Wheat Flour In Ice Cream!?!?!

[HAK1031]

I work as a camp lifeguard/counselor, and today as a fourth of july treat we had ice cream sundaes. there were 3 flavors: vanilla, cookies and cream, and napolitan (sp? the kind with three flavors). Obviously the cookies and cream was out, so I went to go check the napolitan ingredients, feeling 85% sure it was safe. Well lo and behold, the ingredients listed WHEAT FLOUR!!! Why on earth is that necessary?? Luckily, the vanilla was safe, so I took a clean spoon and dished some out for myself before it could be contaminated. But I don't generally check ingredients on ice cream when ordering it at restaurants, etc. because I stick to simple flavors. Apparently, that's a bad idea. This was some generic foodservice brand. So let this be a lesson to you- assume a food is unsafe until proven otherwise, no matter how mundane it may seem! The last thing I need is a glutening at camp- nine hour days in the hot sun are tough on a gluten-ravaged body.

[Juliebove]

Wow. We don't eat ice cream because of dairy allergies. But it always surprises me when I find something like that in a food where you wouldn't expect it.

[ShayFL]

Decent restaurants will have Edy's or Hagen Daz. If you stick to vanilla or chocolate that is your best bet.

[EALincoln]

Though not ice cream, this falls under the category of unexpected ingredients.... iHOP puts pancake batter in their scrambled eggs. At least they tell you on the menu (in small print), so you can't assume anything.

[luvs2eat]

Finding wheat flour in ANYTHING doesn't surprise me anymore. Wheat in Twizzlers? Corn tortillas dusted w/ wheat flour in mexican restaurants? Finding wheat flour in sour cream? Doesn't make sense to me... but is the reason I read EVERY SINGLE LABEL... EVERY SINGLE TIME.

[lovegrov]

Finding wheat flour in ANYTHING doesn't surprise me anymore. Wheat in Twizzlers? Corn tortillas dusted w/ wheat flour in mexican restaurants? Finding wheat flour in sour cream? Doesn't make sense to me... but is the reason I read EVERY SINGLE LABEL... EVERY SINGLE TIME.

I agree with reading every label. However. Twizzlers have always had wheat. Same with most licorice. No surprise.

I've never found corn tortillas dusted with flour, although you always need to check about any oil they're fried in.

Sour cream with wheat? What brand?

richard

[TammyK]

Wow! Thanks everyone. I'm so glad to be reading on this site... I would have never thought to check ice cream, eggs, or corn tortillas. So glad others are here to share with us rookies. Know that your time on the forum is a significant help to others! Much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!

[sparkles]

Lots of homemade ice cream has flour in it... so I would not be surprised to see it in the commercially made stuff. Like everything else, it is a must to check the label and not just assume that it is gluten-free.

[swilliams]

Actually Chocolate is the flavor that has wheat.

[luvs2eat]

Sorry, I don't remember what the brand of sour cream it was... and it wasn't wheat exactly. It was modified food starch and I was avoiding it in everything else. My daughter pointed it out to me, which turned out to be a good thing, cause who needs ANYTHING in their sour cream except milk and cream???

We went to our local mexican restaurant a few years ago and they'd been taken over by new owners... so we had the "celiac talk" w/ our waiter and asked him to please ask the cooks/manager if the chips they serve w/ the salsa were corn tortillas and NOT flour. He came back and said, "Would you believe that the corn tortillas we use are dusted w/ wheat flour?"

There was nothing I could eat... and we've not been back there. It's a shame.... the food and service was good.

[spunky]

Breyer's ALL NATURAL ice cream flavors are gluten free, by the way! That's assuming they don't have some cookie one or something I'm not aware of... but the strawberry, vanilla, butter pecan, and chocolate that are Breyer's ALL NATURAL are at least all gluten free.

AND GOOD!

And YES, ya definitely have to read the label of each and every thing you intend to put onto your plate or bowl...no exceptions.

[cmom]

Sorry, I don't remember what the brand of sour cream it was... and it wasn't wheat exactly. It was modified food starch and I was avoiding it in everything else. My daughter pointed it out to me, which turned out to be a good thing, cause who needs ANYTHING in their sour cream except milk and cream???

We went to our local mexican restaurant a few years ago and they'd been taken over by new owners... so we had the "celiac talk" w/ our waiter and asked him to please ask the cooks/manager if the chips they serve w/ the salsa were corn tortillas and NOT flour. He came back and said, "Would you believe that the corn tortillas we use are dusted w/ wheat flour?"

There was nothing I could eat... and we've not been back there. It's a shame.... the food and service was good.

I found out the hard way at a Mexican restaurant that even though the chips are corn, they are fried in a a fryer with all the breaded items....so, watch your back!!!!

[A-Swiss]

Yeah, I saw that sour cream too. It was the one that is usually in those packets. And add this to the WTF file for wheat - peanuts and mixed nuts. What? Planters is fine, but the off brands all say they contain milk and wheat products. I thought for sure that peanuts and salt would be as far as I would need to read on a can of roasted nuts. Jerks!

[Beth41777]

I agree with reading every label. However. Twizzlers have always had wheat. Same with most licorice. No surprise.

I've never found corn tortillas dusted with flour, although you always need to check about any oil they're fried in.

Sour cream with wheat? What brand?

richard

At one Mexican restaurant the issue with the wheat on their corn tortillas is the tortialla "warmer" since they use it to warm both flour and corn. Personally I have given up on eating out. It's just not safe in my mind unless I walk back in the kitchen and make it myself. Too many bad experiences. I have been told that there are mexican restaurants who put flour in their refried beans also.

[Beth41777]

Yeah, I saw that sour cream too. It was the one that is usually in those packets. And add this to the WTF file for wheat - peanuts and mixed nuts. What? Planters is fine, but the off brands all say they contain milk and wheat products. I thought for sure that peanuts and salt would be as far as I would need to read on a can of roasted nuts. Jerks!

Licorice still blows my mind. I am starting to think it's a conspiracy. Not to mention WHY don't more mainstream cereals follow suit after Rice Chex? They had to change ONE INGREDIENT to make them gluten free and they taste the same! This is not difficult people! Beth

[Juliet]

"Actually Chocolate is the flavor that has wheat"

This actually would make sense why in Neapolitan ice cream it might have wheat flour. Chocolate ice cream is notoriously harder to freeze than other flavors, so it's always softer than say vanilla or strawberry when frozen at the exact temperature (unless you go to EXTREME cold temperatures of course). So the wheat flour would help bind it so that it's the same consistency at the same temperature.

Good to keep in mind, so thanks for sharing this info. It's easy after doing this for awhile to assume at times even though we know better.

[SEAliac]

Licorice still blows my mind. I am starting to think it's a conspiracy. Not to mention WHY don't more mainstream cereals follow suit after Rice Chex? They had to change ONE INGREDIENT to make them gluten free and they taste the same! This is not difficult people! Beth

I was so excited yesterday to find the new gluten-free Rice Chex in the store AND on sale! My DH thought I was hilarious ... but he's been extremely supportive since my diagnosis in February and was happy for me to find a "normal" cereal. Now I can alternate Rice Chex with the usual Erewhon rice krispies and Bob's Red Mill hot cereal.

[hawaiimama]

I wish we could get Chex in canada. Cereal is very limited here and that is one thing I miss.

And licorice. I'd kill for a piece of licorice.

[ericajones80]

Licorice still blows my mind. I am starting to think it's a conspiracy. Not to mention WHY don't more mainstream cereals follow suit after Rice Chex? They had to change ONE INGREDIENT to make them gluten free and they taste the same! This is not difficult people! Beth

I know, that kind of fries me too. We should start a petition to make cereals gluten free!

[babysteps]

I was so excited yesterday to find the new gluten-free Rice Chex in the store AND on sale! My DH thought I was hilarious ... but he's been extremely supportive since my diagnosis in February and was happy for me to find a "normal" cereal. Now I can alternate Rice Chex with the usual Erewhon rice krispies and Bob's Red Mill hot cereal.

SEAliac, I think we have the same taste in cereal!!

I agree with other posters - my rule is if there is a label, I read it.

Amazing what you will find. I already had a bias toward short lists of ingredients, now even my spouse will just put something back if the list is long (without even reading what's in the list).

I swear I once reacted to unsalted butter that had "natural flavors" so I avoid those too. And sometimes "spices" (most smaller producers if you call them can tell you the actual spices; more industrial scale food can't or won't confirm if their "spices" are gluten-free or have been processed with wheat or malt or what).

Anyone else have "natural flavors" experience? I'm thinking I may do a challenge one of these days on some products that I would otherwise try but avoid just for that.

[debmidge]

Another source of wheat to watch out for:

tuna/chicken/turkey/egg salads purchased from Deli counters or supermarkets or speedy-marts, or restaurants/diners: many add bread crumbs to stretch it out.

[loco-ladi]

Yup, "natural flavor" and "spices" tick me off, and I refuse to buy the product unless its already confirmed by a call from me or on a updated website... I check my "normal use" items often to keep my listing up to date.

but as a general rule if its a long read on the label it stays on the shelf! I got better things to do with my time.... like play games online, lol