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Gluten In Crystal Light!

kellylynn

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kellylynn Rookie
kellylynn
Posted

I've felt awful the last day and a half. I've been gluten free for a month and a half and felt much better at first and was starting to be a little skeptical as to how strict I needed to be, but now I know!

The only thing I had yesterday that I hadn't read every ingredient on was a packet of Crystal Light. So went I went back to look at it, I had two boxes. One box clearly labeled gluten-free and the other (the one I drank yesterday) was not labeled gluten-free and maltodextrin was the only ingredient difference between the two boxes.

I just can't believe this! For one, that I feel this bad (bloated intestines, exhausted, twitching eye, etc.) and, two, that there is gluten in crystal light!

Just thought I'd put the warning out there!

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happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Maltodextrin is gluten free:

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https://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsaf...ents/Page1.html

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted

Kraft clearly labels any gluten so if the maltodextrin had gluten it would be listed. It might be worth contacting the company though and clarifying the label differences.

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

For some of us the gluten reaction is delayed. Look at not just what you had right before you got ill but also for the 3 days before. It can sometimes be very hard to figure out what 'got' us especially early on.

elonwy Enthusiast
elonwy
Posted

Also keep in mind that artificial sweeteners can cause issues for people with GI problems. I know that they give me terrible stomach cramps and D.

kellylynn Rookie
kellylynn
Posted
  • Author

A representative from Kraft called to assure me that they disclose all sources of gluten and require their suppliers to do the same. I thanked her for their commitment to taking gluten seriously.

I'm still not sure what made me sick....

  • 2 years later...
Okie Kei Bug Newbie
Okie Kei Bug
Posted

I had an reaction to crystal light. Arthritis in my Hands started aching after drinking it 2 days in a roll. I know, I know Kraft labels "Crystal Light" Gluten Free. Fooled me once, fooled me twice, Not a Third time...

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I had an reaction to crystal light. Arthritis in my Hands started aching after drinking it 2 days in a roll. I know, I know Kraft labels "Crystal Light" Gluten Free. Fooled me once, fooled me twice, Not a Third time...

Just because you react to a product does not mean the company is lying about gluten. There are plenty of things to disagree with you artificial sugar, colors, flavors, etc. I have a son who does not have Celiac but Crystal LIght gives him stomach pain & bloating. We suspect the sweetener.

mbrookes Community Regular
mbrookes
Posted

Kareng makes a good point. Once we identify gluten as the culprit, many of us blame everything on gluten. Sometimes other things I eat or drink "disagree" with me. That certainly does not mean they contain gluten.

  • 5 years later...
Susie Rogowski Newbie
Susie Rogowski
Posted

Hi! I'm Susie, and I just joined - although I've been a lurker since 2004. I do not have Celiac's, but I am intolerant to gluten. So, with the warm weather upon us, I started back to drinking my Crystal Light lemonade, mixed with Lipton's decaf lemon iced tea mix. About two weeks ago I started to notice a heaviness/fullness in my stomach in the afternoon. It got to the point that it progressed to lasting16+ hours before I got a clue. I thought it was from the huge amounts of watermelon that I can put away. So, for two days, I didn't eat the watermelon, but had my Crystal Light/Lipton's mix.  I admit, I got lazy. If I had read that both mixes had maltodextrin in them, I never would have purchased them because I always thought that it contained gluten. For years. I never had a problem with these mixes. So my problem could be the artificial sweetener, or the guar gum, because I am allergic to some gums. All I know is that I can't let my guard down.

Ennis-TX Grand Master
Ennis-TX
Posted
32 minutes ago, Susie Rogowski said:

Hi! I'm Susie, and I just joined - although I've been a lurker since 2004. I do not have Celiac's, but I am intolerant to gluten. So, with the warm weather upon us, I started back to drinking my Crystal Light lemonade, mixed with Lipton's decaf lemon iced tea mix. About two weeks ago I started to notice a heaviness/fullness in my stomach in the afternoon. It got to the point that it progressed to lasting16+ hours before I got a clue. I thought it was from the huge amounts of watermelon that I can put away. So, for two days, I didn't eat the watermelon, but had my Crystal Light/Lipton's mix.  I admit, I got lazy. If I had read that both mixes had maltodextrin in them, I never would have purchased them because I always thought that it contained gluten. For years. I never had a problem with these mixes. So my problem could be the artificial sweetener, or the guar gum, because I am allergic to some gums. All I know is that I can't let my guard down.

I react to the Aspartame, and Acesulfame Potassium in them. I turn into Mr. Hyde with them. Something in them makes me super aggressive and angery all the time snapping at people. Very similar to how gluten used to effect me. As a alternative try using lemon juice, and a sweetener that is not known to have mental effects on people, I love Sweet Drops stevia flavors, and I constantly use Monk Fruit Sweetener in stuff, along with the sugar free simple syrups from NuNaturals. I somethings use that liquid splenda in the little squirt bottles seems to work alright with no issues.

rehh05 Apprentice
rehh05
Posted

I used to drink Crystal Light all the time too. And I couldn't figure out why I was sooo achy and tired and sore all the time. It said gluten free so I wasn't worried about gluten too much, but then I started having constant head aches... and thought about the sweetener. So I stopped everything with aspartame... the only artificial sweetener I allow now is a small amount of Stevia.  Guess what.. aches and soreness and headaches are muuuuuuch better. Much more energy too. Seems I can't tolerate artificial sweeteners... so no more soda or diet soda for me... I did find a Stevia sweetened lemonade that I use once in a while but not often. 

Ennis-TX Grand Master
Ennis-TX
Posted
7 minutes ago, rehh05 said:

I used to drink Crystal Light all the time too. And I couldn't figure out why I was sooo achy and tired and sore all the time. It said gluten free so I wasn't worried about gluten too much, but then I started having constant head aches... and thought about the sweetener. So I stopped everything with aspartame... the only artificial sweetener I allow now is a small amount of Stevia.  Guess what.. aches and soreness and headaches are muuuuuuch better. Much more energy too. Seems I can't tolerate artificial sweeteners... so no more soda or diet soda for me... I did find a Stevia sweetened lemonade that I use once in a while but not often. 

Make your own soda with SweetDrops and sparkling mineral water, or they make one called Zevia which is a soda free of all coloring, and artificial sweeteners they sweeten it with steiva.

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Victoria1234 Experienced
Victoria1234
Posted

Aspartame makes me angry and nasty towards others. I feel very uncomfortable in my own skin. Haven't touched it on purpose in years. Accidentally had some in a yogurt I grabbed at the grocery store on sale a few months ago. Tasted a bit off but it was my last yogurt and had nothing else to eat.  Didn't realize it had aspartame till I pulled it out of recycling, and I was out of sorts for a full day.

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