Foods To Be Avoided?

[mandigirl1]

I'm not sure I understand why some food companies label their foods "gluten free" yet also have a warning that says their products are made in a facility that makes products with wheat???????????? Isn't this like an oxymoron????

How can something be truly gluten free when the company is also telling you that that gluten-free food may be contaminated with gluten?????????? I have a need to gripe here. I'd also love to hear from other fellow Celiacs if they agree with me on this.

How many times, I have gone to a store or online to find new and exciting gluten-free products...............how many times have I gotten excited and jumped for joy upon discovering something gluten-free, new and exciting............ONLY............to read the additional fine print that warns it isnt truly "gluten-free". Now, I am a 4th grade teacher and tend to be serious when it comes to learning, being educated and well informed.

Do these companies think they are kidding us? Or, pulling a fast one on us? SHOULDNT CELIACS AVOID THESE FOODS EVEN THOUGH THEY SOUND ENTICING? WHAT GOOD IS EATING SOMETHING "gluten-free" IF THERES A CHANCE IT REALLY ISNT gluten-free, DUE TO CROSS CONTAMINATION? ITS LIKE "EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK"!!!!!!!!!!!

Im so tired of this happening to me!!!!!!!!!!!Its frustrating!!!!!!!!!! I'll give you an example to further prove my point......................

Ive been on a AMYS frozen meal "kick", Ive been enjoying them like theres no tomorrow. At $5-$6 a pop, they're not exactly cheap. Plus, I have eaten 2 meals in one day, almost every other day.....it adds up!!!!!! I really do savor the flavors and varieties of her food. Since becoming a vegetarian, it has helped me tremendously make the smooth transition.

However, just yesterday, I closely examined myself in the mirror. I noticed a distended stomach (on an otherwise thin frame), much the same as 10 yrs ago when I was first diagnosed with celiac disease. I have the same shape stomach, like Im 3 months pregnant. Im bloated and gassy and tired. Its been a while since Ive noticed a distended stomach (I love clothes and love buying them, so I would know immediately if i had this problem). Then I put 2 and 2 together!!!! It must be the Amys foods because I really dont eat much else all day except fruits, rice, potato, peanut butter, etc. All these foods I know are gluten-free. So why the ugly, misshapen, distended stomach? I think its because of the Amys foods. I think they have cross contamination.

Now, Im really upset about this. Here I was enjoying something new and exciting with bursting flavors (so much different than my usual drab steamed veggie meals). only to reralize that Ive been ingesting little amounts of wheat gluten. Im almost positive........

Looks like I'll have to close my wallet and freezer to these foods for a while and see if the stomach goes away. Which brings me back to my original gripe about this misleading labeling:

DONT TELL ME ITS gluten-free, IF ITS MADE IN THE SAME FACILITY THAT POISIONOUS GLUTEN PRODUCTS ARE MADE FROM AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone else agree?????????

Please share feedback.

Thanks!!!!!

Erica, NY

[buffettbride]

This is when it comes in handy to know company's manufacturing practices.

For example, Frito Lay also processes wheat but cleans their lines between products. Often, people have no problem eating gluten-free Frito Lay products known to be gluten free.

Same goes for Kraft products. I trust if I buy something from Kraft, it will be a safe food if there are not any gluten ingredients labeled.

However, if I don't know the company or haven't confirmed the gluten-free status of that company, I don't buy the product.

I think those company's are trying to help by saying their product doesn't contain gluten but other products do, so people with gluten intolerance or Celiac can make an informed choice. I don't think the company is "out to get us" but sometimes it seems conflicting.

What is scary is the upcoming labeling laws about what constitutes gluten-free. I think it is a step in the right direction, but will be far from perfect from what people who cannot have gluten truly need.

Bottom line: Get to know the companies you buy from and understand their manufacturing practices.

Sadly, there is a bit of trial-and-error to this business, but I am successful more often than not.

Another rule of thumb I follow about a product I'm curious about is finding 3 sources to confirm if a product is safe. I usually start here by finding out if other folks have had an issue with that product. I check the company's web site to see if they provide a gluten-free list, and I "Google" the product and the word "gluten" to see what information I find. If I can't find 3 sources about a product's gluten-free stauts, then I don't buy it or use it.

[buffettbride]

In general, too, I've heard what you've said about Amy's. We've never tried their products because I've read too much here that folks have had trouble with CC and Amy's products.

I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad experience.

[FootballFanatic]

I am angry about this too, my mom just bought me a bunch of bars (Called ReBars) and she totally stocked me up with them because they say gluten-free, but in small print they say may contain traces of wheat (among other things) so I was really upset to tell her that she couldn't buy me anymore. Fortunately my non-celiac boyfriend likes them so he's been eating them and that makes her happy. They didn't go completely to waste.

[ravenwoodglass]

This angers me too but not as much as the companies that don't put that on their label.

[Tim-n-VA]

I see this as not an issue with the companies but an issue with the generally lawsuit happy society in the US.

Since there is a gluten contamination risk everywhere, even in your own house, even if you have a completely gluten-free house (unless you never leave and never let anyone visit), I see those statements information to allow me to gauge the risk and decide what I want to do.

[JennyC]

My son is very sensitive, but I buy him food from shared facilities all the time. You must know the manufacturers, and decide if their manufacturing processes are of high quality. For example, 2 cereals both made in shared facilities: Safeway brand cocoa astros and Whole Food's cocoa comets. My son reacts to the Safeway brand, but not the Whole Foods' brand. In the future I will likely stay away from Safeway private label products, but continue to buy from Whole Foods. Buying from shared facilities is always a gamble, but if you're familiar with the company then it can be a small one. Most mainstream foods are likely made in shared facilities, they are just not honest and thorough enough to state it on the box. I'm sure gluten free Kraft and General Mills cereals are made along side the rest of their lines that are not gluten free. Gluten free varieties of icecream are likely made in the same facility as gluten filled cookie dough icecream. The bottom line is that I experiment with manufacturers and products. I also pay close attention to this message board to see what other people react to. Based off of information I learned here when my son was having periodic reactions while eating Frito-Lay products I knew I should remove them from his diet. I've also been way too scared to try Amy's products based off of what I've read here. Yes, there is a risk that comes with eating foods from shared facilities, but I my personal opinion it is worth experimenting with unless you can afford to live in an only specialty gluten free food bubble!

[mandigirl1]

Obviously, theres no such thing as living in a "gluten free bubble", however, that wouldnt be such a bad thing, LOL. And I do not think the companies are "out to get us"---thats silly. My point is that why label something as gluten-free if it really isnt 100% gluten-free?

Its also difficult to really know and trust certain companies even if they reassure you that their products are safe.

This is my frustration that I'm venting about!

[psawyer]

100% gluten free is a dream. No facility can be guaranteed to be 100% gluten free. Varying levels of cleanliness do exist, but even facilities which do not intentionally process wheat on the premises are subject to possible contamination of ingredients from an outside source.

As well, employees and other personnel who enter the premises may not intentionally bring gluten in, but what if they had a sandwich for lunch, and a few crumbs got onto their clothing? Does everyone entering the premises strip, shower, and then put on fresh, sterile clothing before they enter the plant? I doubt it.

Do any of the people who enter your home ever eat gluten? Same question: do they strip, shower and change before entering?

Risk is relative, and you must consider and evaluate what level of risk you are prepared to personally accept, while understanding that the risk is never zero.

[loco-ladi]

They actually do the same thing for other foods that tend to be nasty little food allergies...

I have seen multiple times things like this (not with gluten as yet) but with peanuts... or it may say manufactured in a plant that also uses nuts....

I am sure they do their best (I would hope anyways) to reduce this to a minimum (lord there goes my spelling and she is a teacher, lol) but I actually am glad they know a risk exisits, they cannot control their employees 24/7 as I am sure your school board is not standing behind you making sure you dot all your "i's" and cross all your "T's" every day in class. They give you the pencils and the paper but expect you to do your job as required. They judge how well you do that job by your students grades, while in our little world they most likely perform spots tests and inspections.

But yes it is aggravating to say the least!

[ravenwoodglass]

My point is that why label something as gluten-free if it really isnt 100% gluten-free?

Its also difficult to really know and trust certain companies even if they reassure you that their products are safe.

This is my frustration that I'm venting about!

That is my problem with labeling as it stands now. A lot of people do not realize how little of the food we eat is manufactured in totallity here. Most major companies import the components of their products from various overseas countries. Unless those countries test their components it may be next to impossible for some of them to tell us, unless they test. And the testing that they have developed is IMHO inadaquate, and in the drug industry it is not even required. It is possible to make totally for sure gluten free food, but only if the company has control of the food and all it's components. That is impossible to do for most of the major companies in the US because we don't have the capacity any longer to take a food product from farm to table. Hopefully all the food borne illness, I am talking about things like ecoli and salmonella here, will wake up big business here and the small and local farmers will return and thrive. As it stands now we have turned food into big business, their bottom line is saving dollars and the way they do that is by 'outsourcing' our food components and production. I have been eating gluten free without the big business 'mainstream' products now for over 3 years. I eat locally grown fresh foods and a minumum of specialty products and am not only healthier for it but it helps local growers.

[loco-ladi]

You are correct about the importing issues, look at this past summer with the pet food.... and just recently with the lead based paints on the childrens toys....

the scary thing is they don't stop doing it that way because its cheaper than doing it themselves

I have changed my pet food, they now also eat gluten-free as I dont want to poison then not only with gluten but poison tainted gluten at that! What good did it do in the long run?

I no longer buy toys made outside the US, now that is one very difficult thing I did, most now are local handcrafted toys and games but at least i know I wont be poisoning my neice and nephews and turning their brains into mush!