Whole Foods Sushi

[ElenaDragon]

Today I had some Whole Foods sushi (Salmon Avocado roll). I had some of the wasabi and my own San-J soy sauce (gluten free). Almost immediately after eating the sushi my stomach started gurgling. This is the main symptom that has become much better since I went gluten free a month ago. So I'm wondering if maybe the sushi or the wasabi isn't gluten free?

The ingredient list is confusing, and I thought if I avoided the soy sauce I would be fine. Then I found this thread which says that Whole Foods puts soy sauce in the sushi itself? Open Original Shared Link Does anyone know if this is true?

[ElenaDragon]

Here is the ingredient list:

Rice (see below), Salmon, Avocado, Sesame Seed, Honey Ginger (Ginger, Water, Fructose, Salt, Honey, Vinegar, Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Green Mustard (Horseradish, Mustard, Corn Flour, Spirulina), Soy Sauce (see package), Seaweed.

Milled Rice, with Vinegar (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Brown Sugar)

I didn't have any of the ginger, but did have the wasabi (green mustard). Didn't open the soy sauce package since it has wheat in it.

[Dandelion]

I eat it all the time and never have a problem. I asked the guy who makes the sushi and he said that the rice is not cooked in broth - so no worries there. I also asked him about the crab california rolls and the crab is fresh - not packaged. I do know that the soy sauce they include has gluten in it, but you used your own. As far as I know the soy sauce is only in the packet and not in the sushi itself. The label is a little confusing. Maybe you have an intolerance to something else in there?

[ElenaDragon]

Thanks for the info. I have no idea what else could be causing me problems. I'm doing a trial gluten free phase after negative bloodwork, and seem to be doing better, but I don't know if it is because of the diet. It's so frustrating.

[Dandelion]

I would check with your local Whole Foods and ask them about the ingredients in their sushi. Maybe they are prepared differently in different stores? Or maybe something wasn't right with the salmon? How long have you been gluten free? I know that all types of things bothered me when I first went gluten free - dairy, soy, nuts.

I hope you figure it out.

[angel42]

Today I had some Whole Foods sushi (Salmon Avocado roll). I had some of the wasabi and my own San-J soy sauce (gluten free). Almost immediately after eating the sushi my stomach started gurgling. This is the main symptom that has become much better since I went gluten free a month ago. So I'm wondering if maybe the sushi or the wasabi isn't gluten free?

The ingredient list is confusing, and I thought if I avoided the soy sauce I would be fine. Then I found this thread which says that Whole Foods puts soy sauce in the sushi itself? Open Original Shared Link Does anyone know if this is true?

The EXACT SAME THING happened to me also with the salmon avocado roll. I checked the ingredients religiously and absolutely nothing contained gluten except for the soy sauce which I never use. I wish I had an answer for you but there must be something in that roll that is making people sick.

[ElenaDragon]

I would check with your local Whole Foods and ask them about the ingredients in their sushi. Maybe they are prepared differently in different stores? Or maybe something wasn't right with the salmon? How long have you been gluten free? I know that all types of things bothered me when I first went gluten free - dairy, soy, nuts.

I hope you figure it out.

It's been about five weeks now on the gluten-free diet, so I'm still fairly new at it. I've been dairy free for many months, and I limit my soy quite a bit. I had probably less than a teaspoon of the soy sauce, but I haven't had it before, so it's possible that was the cause. Large amounts of soy gives me migraines and makes me feel sick/sleepy, but I have been doing okay with small amounts (like a cookie with a little soy flour in it, soy lecithin in products, or a little soy milk once in a while).

The EXACT SAME THING happened to me also with the salmon avocado roll. I checked the ingredients religiously and absolutely nothing contained gluten except for the soy sauce which I never use. I wish I had an answer for you but there must be something in that roll that is making people sick.

Did you have any wasabi? I noticed that "Mustard Powder" is listed on the unsafe list as "can utilize a gluten-containing grain or by-product in the manufacturing process, or as an ingredient." I think I am sensitive to gluten, but I don't know for sure, so it's hard to narrow down.

[Dandelion]

I don't think it's the wasabi because I use it every time I have their sushi. Maybe they do something to the salmon? I've had most of the other rolls but not that one.

[modiddly16]

My boyfriend got this last night...sushi that is, and the meat inside looked like it had soy sauce on it. So while you aren't using the packaged soy sauce, maybe they put it on there prior?

[Dandelion]

I emailed Whole Foods Headquarters to see if that roll, the wasabi and the ginger are gluten free. I'll post their reply once I get it.

[kenlove]

Hi, Sometimes I found that the nori, seaweed, that rolls are made with ( not only at WF) is processed and dreid differently. Sometimes soy sauce is used in the process in Japan and especially Korea where much of the nori comes from. I often make my own with nori that comes from a a reliable source in Japan but when eating out everytime I try a roll I have problems and get dh within an hour.

Ken

I emailed Whole Foods Headquarters to see if that roll, the wasabi and the ginger are gluten free. I'll post their reply once I get it.

[Dandelion]

Here's the reply from Whole Foods:

Hello Beth,

I have contacted Genji Sushi who staffs and makes the in store sushi. They have let me know that the Salmon Avocado Roll is gluten free. The wasabi and the ginger are also gluten free.

However, their soy sauce does contain wheat which has gluten. The soy sauce is packaged separately and as long as you refrain from the packages of soy sauce you can enjoy the roll gluten free.

Furthermore, if you are interested in a list of which sushi is gluten free and which is not please let us know and Genji told me they can provide a list to pass along to you.

They did let me know that the California Roll which uses imitation crab meat contains wheat. Anything with barbequed eel contains wheat b/c they use soy sauce in the preparation. And the dumplings contain wheat.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

Thanks,

Jennifer

[ElenaDragon]

Thanks for the info Dandelion! I wonder if maybe it was the soy in my gluten-free soy sauce since I hadn't had it before. I have eaten sushi at Whole Foods before without problems, but not the salmon roll.

[CarlaB]

Could it have been the avocado? Avocado can have a laxative effect.

[ElenaDragon]

Well I always get sushi with avocado in it, and usually I'm fine. It wasn't a laxative type problem... I get gas gurgling in my intestines or bowel and it doesn't go anywhere, just moves around and gurgles (when it finally comes out, it's gas and mucus). I have had much less of it since I started the gluten free diet though. It used to be that it would go on for hours at a time. Now I just get a little gurgling once in a while.

[firtree]

I have always been really worried about cross contamination when it came to Sushi and

Sashimi. It looks like the ingredients in most of the Sushi is gluten-free, but since some of the

components (Eel, imitation crab meat) have wheat in them and they are all prepped on

the same counter and with the same tools, how is this safe? I am very cautious about

cross-contamination since I show no outward symtoms when I get glutened and worry

out accidentally exposing myself to a gluten source repeatedly.

[ElenaDragon]

So I went back and had the same Salmon and Avocado sushi from Whole Foods today, and I felt fine after eating it. So it was either cross contamination or the soy sauce... probably the soy sauce. I will try having the soy sauce with something else at a later time to make sure. That small amount may just have been too much soy for me. I don't know how much soy is in soy sauce, but I try to stick to only small amounts.