I Thought Aunt Jemima Was Gluten-free.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I won't be buying their products anymore. Here is the e-mail they sent me when I asked about gluten-free and vegan products:

Kristina:

Thanks for asking about vegan and gluten free products. Unfortunately, we don't have any products that are considered gluten-free, nor do we maintain a list of vegan products (since formulas often change).

Here's why we can't recommend any of our products to be gluten-free:

*Our grains come from suppliers that are also suppliers of wheat, rye, and barley

*Due to the way our suppliers might have handled the grain, cross contact may have occurred before it even reached our plants.

Kristina, we're sorry to disappoint you and appreciate your interest in our products. For more information on gluten and gluten intolerance, we invite you to visit www.celiac.org.

Brandon

Quaker Consumer Response

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Well, at least they were honest, accurate, and even knew to point you to a celiac website...

I know a lot of people love Aunt Jemima syrup, but it's so full of disgusting chemicals anyway, not to mention high fructose corn syrup. Real maple syrup is SO much better for you (and I think it tastes better, too). Costco sells it very inexpensively.

[JennyC]

When I called them they told me that the only product they considered gluten free was their syrups. Once the bottle is gone I planned on switching to pure maple syrup, but I think I'll do so now.

That being said, many manufacturers most likely have this issue and we eat their foods all the time.

[psawyer]

Kristina,

The lawyers have taken over.

I won't be buying their products anymore. Here is the e-mail they sent me when I asked about gluten-free and vegan products:

Kristina:

Thanks for asking about vegan and gluten free products. Unfortunately, we don't have any products that are considered gluten-free, nor do we maintain a list of vegan products (since formulas often change).

Here's why we can't recommend any of our products to be gluten-free:

*Our grains come from suppliers that are also suppliers of wheat, rye, and barley

*Due to the way our suppliers might have handled the grain, cross contact may have occurred before it even reached our plants.

Kristina, we're sorry to disappoint you and appreciate your interest in our products. For more information on gluten and gluten intolerance, we invite you to visit www.celiac.org.

Brandon

Quaker Consumer Response

Seriously, more and more companies are refusing to say that any of their products are gluten-free (or vegan, for that matter) because they do not produce every single ingredient themselves, and the legal department will not let them expose themselves to a liability suit based on contamination by a third-party supplier. In today's society, dubious lawsuits occur every day, and wise companies go to lengths to protect themselves. Those of us looking for useful, practical information are the losers when these all-too-common cover-your-ass statements get in the way of the truth.

They won't make a guarantee, and I understand why. They don't keep a list, because formulas change.

I do have concerns about cross-contamination in Quaker's products, since their oats have been tested and shown to have wheat in them. However, I think that their reply to you is driven by legal concerns and I don't blame them for covering their butts.

These are just my thoughts; others may have different ideas.

[celiacgirls]

I called them just recently about Aunt Jemima syrup because this issue came up on our local list serve. They told me the ingredient they are concerned about is the high fructose corn syrup. They can't guarantee that the corn wasn't processed in the same place as a gluten grain. That is too far removed for me to make my daughter give up her favorite syrup at this time. If I have to start hunting down hidden gluten, I will consider it then.

Personally I think high fructose corn syrup should be avoided but I haven't had the heart to put my foot down for my daughter who has already given up gluten, casein, and most soy.

[ravenwoodglass]

I called them just recently about Aunt Jemima syrup because this issue came up on our local list serve. They told me the ingredient they are concerned about is the high fructose corn syrup. They can't guarantee that the corn wasn't processed in the same place as a gluten grain. That is too far removed for me to make my daughter give up her favorite syrup at this time. If I have to start hunting down hidden gluten, I will consider it then.

Personally I think high fructose corn syrup should be avoided but I haven't had the heart to put my foot down for my daughter who has already given up gluten, casein, and most soy.

I would wash out the bottle as soon as it is empty (ooops a spill ) and then fill it from a bottle of pure maple syrup. Bet she won't know the difference.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I would wash out the bottle as soon as it is empty (ooops a spill ) and then fill it from a bottle of pure maple syrup. Bet she won't know the difference.

I was going to suggest this, too! You could even add a bit of the pure maple to it before it's all the way empty (it is a little different-tasting from high-fructose corn syrup).

Think about it--it tastes good because of the artificial maple flavor, which is a fairly close approximation of real maple flavor, close enough to be recognizable, anyway. But we want more and more of it because of the darn high fructose corn syrup, which has been proven to be addictive. That's the whole reason they use it. And if you are very, very observant, you will notice a chemical aftertaste--but it makes you thirsty, so you immediately drink something to wash it down, right?

The way I see it, it's just another poison. Why would you have any concerns about your daughter giving up a poison that is manufactured to look and taste like a real product that is readily available? (The wicked witch from Snow White comes to mind here with her poisoned apple....)

[VioletBlue]

I used to buy their syrup but stopped after I was diagnosed because of the labeling. I seem to remember something called "natural flavorings" or something like that on the label, and I've learned the hard way that secondary ingredients "natural flavors" and "colorings" can be gluten filled, particularly in brown colored liquids. Wheat and barley can be useful apparently in creating brown colorings in food items.

So I buy pure maple syrup. I found the real stuff to be sweeter than the fake stuff, LOL. So who knows, your daughter may like the real stuff even more.

Violet

[celiacgirls]

I think I will try to switch out the syrup without telling her. There is a different taste to real maple syrup. I switched because of concerns over HFCS but did have to get used to it. Now, I can't stand the fake syrup.

I haven't made her switch because in most people's eyes (not here) I am one of those health food nuts. I was never this way until I saw what a difference a little bit of gluten makes. Now I have trouble believing those chemicals they put in food aren't having an effect. I've just been hesitant to impose this on her when most of the world doesn't see it that way. She still eats much better food than most people just by being gluten-free/CF and having to eat at home and have home-made treats all the time. When I did try insisting she eat the real syrup, she just didn't eat pancakes any more. She is a very picky eater, so this just made it more difficult.

We have about 1/2 bottle left of the Aunt Jemima. I'm going to fill it up with real maple syrup and see what happens.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I haven't made her switch because in most people's eyes (not here) I am one of those health food nuts.

Hee hee--when I was little, my mom REFUSED to buy anything but pure maple. Back then, we didn't know anything about HFCS, but she took one look at the list of chemicals on the labels and saw "cancer." in her mind's eye. I thought she was a bit wacko, but, hey, she turned out to be right all along! Imagine that...

She also made us eat stone-ground whole wheat bread for lunch instead of Wonder bread like what everyone else brought to school. And she never served bread or pasta for dinner, and served eggs for breakfast, not toast or cereal. And she knew nothing about gluten.

It wasn't until decades later that I started to eat pasta for dinner, make homemade bread, and make pancakes for breakfast--and only then did I begin to have symptoms. She probably saved me from all kinds of serious and irreparable gluten damage.

I say, long live health food nut moms!!!!!!

[larry mac]

Aunt Jamima makes pancake mixes and other products that contain wheat flour. There's no flour in syrup.

I never cared much for real maple syrup, it's too thin, gets yucky easily, and is expensive, a moot point now that there are far fewer opportunities to even use syrup. I recommend Griffin's Original Syrup, it's the only syrup I've ever found that does NOT contain HFCS. It's made from sugar syrup and corn syrup. I use both real maple syrup and Griffin's. Please note, Griffin's Waffle or Pancake syrup does contain HFCS. Griffin's is in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but it's available in North Texas.

The only problem I have with HFCS is it tastes flat.

best regards, lm

[celiacgirls]

Where in North Texas do you get Griffin's syrup? We are going to Dallas in a few weeks so if my syrup substitution experiment is a failure, I may get some of that. Is it in the regular grocery stores?

[celiacgirls]

I tried making the Aunt Jemima syrup half maple syrup and half Aunt Jemima. My daughter took 2 bites and said it didn't taste like "regular" syrup. I asked her what it tasted like and she said "real maple syrup". When she realized what had happened, she left the table without eating. So much for that experiment.

I think my husband likes Aunt Jemima better, too, so I probably wouldn't be able to get it out of the house anyway.

[larry mac]

Where in North Texas do you get Griffin's syrup? We are going to Dallas in a few weeks so if my syrup substitution experiment is a failure, I may get some of that. Is it in the regular grocery stores?

Our Walmart doesn't carry it, although they stock a lot of other brands I've never heard of. Best I remember, I've eaten it my whole life. Albertsons and Brookshires carry it for sure. I'd be willing to bet Kroger and Tom Thumb do also.

I've made quite an effort to read ingredient labels on syrups, and as far as I know Griffin's ORIGINAL is the only one without HFCS. If anyone knows of another I'd be interested in hearing about it.

best regards, lm

[teitei]

When I called them they told me that the only product they considered gluten free was their syrups. Once the bottle is gone I planned on switching to pure maple syrup, but I think I'll do so now.

That being said, many manufacturers most likely have this issue and we eat their foods all the time.

A bit off topic but...Jenny, I was excited to see in your signature that your son did not have a biopsy done either! We thought we were the only people on earth who didn't get their child a biopsy. Our Conor had two positive results from two different labs and we just can't understand why a biopsy is needed other than for the surgery happy gastroenterologist we had to be able to put an "official" diagnosis on his chart!

Tracey

mom to 6 yr old son with 2 positive blood tests, Down syndrome and possible Autism

[minniejack]

I would wash out the bottle as soon as it is empty (ooops a spill ) and then fill it from a bottle of pure maple syrup. Bet she won't know the difference.

I've tried that with my DS who just turned 14. Didn't work.

We've been using the dark Agave with not as much griping. He doesn't like the like pure Maple Syrup either. I bought Log Cabin the other day that is a little mislabeled saying now it doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup, but when you look at the ingredients, it still says corn syrup. Bad--just not as bad. We only eat pancakes every other Sunday, so I only have to listen to his complaints every 2 wks.