"manufactured In A Facility That Processes Wheat"

[*lee-lee*]

i've noticed so many products have a CYA statement on their packaging: "manufactured in a facility that processes wheat" or something along those lines. it would appear the product doesn't contain gluten but the opportunity for CC is present.

i'm trying to cut back on spending but find myself buying name brands (like Kraft) because of their reputation of proper labeling. i want to be able to buy the store brand sometimes because it's so much cheaper but i'm afraid of the wheat warning.

do you guys all steer clear of these items or consume with caution?

[kenlove]

I don't take chances as I've been glutened by CC once to often. For some it may depend on the degree of sensitivity but forme its better safe than sorry & sick

ken

  i_love_bread said:

i've noticed so many products have a CYA statement on their packaging: "manufactured in a facility that processes wheat" or something along those lines. it would appear the product doesn't contain gluten but the opportunity for CC is present.

i'm trying to cut back on spending but find myself buying name brands (like Kraft) because of their reputation of proper labeling. i want to be able to buy the store brand sometimes because it's so much cheaper but i'm afraid of the wheat warning.

do you guys all steer clear of these items or consume with caution?

[dilettantesteph]

Don't do it! My son and I have gotten sick so many times from that sort of product.

[gfp]

The problem is its a risk but one we can't quantify.

  Quote

but find myself buying name brands (like Kraft) because of their reputation of proper labeling

Do Kraft actually label as such?

(serious question.... just because they don't make the CYA doesn't mean that they don't do it.)

Really it all depends on what the 'wheat product' is.

Say its something containing Soy Sauce that contains wheat that is manufactured in the same factory as some other meal.

So long as they don't share lines the risk of contamination is quite low, barring accidents the soy sauce isn't about to jump into the air, go down a corridor and jump into another production line.

They might however use the same production line for two ready meals, one with Soy sauce and one after... then it depends how well its cleaned and at what stage the soy sauce was added...

On the other hand wheat flour is almost certainly going to jump in the air and run down the corridor to the next line.

The frustrating part is we don't know which of these it was or any other combination so on the whole I say better safe than sorry..

[ravenwoodglass]

  i_love_bread said:

i've noticed so many products have a CYA statement on their packaging: "manufactured in a facility that processes wheat" or something along those lines. it would appear the product doesn't contain gluten but the opportunity for CC is present.

i'm trying to cut back on spending but find myself buying name brands (like Kraft) because of their reputation of proper labeling. i want to be able to buy the store brand sometimes because it's so much cheaper but i'm afraid of the wheat warning.

do you guys all steer clear of these items or consume with caution?

I don't consume stuff with that warning.

I noticed you are in Upstate NY, you need to check out Wegmans. Even if it is a bit of a drive it will be worth it. They label all their items that are gluten free. They also recognized that gluten grain vinegars are a no for many and do not label items with it gluten free. Thus when you go to the pickle aisle some of them are gluten-free and some of them are not. I have never had an issue with CC with any item they have labeled gluten-free. With them gluten-free means gluten-free and it does make it so much easier.

[*lee-lee*]

  Quote

Do Kraft actually label as such?

it's my understanding that Kraft will clearly label wheat, rye, barley, oats...someone please correct me if i'm mistaken!

  Quote

I noticed you are in Upstate NY, you need to check out Wegmans. Even if it is a bit of a drive it will be worth it. They label all their items that are gluten free. They also recognized that gluten grain vinegars are a no for many and do not label items with it gluten free. Thus when you go to the pickle aisle some of them are gluten-free and some of them are not. I have never had an issue with CC with any item they have labeled gluten-free. With them gluten-free means gluten-free and it does make it so much easier.

oh how i miss Wegmans! i spent my first few gluten free weeks living 5 minutes from a Wegmans and it was heaven. i never once had to question a store-branded item as long as it had that handy "G" on the packaging. Unfortunately for me, i moved to a different part of the state and we don't have Wegmans here. i emailed them asking if they had any plans of expanding their locations and they said no. i read somewhere they like to keep their stores close to their headquarters in Rochester. i wonder how true that is if they have stores in Virginia...

[gfp]

  i_love_bread said:

it's my understanding that Kraft will clearly label wheat, rye, barley, oats...someone please correct me if i'm mistaken!

But its not the same thing.....

"Processed in a facility ....." is not the same as adding an ingredient.

Also, until On March 30, 2007 Kraft was owned by the same company is Phillip Morris. (Indeed Phillip Morris Group was renamed Altria group)

  Quote

# 1985: Philip Morris Companies, a holding company, becomes the publicly-held parent of Philip Morris Incorporated.

# 1987: Philip Morris International, newly incorporated operating company, acquires the international business division of Philip Morris, Inc.

# 1988: Philip Morris Companies Inc. acquires Kraft Foods.

# 2000: Philip Morris Companies Inc. merges Nabisco, a spin-off from RJR Nabisco, into Kraft Foods.

# 2001: Philip Morris International headquarters are relocated from the USA to Lausanne, Switzerland.

# 2002: Philip Morris Companies Inc. sells Miller Brewing Company to South African Breweries, retaining a 36% share.

# 2003: Philip Morris Companies Inc. changes its name to Altria Group, Inc., the parent company of Kraft Foods, Philip Morris USA, Philip Morris International and Philip Morris Capital Corporation.

# 2007: The company announces the spin-off of Kraft Foods, and will concentrate on its tobacco activity [2]

# 2007: The company announces the plan to phase out production and eliminate all jobs at the Concord, North Carolina plant, ultimately shutting the plant down by 2010.[3]

# 2007: Altria announces the planned spin-off of Philip Morris International

# 2008: Altria spins-off Philip Morris International to shareholders.

# 2008: Altria moves its headquarters from New York City to Richmond, Virginia[4].

So essentially the spin off went to the shareholders of Phillip Morris,

These are the same people who hid evidence on tobacco and are proven in court to have perjured themselves.

Seriously... would you trust anything they said?

Spot the lie

"We have no evidence cigarette smoking causes cancer"

"We do not hide gluten in our products"

"The moon is made from pasturised cows cheese but has the lactose removed"

edits:

We can hope that the effect of the majority shares held by Warren Buffett might instill some honesty and integrity into this deeply dishonest and untrustworthy company culture but the managers are still the same ones which were employed and lied for Phillip Morris, changing a company culture does not happen in 1 year or 2.

[Darn210]

  i_love_bread said:

i've noticed so many products have a CYA statement on their packaging: "manufactured in a facility that processes wheat" or something along those lines. it would appear the product doesn't contain gluten but the opportunity for CC is present.

i'm trying to cut back on spending but find myself buying name brands (like Kraft) because of their reputation of proper labeling. i want to be able to buy the store brand sometimes because it's so much cheaper but i'm afraid of the wheat warning.

do you guys all steer clear of these items or consume with caution?

We have used products from shared facilities and shared lines with no problems. We have never had a problem with a Kraft product. I would say that my daughter is not overly sensitive. I will also say that when my daughter does react, it occurs quickly and is over quickly and is not particullarly debilitating (at least at this time). I would take "how you react" into consideration, and if you want to try it, I would only try one product at a time so you would have a better chance of identifying the culprit if you have problems.

[jerseyangel]

I'm ultra sensitive and have several other intolerances.....but I have not had a problem with Kraft products in the 3 years I've been gluten-free. Just my experience.

I won't use products that state they are "made on shared lines with wheat"--as for shared facilites, it's on a case by case basis.

[home-based-mom]

Personally I have not had problems with products prepared in a shared facility. As has been pointed out before, if your entire home is not gluten free, your home is a shared facility.

However I have been zapped a couple of times from products made on shared equipment, so I now avoid those. You just don't know how well the equipment was cleaned between product runs, or if your package was the first batch through after cleaning, or the last.

After all is said and done, it does indeed depend on how sensitive you are and your personal experiences which can only be determined by trial and error.

[blueeyedmanda]

  i_love_bread said:

it's my understanding that Kraft will clearly label wheat, rye, barley, oats...someone please correct me if i'm mistaken!

oh how i miss Wegmans! i spent my first few gluten free weeks living 5 minutes from a Wegmans and it was heaven. i never once had to question a store-branded item as long as it had that handy "G" on the packaging. Unfortunately for me, i moved to a different part of the state and we don't have Wegmans here. i emailed them asking if they had any plans of expanding their locations and they said no. i read somewhere they like to keep their stores close to their headquarters in Rochester. i wonder how true that is if they have stores in Virginia...

They do have some Virginia stores-- go check their website, maybe one is nearby :) I love that store, absolutely the only place I shop now. That "G" has been a lifesaver. I remember the first time I went into their store and saw that they were so celiac friendly, I remember almost crying with tears of joy.

[jerseyangel]

I often read here that if we have gluten in our homes, we are already consuming foods made in a shared facility.

This is true, but with one important difference in my opinion--we know how we keep our gluten separate from other foods and the steps we take to be safe from cross contamination.

In a factory, we don't know exactly what's going on, so it does become a trial and error sort of thing. Sometimes, we get lucky and reach someone by phone who can explain further (for instance different rooms, form of gluen used, etc).

Bottom line, there isn't an easy answer to this.

[gfp]

  jerseyangel said:

I often read here that if we have gluten in our homes, we are already consuming foods made in a shared facility.

This is true, but with one important difference in my opinion--we know how we keep our gluten separate from other foods and the steps we take to be safe from cross contamination.

In a factory, we don't know exactly what's going on, so it does become a trial and error sort of thing. Sometimes, we get lucky and reach someone by phone who can explain further (for instance different rooms, form of gluen used, etc).

Bottom line, there isn't an easy answer to this.

This is really true,

There is a huge difference having a bottle of soy sauce in a cupboard for visitors to put on take away and baking with wheat flour.

Even if you spill the bottle you can use disposable wipes and mop it up and you know you did it.

My earlier question still stands (and I have no Kraft products) does anyone have a product from Kraft actually say's "made in a shared facility"?

Like I said, the two are not the same thing.

Oops: forgot to mention....

This is one area where the try it and see doesn't really help.

the whole shared lines thing means the first product off the new run might be contaminated but by the end of the run the machinery is pretty much gluten-free. Or the previous product might have also been gluten-free and then the next product is too.

This is really all part of the lottery with shared lines and facilities. Just because its OK once or someone has no problems with one product doesn't mean its all OK. The product they use might be a completely different one shared with completely different (and much lower risk) products.