Quaker Oatmeal

[Guest gliX]

I know that eating oats is considered a gray area, but for those who eat oats, is Quaker Oatmeal considered gluten-free? I've heard mixed reports. More specifically, I'm trying to figure out if the Instant Packets (Maple & Brown Sugar, Regular) are safe. Thanks.

[cruelshoes]

Quaker oats is not a safe option. Their products are contaminated with gluten grains. This is from the Open Original Shared Link

Do oats contain gluten?

Because oats are grown, stored, transported in bulk, they may contain trace amounts of wheat, rye and barley. USDA grain standards allow a certain percentage of other grains to be present in the oats. Therefore, gluten may be found in oats, even if very small amounts of these other grains are present.

It is now believed that most celiacs can tolerate some pure, uncomtaminated oats. Oats contain the protein avenin, which is technically different from the gluten in wheat, barley and rye. It is the gliadin in the wheat, the horedin in the barley, and the secalin in the rye that are the real culprits for celiacs. Avenin in oats causes some celiacs problems, but not all. There is a small subset of celiacs that cannot tolerate oats in any form, gluten-free or not.

Mainstream products that contain oats are not safe due to gluten contamination in the growing, storing and processing. At this point there are 4 manufacturers of gluten-free oats, see the links below.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

You should not consider oats until you have been dianosed for a year and have had your followup bloodwork done (according to my GI). Your antibodies should be in the negative range before you even try, and you should definitely discuss it with your doctor first. Many celiacs will not even chance it, and I totally respect their decision.

HTH.

[loco-ladi]

I live in the midwest, for the most part we grow corn (for ethanol and consumption for cattle), wheat, potato, sugar beets and sunflowers (birdfood) in my area. 90% or more of the potato's are bought by a chip company. The sugar beets are sent to the local sugar factory. The remainder is all harvested pretty much by the same machines.

The most common one is a "combine" which cuts and "deheads" the desired product and then spits it out into either a holding trailer or into the waiting truck to be hauled to the storage facility.

Lets say "Farmer Joe" grows corn, wheat and sunflowers on his land...

FJ cant afford a combine himself so he hires "Harvester Bob" from Texas to harvest his products for him.

HB shows up with his equipment and harvests the wheat... he returns a few weeks later and down goes the corn. A couple more weeks and the sunflowers are ready. Pretty simple right. 98% of the time HB uses the same basic machine (combine)... he only has to switch out the cutting head to go from one product to another. Did he clean the basic machine? Was it inspected for stray kernels of wheat, corn or sunflower seeds? Or did he simply drop off one head and throw the next one on?

My personal opinion, if its not gar-un-teed to be 100% gluten-free I will not use the product, is that one bowl of Quaker oats worth the week or more of the suffering when the symptoms return?

I personally have found bobs red mill hot cereal is a very close match for oatmeal, no its not the same but it is gar-un-teed 100% gluten-free which puts it good enough for me. If it ever becomes not enough I will pay the price asked by the organic gar-un-teed places that say they are 100% gluten-free.

[rock on]

that's really interesting....i never thought about harvesting in such a nuts & bolts kind of way. veeerrryy interestin-g.