Red Lobster Ingredients

[hviola]

This is an ingredient list for the garlic sauce they use on the shrimp scampi. The guy was so nice there that he cut it off the box for me.

Garlic powder, maltodextrin, salt, onion powder, hydrolyzed soy protein, torula yeast, dehydrated parsley, malic acid, sugar, natural and artificial flavor (maltodextrin, butter oil), with not more than 2% silicon dioxide added as an anti-caking agent. Contains: Milk, Soy.

I've ordered the shrimp scampi several times and have had no problems. I usually order the crab legs which are just steamed, shrimp scampi, and a plain baked potato.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Thanks so much for posting this! It's nice to know that there is at least one reasonable option at Red Lobster!

Does the viola in your name mean that you play viola?

[Sarahsmile416]

Ugh...I ordered it too and had a mild reaction...I don't know if it was the maltodextrin or the soy...knowing me, it was probably the soy...

[psawyer]

Ugh...I ordered it too and had a mild reaction...I don't know if it was the maltodextrin or the soy...knowing me, it was probably the soy...

The maltodextrin would not be an issue. In the US, if it were wheat derived, the ingredient list would have to disclose wheat. Since it did not, you can safely assume that it was corn based. I have never heard of a verified case of wheat-derived maltodextrin in North America. In any event, it is so highly processed that there is no detectable gluten in the finished maltodextrin.

[Sarahsmile416]

The maltodextrin would not be an issue. In the US, if it were wheat derived, the ingredient list would have to disclose wheat. Since it did not, you can safely assume that it was corn based. I have never heard of a verified case of wheat-derived maltodextrin in North America. In any event, it is so highly processed that there is no detectable gluten in the finished maltodextrin.

No, I would guess it wasn't the maltodextrin either, but I must say I am confused as to what it was...and this is the worst I have felt stomach wise since going gluten free a week ago. I am thinking it has to be the soy protein or the butter (although I'm not entirely sure if that's pure butter or not).

[Sarahsmile416]

Ahh yes, after doing a little research it seems as though hydrolized soy protein is connected to MSG...so that may be the issue..

[Takala]

Ugh...I ordered it too and had a mild reaction...I don't know if it was the maltodextrin or the soy...knowing me, it was probably the soy...

The original thread is from 2008 and that is 4 years ago.... there is no way to tell if that is the original ingredient list, or if the restaurant has changed it during the elapsed time interval. Or the suppliers have changed the source of ingredients... there is that "natural flavorings" which can be anything, again. While their latest pdf download from the RL site said this entree did not have wheat, most of their menu does, and they say there is always a chance cross contamination from shared work surfaces. You also do not know what the restaurant does in terms of food prep for a gluten free item - it is going to vary from location to location, and depend on how skilled the chefs and prep are in the kitchen, plus does the waiter/waitress communicate that order to them accurately. I've been in chain restaurants where we ordered gluten free and the waiter seemed to get it, then they return with a loaf of bread and butter they have just sliced... besides telling them we really don't want the bread because we need the entire order to be gluten free, one then wonders just where their hands have been before they did your beverages. I had a pro chef tell me years ago to never order/eat anything in a restaurant that was prepared or served with generic "melted butter," because it was so likely to be cross contaminated because of how they treated the "melted butter" pot, dipping in and out of it, throwing stuff like oil and butter into it to replenish it, etc, it just wouldn't be treated as a source that needed to be kept free of grain contamination.

[kareng]

Ahh yes, after doing a little research it seems as though hydrolized soy protein is connected to MSG...so that may be the issue..

On top of what Peter and Takala said - MSG does not contain gluten nor does soy.

[Sarahsmile416]

On top of what Peter and Takala said - MSG does not contain gluten nor does soy.

Yes, I know that MSG doesn't contain gluten...and I know soy doesn't...I was talking about other food intolerances which I am trying to figure out now and wondering whether it might be another ingredient in it (since gluten is not in this) that might have bothered me.

[Sarahsmile416]

The original thread is from 2008 and that is 4 years ago.... there is no way to tell if that is the original ingredient list, or if the restaurant has changed it during the elapsed time interval. Or the suppliers have changed the source of ingredients... there is that "natural flavorings" which can be anything, again. While their latest pdf download from the RL site said this entree did not have wheat, most of their menu does, and they say there is always a chance cross contamination from shared work surfaces. You also do not know what the restaurant does in terms of food prep for a gluten free item - it is going to vary from location to location, and depend on how skilled the chefs and prep are in the kitchen, plus does the waiter/waitress communicate that order to them accurately. I've been in chain restaurants where we ordered gluten free and the waiter seemed to get it, then they return with a loaf of bread and butter they have just sliced... besides telling them we really don't want the bread because we need the entire order to be gluten free, one then wonders just where their hands have been before they did your beverages. I had a pro chef tell me years ago to never order/eat anything in a restaurant that was prepared or served with generic "melted butter," because it was so likely to be cross contaminated because of how they treated the "melted butter" pot, dipping in and out of it, throwing stuff like oil and butter into it to replenish it, etc, it just wouldn't be treated as a source that needed to be kept free of grain contamination.

Thank you for this - I agree the chance for CC was likely high. That is interesting regarding the melted butter...I will remember that and avoid it in the future!