Many ketchups contain "modified starch"...

Compliance Policy Guides, Chapter 5-Foods, Sub Chapter 578, Processed Grains, Section 578.100.

starch must be from corn unless stated, modified starch can be from anything...

I was under the impression that "modified food starch" as long as made in USA was from corn.

[Lisa]

  SunnyDyRain said:

I was under the impression that "modified food starch" as long as made in USA was from corn.

Correct unless stated as other, as in "Modified Food Starch (wheat)."

[gfp]

  Momma Goose said:

Correct unless stated as other, as in "Modified Food Starch (wheat)."

Exactly, if they change the name to modifed food starch

Open Original Shared Link

  Quote

A regulation has been promulgated to prescribe safe conditions of use for "food starch-modified" (21 CFR 172.892). This regulation requires that the label shall bear the name of the additive "food starch-modified." This name should be used to designate this additive on labels of fabricated foods in which it is used as an ingredient.

Is a completely different regulation... good luck finding that one though....

seems only the scanned paper copy is available?

Open Original Shared Link

A quick scan reveals nothing about gluten or gluten containing ingredients...

I didn't read each page... (it doesn't affect me)... since I don't live in the US.

[lovegrov]

There's just no question at all that MFS in the U.S. is NOT made from barley or rye. This might not be a law but it doesn't happen. In addition, almost no vinegar is made from wheat.

Hunts has always been CYA about their ketchup, so I don't buy it out of principle, but it seems to me that it's almost without question gluten-free.

richard

[ravenwoodglass]

  lovegrov said:

There's just no question at all that MFS in the U.S. is NOT made from barley or rye. This might not be a law but it doesn't happen. In addition, almost no vinegar is made from wheat.

Hunts has always been CYA about their ketchup, so I don't buy it out of principle, but it seems to me that it's almost without question gluten-free.

richard

Maybe not but barley malt is a VERY common item in 'natural flavors'. The choice is of course up to the individual but if a company gives a CYA statement IMHO there is a reason for it. Recipes are considered by many companies info that they do not want other companies to have. If they use barley malt as a flavoring they don't need to tell us, they just need to give a CYA statement.

[sixtytwo]

Heize ketchup is sooooooooo good, I would not let anything else touch my food or that of my customers in my restaurant anyway and it is gluten-free. Also kudos again to WalMart for all of their gluten-free labeling, I am a big fan.

Barbara

[catsmeow]

Nevermind..........ha ha ha....I figured it out...

[Lisa]

  On 6/23/2011 at 11:22 PM, Trish_Trish said:

Nevermind..........ha ha ha....I figured it out...

So glad! Because this thread is over four years old.

[catsmeow]

Yea....