Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Simply Organic Vanilla Extract- Gluten Free Or Not?

littlelymie19

Recommended Posts

littlelymie19 Rookie
littlelymie19
Posted

Hi Everyone!

I've been lurking for a while, but decided to finally post today because I'm feeling a little uneasy about something I just ate, and I knew some of you would be able to clear up my concern.

I usually eat the same exact thing everyday, because I'm so sensitive and so limited (countless number of food sensitivities). Today though, I decided to live a little and add a bit of vanilla extract to my Bob Redmilll Brown Rice Farina.

I'm nervous about the brand I used though, because it doesn't say "Gluten Free" on the label. I used Simply Organic's Vanilla Extract. Does anyone know if that's gluten free?

Thank you!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kenlove Rising Star
kenlove
Posted

It might depend on what type of alcohol is used in the extract. Usually its distilled so it should not be a problem but

there is the potential for contamination. It's probably a good idea to check with the company to be sure.

Please let us know what you find out

ken

Hi Everyone!

I've been lurking for a while, but decided to finally post today because I'm feeling a little uneasy about something I just ate, and I knew some of you would be able to clear up my concern.

I usually eat the same exact thing everyday, because I'm so sensitive and so limited (countless number of food sensitivities). Today though, I decided to live a little and add a bit of vanilla extract to my Bob Redmilll Brown Rice Farina.

I'm nervous about the brand I used though, because it doesn't say "Gluten Free" on the label. I used Simply Organic's Vanilla Extract. Does anyone know if that's gluten free?

Thank you!

oceangirl Collaborator
oceangirl
Posted

Well, I ditched all my simply organic herbs because it seemed they couldn't guarantee things were gluten-free. But, hopefully, they are.

Please let us know how you feel and I hope you feel well.

lisa

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

I could not find an allergen statement on their website. I think that it would be doubtful that it contained gluten, but as Ken stated, it's always good to call the company.

Wheat by law must be listed on the ingredient listing or listed in an allergen statement on the bottle. It is unlikely that barley, malt or rye would be an ingredient.

I use McCormicks.

oceangirl Collaborator
oceangirl
Posted

Yes,

I, too, use McCormick's! No problems.

lisa

littlelymie19 Rookie
littlelymie19
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the replies everyone.

So, the verdict is....

not safe.

For me at least, Simply Organic Vanilla Extract caused a reaction. My digestive system is NOT right today :(

So next time, McCormick's it is!

CaraLouise Explorer
CaraLouise
Posted

Here is the company response from Simply Organic:

Thank you for your inquiry. Frontier is not an allergen free facility, thus

we do not state that any of our products are allergen free. We follow

strict GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) to minimize the potential for

cross-contamination, but do not test for the presence of allergens in our

final products.

Gluten is present in our facility, so we are not able to state positively

that our products are gluten-free. We do have full ingredient disclosure on

our products.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Have a

great day!

Mary L. Bunting

Customer Care

Frontier Natural Products COOP

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Nope, I wouldn't buy it either and won't in the future, to include all of there products. Pitty <_<

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Me either.....

I'll stick with McCormick-it ain't broke, so I won't fix it :D

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

Just a thought here. I asked McCormick what the source of the alcohol in their vanilla extract is, and they said it was synthetic, and refused to specify further.

For anyone who can't have potato, I suppose vodka could be a problem, and that's what's usually suggested for making vanilla extract at home. I don't know if any companies use vodka.

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

I also use McCormick--never had a problem.

oceangirl Collaborator
oceangirl
Posted

I used to make my own vanilla at home until I discovered the beans I was getting at the health food store were cured in bourbon. (gluten?) So... I'm also curious about the beans themselves.....

lisa

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
Just a thought here. I asked McCormick what the source of the alcohol in their vanilla extract is, and they said it was synthetic, and refused to specify further.

For anyone who can't have potato, I suppose vodka could be a problem, and that's what's usually suggested for making vanilla extract at home. I don't know if any companies use vodka.

Rice Guy, wouldn't synthetic be non-organic?

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted
Rice Guy, wouldn't synthetic be non-organic?

That's what I thought.

kenlove Rising Star
kenlove
Posted

A lot of the beans are not cured artificially although I guess it depends on where they come from.

When I harvest mine, I just let them dry out naturally, about a month or so.

Slice them the long way and stick 3 or 4 in a bottle of vodka or shochu ( distilled white liquor from Japan).

Takes about a year for the full effect but the results are worth the wait. It's amazing how fast you can go through a fifth of extract when you dont have to spend a lot on small bottles.

Ken

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted
I used to make my own vanilla at home until I discovered the beans I was getting at the health food store were cured in bourbon. (gluten?) So... I'm also curious about the beans themselves.....

lisa

Bourbon Madagascar vanilla beans are supposedly the most popular variety. The word "Bourbon" in this case is referring to the place of origin, not the method of any processing. They're just dried, not cured in alcohol AFAIK.

Rice Guy, wouldn't synthetic be non-organic?

Right. That's part of my point. The alcohol might be made from something like potato. So even if it's not from a gluten-containing grain, it could still be a no-no.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Question? Is all consumable alcohol distilled? (aside from wines and beers) Wouldn't a potato source for the alcohol be considered organic?

If all consumable alcohol is distilled, and the distillation process is said to remove the offending protein, then all consumable alcohol is considered a safe level for Celiacs, regardless of the source. (other than the super sensitive)

So, I would assume that a synthetic alcohol (as in McCormicks) is a non-organic source, and equally safe for Celiacs to consume. They also list all forms of gluten on the ingredient listing. No gluten is listed.

Rice Guy, are saying that potato sourced alcohol is not safe, regardless of the distillation, to those with potato issues? I honestly don't know? :):unsure:

littlelymie19 Rookie
littlelymie19
Posted
  • Author

I just thought I'd chime in and update everyone again, since you guys are keeping the thread going (thank you for that!).

I've tried a couple other vanilla flavored things over the past couple of days. I tried Westsoy unsweetened vanilla soy milk, different vanilla extract, etc. and I reacted to all things flavored vanilla.

I'm thinking the it may have to do with the form of processing and the origin of the other components of the vanilla, like you all are talking about.

No vanilla for me then, I suppose! I can't do chocolate, sugar, or anything that really has a yummy flavor for that matter (of course I'm exaggerating, but really I am quite limited)....so I suppose I'll just stick to my pink himalayan salt!

Thanks everyone, I'll keep checking this thread :)

Goose Newbie
Goose
Posted

yes, not organic (by organic I mean plant-derived) ... probably just industrial grade ethanol. FYI, ethanol is actually a bi-product at some point in fossil fuel processing, if my memory from class is correct.

Goose Newbie
Goose
Posted

And Momma Goose, you should be a chemist ;)

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted
Rice Guy, are saying that potato sourced alcohol is not safe, regardless of the distillation, to those with potato issues? I honestly don't know? :):unsure:

I think it probably depends on a person's sensitivity. I haven't seen any definitive data on potato derived alcohol, and what trace components there may be.

For those sensitive to alcohol in general, consider trying ground or powdered vanilla, or a non-alcohol one such as the ones made by Spicery Shoppe.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
And Momma Goose, you should be a chemist ;)

Hi baby girl. Nice of you to visit and add your expertise ;):D

JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

I use Rodelle pure vanilla extract. It is pricey ($12/bottle) but it is delicious and it SAYS GLUTEN FREE right on the bottle. Also I was watching Good Eats on the Food Network and I guess many of the artificial vanilla extracts can actually be derived from wood products! :huh:

Any distilled alcohol should be safe. It's nearly impossible for gluten (a protein) to distill with alcohol. Distillation separates compounds based on their boiling point, and alcohol and a MUCH lower boiling point than protein.

Also, I think the FDA organic has more to do with pesticide use and processing methods. I'm not really sure if it means natural products.

  • 3 years later...
coffeygrande Newbie
coffeygrande
Posted

For what it's worth, Simply Organic is offering many gluten-free products now. Open Original Shared Link

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      13

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Welcome to the forum @Known1, What reaction were you expecting? Pipingrock.com High Potency Vitamin D3, 2000 IU, 250 Quick Release Softgels $6.89 I've have been taking the 10,000 IU for close to 10 years. When I started with vitamin D I worked my way up to 10000 over several weeks. Even at 8000 I felt no noticeable difference. Then after...
    2. xxnonamexx
      - xxnonamexx replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      50

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      I don't know if I am getting sufficient Omega Threes. I read about phosphotidyl choline may cause heart issues. I will have o do further research on heathy Omega 3 supplements or from foods. Is there a blood test that can tell you everything level in your system such as Thiamine, Benfotiamine levels etc? Thanks
    3. Scott Adams
      0

      Gluten-Free Cantonese Steamed Fish with Ginger, Scallions, and Sizzling Oil

    4. catnapt
      - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      8

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      If lectins were my problem, I would react to wheat germ (the highest source of wheat lectins) and beans. I don't. I only react to bread and pasta, which are the highest sources of gluten. Therefore, my issue is wheat-specific (Gluten/ATIs), not a general lectin issue. I have eaten a supposedly high lectin diet (I say supposedly because lectin...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      8

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      @catnapt, Wheat germ contains high amounts of lectins which are really hard to digest and can be irritating to the digestive tract. They can stimulate IgG antibody production as your blood test shows. Even beans have lectins. You've simply eaten too many lectins and irritated your digestive tract. You may want to allow your digestive tract...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,368
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Klairep
    Newest Member
    Klairep
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • xxnonamexx
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By xxnonamexx · Posted

      I don't know if I am getting sufficient Omega Threes. I read about  phosphotidyl choline may cause heart issues. I will have o do further research on heathy Omega 3 supplements or from foods. Is there a blood test that can tell you everything level in your system such as Thiamine, Benfotiamine levels etc? Thanks
    • catnapt
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By catnapt · Posted

      If lectins were my problem, I would react to wheat germ (the highest source of wheat lectins) and beans. I don't. I only react to bread and pasta, which are the highest sources of gluten. Therefore, my issue is wheat-specific (Gluten/ATIs), not a general lectin issue.   I have eaten a supposedly high lectin diet (I say supposedly because lectin content in these foods is greatly reduced by proper cooking and I eat very few of those foods raw, and even then, rarely!!) for years. My health has improved greatly on my whole foods plant forward diet. I have asked all my drs and a registered dietician about my diet, asked if eating such a high amnt of fiber might interfere with the digestion of any other nutrients and the answer has always been NO.     while doing the gluten challenge I did not eat ANY wheat germ (since it doesn't have hardly any gluten, and I was too sick from the bread and pasta to want to eat much anyway) I will NOT put that poison in my body again. That was a horrific experience and if this is what most celiac patients have to deal with, I am very sorry for them I don't care if I have celiac or NCGS I won't intentionally cause myself that much pain and suffering it's not worth it.  
    • knitty kitty
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @catnapt,  Wheat germ contains high amounts of lectins which are really hard to digest and can be irritating to the digestive tract.  They can stimulate IgG antibody production as your blood test shows.   Even beans have lectins.  You've simply eaten too many lectins and irritated your digestive tract.   You may want to allow your digestive tract to rest for a week, then start on gluten in "normal" food, not in concentrated vital wheat gluten. This explains it well: Lectins, agglutinins, and their roles in autoimmune reactivities https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25599185/
    • knitty kitty
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      I take Now B-1 (100 mg) Thiamine Hydrochloride, and Amazing Formulas L-Tryptophan (1000 mg).   Both are gluten free and free of other allergens.  I've taken them for a long time and haven't had a problem with them. I take Vitamin A from BioTech called "A-25".  It's gluten and allergen free and made in the USA.  It's a powder form of Vitamin A.  I was having trouble digesting fats at one point, but found I tolerated the powder form much better and have stuck with it since.   Tryptophan and Vitamin A help heal the intestines as well as improves skin health.  I get Dermatitis Herpetiformis and eczema flairs when my stomach is upset.  So I'm healing the outside as well as the inside.   I take one 1000 mg Tryptophan before bedtime.   With the Thiamine HCl, take 100 mg to start.  If you don't notice anything, three hours later take another. You can keep increasing your dose in this manner until you do notice improvement.  Remember not to take it in the evening so it won't keep you too energized to sleep. When I first started Thiamine HCl, taking 500 mg to 1000 mg to start was recommended.  If you've been thiamine insufficient for a while, you do notice a big difference.  It's like the start of a NASCAR race: Zoom, Zoom, turn it up!   This scared or made some people uncomfortable, but it's just your body beginning to function properly, like putting new spark plugs in your engine.  I took 1000 mg all at once without food.  It kicked in beautifully, but I got a tummy ache, so take with food.  I added in Thiamine TTFD and Benfotiamine weeks later and felt like I was Formula One racing.  So cool.  You may feel worse for a couple days as your body adjusts to having sufficient thiamine.  Feels sort of like you haven't cranked your engine for a while and it backfires and sputters, but it will settle down and start purring soon enough.  Adjust your dose to what feels right for you, increasing your dose as long as you feel improvement.  You can reach a plateau, so stay there for several days, then try bumping it up again.  If no more improvements happen, you can stay at the plateau amount and experiment with increasing your Thiamine TTFD.  It's like being your own lab rat.  LoL Yes, take one Benfotiamine at breakfast and one at lunch.  Take the B Complex at breakfast. Take the TTFD at breakfast and lunch as well.  I like to take the vitamins at the beginning of meals and the NeuroMag at the end of meals.   You may want to add in some zinc.  I take Thorne Zinc 30 mg at breakfast at the beginning of the meal.   Are you getting sufficient Omega Threes?  Our brains are made up mostly of fat.  Flaxseed oil supplements, sunflower seed oil supplements (or eat the seeds themselves) can improve that.  Cooking with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil is also helpful.   @Wheatwacked likes phosphotidyl choline supplements for his Omega Threes.  He's also had dramatic health improvement by supplementing thiamine.  You're doing great!  Thank you for sharing your journey with us.  This path will smooth out.  Keep going!  
    • catnapt
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By catnapt · Posted

      good luck! vital wheat gluten made me violently ill. I will touch the stuff ever again.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.