Made In Facility That Manufactures Wheat Products?

[amberleigh]

My dietician told me to skip stuff that had this on the label...but today I saw some gluten-free SPECIALTY items that said this. WHAT?!? So is it okay? Is it a sensitivity issue? Help a newbie out please

[GeoffCJ]

There is not an easy answer to this question.

Unfortunately, some manufactures seem to use this as a "Cover your ass" statement, and put it on all their products.

And it can mean that the wheat products are used on the adjacent production line, or used in a separate room. There is no way to know.

Many people here will avoid products that say this, but I think anyone who does and still eats out is probably fooling themselves. The odds of contamination is probably much, much higher at restaurants.

I eat stuff labeled like that. I generally avoid stuff where it says that the equipment was shared.

Geoff

[blueeyedmanda]

I eat products which are packaged in the facility. I do not use any which are produced on shared lines. I have not been glutened in a very long time.

This is a choice that you have to make for yourself. It depends on how comfortable you are with this product. If you have used it before and it has given you problems, I wouldn't try it again.

[Guest j_mommy]

I agree with blueeyedamanda! I do eat food that produced in teh same facility but not the same line.Best bet here is to call/email teh company and find out for sure what's going on. Be specific in your questions in your email so that you don't just get a generic response!!1

Good Luck

[Karen B.]

I think, for a newbie it's important to more cautious because at first it's easy to get gluten from unknown sources and a newbie is still healing.

Probably the one product most discussed on this issue is Nut Thins because they are not made in a dedicated facility. Some people say they have a reaction every time they eat them, others (I'm in this group), while extraordinarily reactive to some things, have no problem with this product.

Considering that the Almond Nut Thins contain rice, almonds and potato starch and butter flavoring from milk, I can see how someone may be reacting to one of these items. But I'm not going to tell someone they aren't reacting - we all know our own body best. I've had cross contamination literally double me over like a punch in the gut so I'm not going to minimize anyone's CC reaction. Because gluten effects can surface several hours later, if I have a reaction and think a product may be suspect, I'll pick a time when I'm sure of everything else I'm eating for an entire day and try that product again. Some others may strike the suspect food immediately.

If you're new and still healing, you don't have as much leeway because you may be starting from a less healthy place and it may take you longer to recover. That's why it's important for a newbie to be more cautious. My gluten symptoms now are brain fog, GI effects and feeling crappy for a week. If my side effects were more dramatic (psych. issues, diabetic issues, neuro issues) I'd be a lot more cautious. That's why it's a personal decision.

[amberleigh]

Thanks everyone! I honestly don't think I'm that sensitive to gluten, but what do I know? I'm glad to know it's generally okay to eat those things...it's surprising how many labels I've come across that say that. And I agree about it being a CYA statement...and who knows what cross-contamination you're getting in restaurants. I haven't eaten out since being dx'd but it's inevitable I'm sure!

[buffettbride]

I was wondering this too as I saw some Paul Newman's Organic items at Wild Oats the other day that were labeled as gluten-free but had the CYA statement about a facility that processes wheat as well.

I think I'll have to check those out w/ the company to see if it's the same lines or just the facility.

I know I had purchased some chips some which had shared a line with gluten products but were gluten free and she did not have a reaction. I did not know it at the time they were produced on the same line, but I wouldn't buy those kind of chips again just to be safe. That was in the first 2 months of the whole gluten-free experience.

[2Boys4Me]

How do you guys know if it's produced on the same line? Does it say on the label or have you phoned the company to ask? Just wondering if the US FALCPA requires that. I'm in Canada where we have no such thing as FALCPA.

I've never seen anything like that on a label and when I phone to ask about whether something is gluten free they've rarely mentioned shared lines, but always mention the cleaning practices.

[GeoffCJ]

Amberleigh,

Just wanted to Pipe in with a "Cute Family!"

My sister had twins in March, and I haven't been able to visit yet, but we're going over Labor day, and I'm very excited.

Geoff

[ravenwoodglass]

I used to ignore the CYA statements, but I got tired of playing roulette with my health. I avoid them now as I got tired of searching out 'what got me' and don't like it when I can eat a product once or twice and be fine and then eat it again and be sick as a dog. I feel CYA statements are there for a reason, if the item was for sure always going to be safe to eat there would be no need for the warning. I don't like being sick for 3 weeks just because I wanted a questionable item, I will do my best to find it in a safe form or go without.

[irish daveyboy]

How do you guys know if it's produced on the same line? Does it say on the label or have you phoned the company to ask? Just wondering if the US FALCPA requires that. I'm in Canada where we have no such thing as FALCPA.

I've never seen anything like that on a label and when I phone to ask about whether something is gluten free they've rarely mentioned shared lines, but always mention the cleaning practices.

Hi,

I'm not sure of the position on notification in the USA and Canada, but here in Ireland and throughout the EU if a product is manufactured in a shared facility IT MUST STATE on the labelling MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF.... these could be any of the 8 top Allergens.

.

David

[2Boys4Me]

I've always felt "made in a facility" to be all right, but avoid "may contain traces". I'm not sure if may contain traces means made on a shared line or if made in a facility means separate lines. I don't think a shared facility REQUIRES a may contains disclaimer, but I'm not sure. All I know is the US has different labelling laws than Canada.

[amberleigh]

GeoffCJ - Thanks for the compliment! Congrats to your sis...twins are a lot of fun!

Thanks everyone for the responses. I made some frozen veggies the other night that said "manufactured in the same facility as wheat products" and have been fine. I wonder if it depends on the food as well? Some may be more permeable than others, which would allow the gluten to seep in? I'm stretching here...LOL!

I'm sorry to those of you who are sick for weeks at a time. I can't imagine. My gluten reactions are usually only for a few hours...I guess I'm "lucky".

[irish daveyboy]

I've always felt "made in a facility" to be all right, but avoid "may contain traces". I'm not sure if may contain traces means made on a shared line or if made in a facility means separate lines. I don't think a shared facility REQUIRES a may contains disclaimer, but I'm not sure. All I know is the US has different labelling laws than Canada.

Hi, back again with a clarification !

.

In Europe shared facilities can be:

.

The same production line.

.

The line next to the production line.

.

Or in another room altogether.

.

The logic behind this is, if say for example the air pressure in the room

(producing the item that is quoted as gluten-free)

is less than that in the room producing the Gluten products,

then there could be an airborne transfer causing CC.

.

David

[jaten]

I used to ignore the CYA statements, but I got tired of playing roulette with my health. I avoid them now as I got tired of searching out 'what got me' and don't like it when I can eat a product once or twice and be fine and then eat it again and be sick as a dog. I feel CYA statements are there for a reason, if the item was for sure always going to be safe to eat there would be no need for the warning. I don't like being sick for 3 weeks just because I wanted a questionable item, I will do my best to find it in a safe form or go without.

DITTO.

[Karen B.]

GeoffCJ - Thanks for the compliment! Congrats to your sis...twins are a lot of fun!

Thanks everyone for the responses. I made some frozen veggies the other night that said "manufactured in the same facility as wheat products" and have been fine. I wonder if it depends on the food as well? Some may be more permeable than others, which would allow the gluten to seep in? I'm stretching here...LOL!

I'm sorry to those of you who are sick for weeks at a time. I can't imagine. My gluten reactions are usually only for a few hours...I guess I'm "lucky".

Just for future ref, you may find as your body doesn't have to fight gluten every day, it gets more irritated with you when you get glutened.

I was asymtomatic when I was diagnosed, so I was shocked to find that I'm quite reactive to it now. I had never had DH before my diagnosis but I had it show up and had to track it down. It was in the time release melatonin I got from GNC but it took them a week of steady phone calls before they would admit that there was "just a trace" from the wheat starch they used.