Gluten Free Foods

[GlutenGuy36]

Has anyone had a reaction to a food that was listed as gluten free? I went to Meijers near me in Michigan and they do have quite a few products that are gluten free. I bought some Kinnikinnick blueberry muffins, some frozen dinners that are listed as gluten free right on the box, and some gluten free cookies.

I'm just wondering if this has happened to any of you because I had some bad D after eating some of these products. The kind you usually get with being glutened. The only other thing I had to eat was a fruit salad that I got while I was out and I asked the person how it was made and they said there shouldn't be a problem.

Is is possible to get a gluten reaction from gluten free products if you eat a lot of them? I know that they have to meet so many parts per million requirements (ppm). I was just wondering that........if you eat a lot of gluten-free products is that small amount in each of those enough to build up and set off a reaction?

[tarnalberry]

oh, so many things come into play here...

1) in the US, there is no legal standard for "gluten free" just yet. it's likely going to be set to 20ppm, but it hasn't happened yet.

2) yes, even at a low level, like 20ppm, if you eat a lot of something, you could get enough gluten to react to. so, you don't want to eat vast quantities of those items.

3) some companies may produce gluten free products on gluten free production lines in a gluten free facility. some companies produce gluten free products on gluten free production lines in a shared facility. some companies produce gluten free products on shared (but cleaned) lines in shared facilities. each of these carries it's own risk.

4) some companies, more than others, are known for either being consistently gluten free (Kinnikinnik) or somewhat consistently risking contamination (Amy's, perhaps).

5) many gluten free foods have higher (or lower) fiber contents, or unusual foods your body may not be used to. xanthan gum can cause D in some people, bean flours can cause gas, and so on.

6) "there shouldn't be a problem" is a pretty sketchy response to me. fruit salad should just be fruit... if there's something else in there, I'd be asking for details. including whether or not it was produced in a shared kitchen. (drop a piece of strawberry on a counter that had previously had bread crumbs on it and wasn't thoroughly cleans? you just contaminated it.)

[GlutenGalAZ]

You could have a problem with one of the ingredients in one or some of the products.

When I first went gluten free I ordered some of the Kinnikinnick products and thought it was so neat b/c I found bread and pizza crusts. I kept getting sick and then tried Pamela's mix for pancakes was getting sick from that and then I found out that I could not handle tapioca flour. When I have tapioca it is like I am eating gluten -- similar stomach problems.

Hope you feel better.