Are The Following Gluten-free?

[006]

I'm trying to get confirmation on the following products:

1. Old El Paso Stand 'n Stuff Corn Taco Shells (contains hydrogenated oils),

2. Isopure Zero Carb protein powders (manufactured in a facility that processes wheat. Anyone use this stuff?)

3. Vitamin World brand vitamins (These guys scare me. They contradicted their own lables over the phone!):

4. Ricotta Cheese (every brand only says "vinegar." Unknown if distilled):

If anyone has some info on the following items, please respond.

[psawyer]

Old El Paso will clearly disclose any gluten source, so if you don't see wheat, rye, oat or barley mentioned by name, you know it isn't in there.

Vinegar, when listed as just that word, is always distilled and therefore safe. The vinegar to avoid is malt vinegar, and it will always be labeled as such.

[Jaimepsalm63]

Hey there,

I'm new to the forum, but not new to Celiac and eating gluten free.

I can tell you that any product by KRAFT is a hazard. They told me to not bother them with trivial issues like listing gluten. I've told all my friends to boycott them and all their affiliates (they have a lot and none of them list gluten clearly).

As for the products you listed:

1. Old El Paso Stand 'n Stuff Corn Taco Shells (contains hydrogenated oils), SAFE

2. Isopure Zero Carb protein powders (manufactured in a facility that processes wheat. Anyone use this stuff?) NOT SAFE anything that has been processed on the same line as wheat means it's not gluten free.

3. Vitamin World brand vitamins (These guys scare me. They contradicted their own lables over the phone!): NOT SAFE go with a vitamin that clearly states gluten free.

4. Ricotta Cheese (every brand only says "vinegar." Unknown if distilled): SAFE if from Wal-mart generic brand

If you have a Wal-Mart near you, look at the generic products. They show when they are gluten free in very clear letters on the label. If you don't have a Wal-Mart you can try Vitamin Cottage or Wild Oats. They are labeling the shelves for gluten-free products.

I wish you luck and have a great day.

[psawyer]

I can tell you that any product by KRAFT is a hazard. They told me to not bother them with trivial issues like listing gluten. I've told all my friends to boycott them and all their affiliates (they have a lot and none of them list gluten clearly).

I must disagree with you on this, and strongly. I don't know who you communicated with, but Kraft have a policy, company-wide and world-wide, that they will always clearly disclose any gluten source in the ingredient list. You don't need to call them, and if you do, they will explain the policy and tell you to read the label on the product. They don't have a list in their call center, because lists don't work. Formulas change, and the package you are looking at may be newer or older than any given list.

Edited to clarify: The word "gluten" will not appear. What will be listed is the source grain: one of the words wheat, rye, barley or oat will be in the list if there is any gluten in the product.

[Jaimepsalm63]

I must disagree with you on this, and strongly. I don't know who you communicated with, but Kraft have a policy, company-wide and world-wide, that they will always clearly disclose any gluten source in the ingredient list. You don't need to call them, and if you do, they will explain the policy and tell you to read the label on the product. They don't have a list in their call center, because lists don't work. Formulas change, and the package you are looking at may be newer or older than any given list.

Edited to clarify: The word "gluten" will not appear. What will be listed is the source grain: one of the words wheat, rye, barley or oat will be in the list if there is any gluten in the product.

Thanks, I know that's their policy. I asked about the label reading and they did state that they will list the grains and such. I then asked them if anything was on the line with any gluten, or wheat, rye, etc. They said they had no clue and couldn't guarantee their products to be gluten free when asked this question. The representative I talked to said that if I wanted that type of specifics then to consult my doctor. I told her my doctor wouldn't know if KRAFT's line had gluten on it. All she said was it was trivial information and not important because I wouldn't be affected by it anyway. I care to differ on that issue. I'm extremely sensitive to the point of having a crumb pass over my plate and I'm sick for three days. I know friends here who are the same. Because of that response, I say they are a hazard. I'm grateful you got a different response from someone a little more compassionate.

[psawyer]

It would be useful to know the exact conversation you had. In your description, you say they "couldn't guarantee their products to be gluten free." Who used the word "guarantee" first?

That word has a definite legal meaning that creates legal liability. I have learned to NEVER use that word in any conversation, as it immediately ends useful discussion and all subsequent questions are responded to defensively. No company's legal department is going to allow their representatives to use that word, and they will be extremely defensive if the customer uses it.

Kraft do label when there is shared equipment, if I recall correctly.

[006]

It would be useful to know the exact conversation you had. In your description, you say they "couldn't guarantee their products to be gluten free." Who used the word "guarantee" first?

That word has a definite legal meaning that creates legal liability. I have learned to NEVER use that word in any conversation, as it immediately ends useful discussion and all subsequent questions are responded to defensively. No company's legal department is going to allow their representatives to use that word, and they will be extremely defensive if the customer uses it.

Kraft do label when there is shared equipment, if I recall correctly.

I elected to give Kraft a chance becasuse they will state, in writing, that if their products contain a gluten source (wheat, rye, etc.), it will be clearly labeled on the product. Now, if they got with their attorneys and found that it's safe for them to work around stating "GLUTEN-FREE" and not be accountable if gluten is found in their products, that would be pretty lousy of them. Therefore, I look for feedback from all of you as to any reactions with Kraft products. If I see that most all of you are doing OK, I'll sleep at night with their products in my kitchen. If the product doesn't clearly state "GLUTEN-FREE," I look to corroborate their claim if expressed more carefully.

Becasue of this, I am really struggling on finding ricotta cheese! (I'd really like to hear from a very sensitive member who has a brand of Ricotta that they can gobble down all day with no reaction. Please respond!!!)

JAIME: I saw your Wal-Mart Ricotta answer. I was just in one today and looked at their brand. I did not see "GLUTEN-FREE" on the package. I saw that they just list "vinegar" as others do. Are you a very sensitive Celiac? Do you tend to get reactions from items with Gluten?

Generally, my feeling is that things are either gluten free or they are not. I don't really want responses from companies that are tailored to sound good or appear to address my concern. That just doesn't do it for me and that's why the package will say gluten free or I won't buy it. From there, the company will tell me, with certainty, that it's gluten free, or I go to the next brand. If Wal-Mart, Wegmans and others have the guts to place GLUTEN-FREE in bold letters on their products, I expect others to know, with confidence, what's in theirs. Yes, it can be a pain, but that's the extent I will go through to ensure I am doing everything in my power to ELIMINATE gluten from my life.

There are plenty of companies that will state, without even knowing, that something is gluten free. Check out my post about Vitamin World. I have resolved to get rid of their products from my home and start over. I don't have time to risk my health and jerk around. They still haven't contacted me with their promised confirmation. Hello Vitamin Shoppe?

[psawyer]

The thing is, in the US at least, "gluten free" has no legally defined definition. The FDA is required by FALCPA to develop one, but it isn't there yet. That definition, when it comes, will have a compliance test level which will not be zero, no matter how much we wish it could be.

"Guarantee" does have an understood legal meaning. It means that you are liable if the "guarantee" can be shown to have been false or to have been breached. Any company which purchases raw ingredients from a third party will not guarantee purity, because to do so will expose them to legal liability for the error of the third party.

I use a lot of Kraft products. I trust them to disclose ingredients which contain gluten, and to disclose shared equipment. I have not had a problem with Kraft products in the eight years that I have been on the gluten-free diet. You must decide for yourself whether to use mainstream food products, but if you look for guarantees, your choices will be extremely limited, if there are any at all.

That's my view; yours may vary.

[006]

Peter,

When was your last EDG? Are you going by reactions alone?

My goal, in this topic, is to learn what I can on my above noted products. Talking anything legal is like a virus in itself.

I'll only say that guarantee or not, if their labels don't disclose gluten containing ingredients and you use them for years, end up refractory or God forbid, with cancer, I'd say there's an attorney out there who is willing to say the maker is accountable, particularly if you contacted them via email and they responded that all gluten containing ingredients are clearly stated on the labels. 10 cases of the exact same nature can result in 10 different ways.

The bottom line is due dilligence on our part and as I have stated earlier, corroboration via personal experiences with products parallelled with consulting others as to their experiences.

[psawyer]

006, to answer your first question it was one year ago and showed no indications whatsoever of autoimmune celiac. I do react to small amounts, so that, coupled with no reactions, says that I am successfully staying gluten free.

There are a number of companies/brands that have a policy that they will always disclose any gluten in any ingredient in a product. Along with many others here, I prefer to deal with such suppliers. Many of these also have a policy to disclose anything made with shared equipment. That is a whole other topic, so I won`t pursue it here.

You are fairly new to this. There is a learning process to understand what is and is not safe, and each of us reaches our own decision.

Open Original Shared Link Kraft and Old El Paso are on that list.

Here is my own list, which may not be as complete:

Arrowhead Mills, Aunt Nelly's, Balance, Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Bertoli, Betty Crocker, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Campbells, Cascadian Farms, Celestial Seasonings, ConAgra, Country Crock, Edy's, General Mills, Good Humor, Green Giant, Haagen Daz, Hellman's, Hormel, Hungry Jack, Jiffy, Knorr, Kozy Shack, Kraft, Lawry's, Libby's, Lipton, Martha White, Maxwell House, McCormick, Nabisco, Nestle, Old El Paso, Ortega, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Post, Progresso, Ragu, Russell Stover, Seneca Foods, Skippy, Smucker, Stokely's, Sunny Delight, T Marzetti, Tyson, Unilever, Wishbone, Yoplait, Zatarain's.

Hershey used to be on my list, but they have started giving evasive answers, so I have taken them off, although they may still be reliable.

The list covers a lot of brands that you can find at "normal" prices at your local grocery store, without having to pay through the nose for specialty brands.

NOT EVERY PRODUCT by these brands is gluten-free, by any means. You must read the label carefully. But it you do, and none of the words wheat, rye, barley or oat appear, then I consider it safe.

There are a lot of old urban myths about celiac that still circulate. As is often the case, they have their roots in something that was once thought to be true, but isn't.

The story that celiacs can not have vinegar is one of those. In the US, the single word "vinegar" means distilled apple cider vinegar. Apple cider is gluten-free to begin with, and distillation would remove any gluten present from cross-contamination, but you still hear from time to time that celiacs can't have vinegar. Malt vinegar is another matter--it is not gluten-free.

I hope this has helped. Ask questions here, there are many of us who have been at this for years and can help with answers. I would suggest a new topic for a new question; this one has deviated a long way from the original question about four specific items.

[Jaimepsalm63]

Sorry I've missed the discussion, I've been really sick and have lost 8 pounds in 7 days (not from the Celiac, but complicating issues of the gastroparesis).

I guess I should state first that I view KRAFT as ALL of their underlying products/companies. They have a lot of companies that they have bought and get profits from. The person who contacted me was an HR person. The answers I received over and over again were evasive and some rude. I think they were getting defensive and starting to get annoyed with me constantly contacting them with different questions. (I would find more questions based on the answer.)

As for the Ricotta, I haven't gotten any in a while I'll have to see what I have on my list. I don't have it handy at the moment. I know I used to buy Wal-Mart's generic brand for a couple of those types of things. I'll double check.

I'm EXTREMELY sensitive to gluten to the point of a crumb being passed over my plate and in 15 minutes I'm running for the loo sick as a dog! My husband knows not to even give me a kiss after he's had a bite of gluten. I'm super sensitive and have enough problems that I don't need complications.

Did I answer all the questions?

I'm thrilled that others have had good experiences dealing with KRAFT and their representatives. I wish I could've only gotten such a good response.

I will say that unless it clearly says GLUTEN-FREE I just don't mess with it anymore. I know labels have sources listed, but I think it's a lot easier to see the 2 simple words listed at the bottom and not have to stand in the store for hours trying to decipher what certain things mean. The doctors gave me a "time-line" of how long I have supposedly (I could be hit by a truck tomorrow to speed up that time line), but I don't want to waste whatever time I truly do have searching through labels that I think should be plainly marked. I mean 2 words, is that so hard?

Sorry for the slight rant, being able to only do liquids at this point and getting maybe 400 calories a day has made me short fused.

So, off my rant and onto living...

[DaveDaveDave]

I just got off the phone with a representative from General Mills.  I was told that General Mills hard corn taco shells are tested and under the 20 ppm standard to label an item gluten free in the USA.  Yes there is gluten, but it is a very low amount.  Unfortunately, that is probably to much for me. 

[cyclinglady]

18 hours ago, DaveDaveDave said:

I just got off the phone with a representative from General Mills.  I was told that General Mills hard corn taco shells are tested and under the 20 ppm standard to label an item gluten free in the USA.  Yes there is gluten, but it is a very low amount.  Unfortunately, that is probably to much for me. 

You might have a corn intolerance or reacting to something else like gums or preservatives.   Just something to consider.  

[Panama]

 

Sorry I've missed the discussion, I've been really sick and have lost 8 pounds in 7 days (not from the Celiac, but complicating issues of the gastroparesis).

 

I guess I should state first that I view KRAFT as ALL of their underlying products/companies. They have a lot of companies that they have bought and get profits from. The person who contacted me was an HR person. The answers I received over and over again were evasive and some rude. I think they were getting defensive and starting to get annoyed with me constantly contacting them with different questions. (I would find more questions based on the answer.)

 

As for the Ricotta, I haven't gotten any in a while I'll have to see what I have on my list. I don't have it handy at the moment. I know I used to buy Wal-Mart's generic brand for a couple of those types of things. I'll double check.

 

I'm EXTREMELY sensitive to gluten to the point of a crumb being passed over my plate and in 15 minutes I'm running for the loo sick as a dog! My husband knows not to even give me a kiss after he's had a bite of gluten. I'm super sensitive and have enough problems that I don't need complications.

 

Did I answer all the questions?

 

I'm thrilled that others have had good experiences dealing with KRAFT and their representatives. I wish I could've only gotten such a good response.

 

I will say that unless it clearly says GLUTEN-FREE I just don't mess with it anymore. I know labels have sources listed, but I think it's a lot easier to see the 2 simple words listed at the bottom and not have to stand in the store for hours trying to decipher what certain things mean. The doctors gave me a "time-line" of how long I have supposedly (I could be hit by a truck tomorrow to speed up that time line), but I don't want to waste whatever time I truly do have searching through labels that I think should be plainly marked. I mean 2 words, is that so hard?

 

Sorry for the slight rant, being able to only do liquids at this point and getting maybe 400 calories a day has made me short fused.

 

So, off my rant and onto living...

I realize that this is an old thread but I would just like to say something about label reading. Just because a product says gluten free on the label doesn't mean that you don't have to read any further and can have complete trust in the product.  There are a lot of products that state that they are gluten free on the package and then you find out that they are processed in plants that also produce wheat products. If you are super sensitive, you need to know that information. I am afraid that there is no escaping reading labels in supermarkets unless you know that the company makes it's products in a truly gluten free environment (even then you should read labels because ingredients can and do change, even in products made in gluten free facilities), It's a pain to stand there and read labels but if you are super sensitive, you might just have to do that.

For example, I am gluten and lactose intolerant but also sensitive to nuts and sesame. While it may be fine for other gluten intolerant people to eat something that's labeled gluten free which is produced in a gluten free facility that also processes nuts, for me it is not..