How Do You Know?

[jknnej]

Hi all,

I have some questions for you...sorry for the ignorance but I am very new at this.

I was reading posts here about Snickers, Hersheys, etc and I am just wondering how you guys know if it's gluten-free or not.

I was reading a book that says that anything with corn syrup or natural or artifical flavoring added should be avoided unless you've contaced the manufacturer.

Does this mean people here have already called and asked?

I've read here that certain food makers post allergies on the label, but on those products it does not say "gluten free." How do you know if their corn syrup or starch has vanilla in it that is not gluten-free?

I'm so confused...also, does anyone know of gluten-free ice cream? All the labels at the store say they contain vanilla and I was told to avoid that unless I know FOR SURE that they're vanilla does not contain gluten. Help!

also, does maple syrup (100%) contain gluten?

Thanks, Jennifer

[flagbabyds]

First of all, yes most of us have called the company. and also there are a lot of gluten-free candy lists floating around, and a lot of companies have gluten-free lists on their websites

[MySuicidalTurtle]

It is ALWAYS a good idea to contact the company. Most have a number right on the back. When I am at the store and find a new product I take out my phone and ring them even if I am pretty sure it's glutenfree. You can offical product websites and e-mail them if you want to research things before you purchase them. Good luck!

[jdlehman]

I have an easy solution for the ice cream problem. I grew up making homemade ice cream which is delicous. All I had to change when I found out I was a Celiac was to get gluten-free vanilla. (I will post the recipe when I get home.) You can buy an electric ice cream maker for under $40 at Meijer or Walmart that will last for years if you take care of it.

[darlindeb25]

geesh--i must be hiding under a rock or something i didnt know we couldnt have vanilla--artificial vanilla i could maybe understand, but real vanilla is made from vanilla beans--so--- someone tell me what i have been missing--please deb

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I think it's just making sure you have pure vanilla.

[jdlehman]

Here is the recipe for homemade ice cream that I promised.

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon of salt (I have never used salt in it)

2 Tablespoons of Vanilla

3 cups of sugar

1 quart of half and half

1 quart of milk

Mix completely, you will see some specks from the eggs, but don't worry about that. Put this in the ice cream maker and you're ready to go. When you are freezing the ice cream use lots of salt on the ice and keep the ice covering the ice cream container. After the machine stops unplug it and then recover with ice and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Josh

[celiac3270]

Certain companies, such as Kraft, promise to list gluten on the label. If it's in natural flavors, it will have wheat or whatever in parentheses.

Other than that, it's either that everything on the label is fine and not questionable (aka: no artificial flavors/colors, no natural flavors, no modified food starches, etc.) or that, most likely, we've called companies or e-mailed and received lists, etc.

[KaitiUSA]

Since I have been diagnosed I have called all the companies of everything I get and I ask for a gluten-free list from them and I have a journal book I paste them into that I bring along so I know what I can eat.

Some brands will not hide gluten in their products. With labels that have ingredients such as modified food starch and flavoring you have to call the company..when you know what brands won't hide anything in the flavoring it makes it a bit easier.

Nabisco, kraft, betty crocker, general mills are a few that will not hide anything. Also the STAX chips from Lays have marked on the side that it is free of gluten.

As for ice cream...TCBY yogurt and ice cream have many flavors that are gluten-free. I live in MD so I am not sure if that is nation wide. Dairy Queen soft serve vanilla and chocolate are safe as well as their M&M Blizzards w/o chocolate sauce.

Also there is a place you can order donuts and bread that taste very good. Kinnikinnick foods in canada ship the product overnight then you can freeze them and they are so good. Also I went to a celiac conference and they had Chebe bread. I bought 8 packs of garlic mix for breadsticks and they are delicious. Chebe also offers cinnamon, cheddar, and original flavored.

If anybody needs any info on some of these companies i would be glad to help in anyway I can:)

[lovegrov]

Avoid corn syrup??? Corn syrup is ALWAYS gluten-free. Period. 100 percent maple syrup?? ALWAYS gluten-free. Period. Artificial and natural flavors? Yes, there's a small chance of gluten so check, especially with natural flavors (I've actually never found an artificial flavor with gluten). And never found a vanilla with gluten, either.

richard

[darlindeb25]

i agree about vanilla--i use real vanilla, but have used artificial and never thought about it--i asked my sister yesterday about vanilla--she never heard any reason we couldnt use it either--i think it's the caramel coloring that is confusing people--we were told at one time to be very careful of caramel coloring, but i think that opinion has changed---my sis is celiac and a dietician--i do trust her when she tells me something is safe--use vanilla------and true about corn syrup--that has always been on my gluten free lists but does anyone know this-----if i cant use corn flour or corn meal, does that mean i need to stay away from corn syrup--i am wondering if my problem is with the protein in corn and it may be gone once it has been heated to the syrup stage--always trying to figure these things out--will we ever be sure deb

[Boojca]

Vanilla....it's bc of the alcohol they use to make the vanilla. Sometimes, although I haven't found one yet, they use a gluten-based alcohol. But McCormick's is gluten-free, and that's an easy one to find.

Ice Cream....Ben&Jerry's will list all ingredients, Breyers as well. Honestly, I've done a lot of ice cream searching and I have not found one yet that is not gluten-free that isn't obvious (ie cookies & cream,etc....) so, feast away!!

Candy...there are a TON of gluten-free out there. No Milky Ways, but Milky Way Midnight is ok, Snickers in the USA is ok (not in Canada, from what I understand from other boards I'm on...)

The product lists in the Celiac group at www.delphiforums.com is GREAT. I belong to that board as well, and the list is created entirely by the board members who are required to not only submit the product information but the date they confirmed it, how they confirmed it, and other pertinent information. I have not yet been burned by that board.

Bridget