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

Is Smithfield Ham gluten-free? I'm Confused...

ang1e0251

Recommended Posts

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

I had a reaction to Smithfield ham that I ate over 3-4 days. My friend, by coincidence, also ate ham during that time and reacted. I don't know what brand she ate. The dextrose was the only thing I wondered about but it s/b OK in the US, right?

"Cured with: water, corn syrup, dextrose, salt, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite."

Anyone have any ideas? I e-mailed Smithfield but no reply yet.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
I had a reaction to Smithfield ham that I ate over 3-4 days. My friend, by coincidence, also ate ham during that time and reacted. I don't know what brand she ate. The dextrose was the only thing I wondered about but it s/b OK in the US, right?

"Cured with: water, corn syrup, dextrose, salt, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite."

Anyone have any ideas? I e-mailed Smithfield but no reply yet.

I have gotten a very extensive listing of their gluten free products. I can't remember if I got it on line or through e-mail. You can also call them. I was quite impressed. Even the spiral sliced honey baked ham with glaze is NOW gluten free.

I see no gluten in the ingredients that you listed. And, you are correct about the dextrose, otherise, it would be listed at "dextrose (wheat)"

What were the circumstances that you and your friend ate the ham....home, restaurant, social gathering? CC could be a possibility.

Smithfield is a good company.

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted
  • Author

We both, unbeknownst to each other, had ham in our homes. My mom bought the ham shared & I had it for breakfast several mornings. I experienced what I call a "slow burn reaction". It takes 3-4 continuous use days for me to fianlly have a reaction, seems like it adds up over the days. My friend also ate in her home from ham she personally bought & ate over several days. We both were together on "reaction day" & compared notes. She's been at this for about 15 years. I'm a one year rookie. I couldn't think what mine was but when she mentioned she thought hers was the ham she had eaten, I said, " I had ham, too!" I didn't have any more after that day & the problems cleared up. So that is all I could think it could be. I didn't eat out and everything else was my normal.

In the spring I had another "slow burn" that I traced to the syrups in my coffee bar. It was the caramel coloring. I know, I shouldn't be sensitive to that but that is what it was. The company was to send me the breakdown but never did. I tolerate any of the syrups that do not contain caramel coloring.

Should I be avoiding Dextrose?

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Dextrose is fine, unless it states it comes from wheat.

Wheat dextrose, or dextrose (wheat).

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Just because something does not have gluten in it, doesn't mean that some of us don't react to some things. No rule book here B) Everyone is different.

debmidge Rising Star
debmidge
Posted
We both, unbeknownst to each other, had ham in our homes. My mom bought the ham shared & I had it for breakfast several mornings. I experienced what I call a "slow burn reaction". It takes 3-4 continuous use days for me to fianlly have a reaction, seems like it adds up over the days. My friend also ate in her home from ham she personally bought & ate over several days. We both were together on "reaction day" & compared notes. She's been at this for about 15 years. I'm a one year rookie. I couldn't think what mine was but when she mentioned she thought hers was the ham she had eaten, I said, " I had ham, too!" I didn't have any more after that day & the problems cleared up. So that is all I could think it could be. I didn't eat out and everything else was my normal.

In the spring I had another "slow burn" that I traced to the syrups in my coffee bar. It was the caramel coloring. I know, I shouldn't be sensitive to that but that is what it was. The company was to send me the breakdown but never did. I tolerate any of the syrups that do not contain caramel coloring.

Should I be avoiding Dextrose?

I have a question: Are you basting your ham with a rubber blub baster which

was used in past with a gluten/bread stuffed bird? Or any pan with gluten

residue you cannot scrub off?

JoD Newbie
JoD
Posted

I have heard that it is just fine. I'm in the restaurant industry as well as a chef.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted
  • Author

I'm really stumped and at a loss whether or not I can eat ham now.

I did not baste it mearly fried it with my eggs in my regular pan with my regular utensils. These are the ones I use daily.

I don't know about my friend. She mentioned she used the ham to canned bean soup but as I said, she is an old hand at this so I know she is careful about her preperation. She has a mixed household.

Any other ideas? I sure would like to understand it.

DMarie Apprentice
DMarie
Posted

My daughter felt bad after eating some ham (it was lunch meat ham that looks to be okay). She really thinks it is the ham. My only thought is - are there nitrates/nitrites in it? Maybe the preservative is causing a problem? I'll have to check the ham we had. But since then I purchased some Hormel Naturals ham and turkey lunch meat - which seems to be working fine - and doesn't have any of the "extras" that many others have. I am good with purchasing that since in my opinion, less is more when it comes to food.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

There is a list of gluten free products from Smithfield Foods. It can either be found on line or by phone. It's fairly extensive. I have a copy, but I can't put my hands on it at the moment.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

If there's a grain used in the ham it has to be listed. This includes barley. Dextrose is a safe ingredient. DEXTRIN can be made from wheat, but the wheat would have to be listed.

richard

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted
  • Author

Now that I have been reading about nitrites and nitrates, I wonder if I was reacting to those. Good call, DMarie. I will watch out for those. I seldom eat lunchmeats or ham. But now I know that I might not tolerate nitrites & nitrates.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
Now that I have been reading about nitrites and nitrates, I wonder if I was reacting to those. Good call, DMarie. I will watch out for those. I seldom eat lunchmeats or ham. But now I know that I might not tolerate nitrites & nitrates.

Sometimes we just never know. Maybe you can wait some time and try it again. Or, maybe not. :P

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. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,330
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    klkarius
    Newest Member
    klkarius
    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

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

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • 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.