Conflicting Information In Product Guides

[ann72601]

I have bought a couple of books lately that are suppose to be safe guides to gluten-free products, but they don't agree with one another on many items. I found the Clan Thompson pocket guides to have several hidden gluten items, but yet listed them as 'safe'. Is there a really trustworthy source, other than my reactions?

[ravenwoodglass]

Any guide is out of date the day it is put together. That doesn't mean that nothing on it is valid but it does mean that we have to take them IMHO with a grain of salt. I find it more helpful to call the company with any new product that I use. It also has the benefit of coupons lots of times. You also have the confusion over what is safe and what isn't. Some companies consider gluten grain derived alcohols and vinegars safe, and for many of us they are but for many they are not. Vitamin E is another tricky one that is thought to be safe by some companies. The CC issue is another thing to factor in. Frito Lay is a prime example. They put out a copious list of gluten-free products but the CC risk is so high that their 'gluten free' items are often a source of distress for us. Putting the 'made in....' on a label is unfortunately voluntary so at times we don't know the product had a CC risk until we get got. It is confusing and frustrating and is the reason that some of us stick with whole foods or foods labeled as coming from a dedicated plant with very little processed stuff in the beginning.

[ann72601]

  ravenwoodglass said:

Any guide is out of date the day it is put together. That doesn't mean that nothing on it is valid but it does mean that we have to take them IMHO with a grain of salt. I find it more helpful to call the company with any new product that I use. It also has the benefit of coupons lots of times. You also have the confusion over what is safe and what isn't. Some companies consider gluten grain derived alcohols and vinegars safe, and for many of us they are but for many they are not. Vitamin E is another tricky one that is thought to be safe by some companies. The CC issue is another thing to factor in. Frito Lay is a prime example. They put out a copious list of gluten-free products but the CC risk is so high that their 'gluten free' items are often a source of distress for us. Putting the 'made in....' on a label is unfortunately voluntary so at times we don't know the product had a CC risk until we get got. It is confusing and frustrating and is the reason that some of us stick with whole foods or foods labeled as coming from a dedicated plant with very little processed stuff in the beginning.

Thank you so much for this information. I am a basket case trying to figure all this out. I'm finding out that I don't really trust anything in a package, by trial and error(ssss), of course. I seem to make nothing but mistakes and keep myself accidentially glutened since I started this journey 5 weeks ago and wondering if I'll ever get it right.

Thanks again,

Ann

[lovegrov]

When you say the items have hidden gluten what do you mean? Are these items that you've confirmed gluten in or are you talking about ingredients that you've read somewhere to avoid, like caramel color, which does not in fact contain gluten? There's a lot of old info out there that's wrong.

While it's true that these lists can be outdated quickly (although in reality product formulations don't change all that often), my impression of Clan Thompson is that they're quite reliable.

richard

[ann72601]

  lovegrov said:

When you say the items have hidden gluten what do you mean? Are these items that you've confirmed gluten in or are you talking about ingredients that you've read somewhere to avoid, like caramel color, which does not in fact contain gluten? There's a lot of old info out there that's wrong.

While it's true that these lists can be outdated quickly (although in reality product formulations don't change all that often), my impression of Clan Thompson is that they're quite reliable.

richard

I'm not sure how many examples you are wanting, but 'malt' is one. I have compared Clan Thompson with the unsafe list on Celiac.com and that's where I've found most of the conflicts. The other has been having a reaction to malt vinegar, and several other hidden ingredients. You can go so many websites to compare products, for example: www.healthcastle.com and go to "Finding Hidden Gluten in Your Foods" then compare. You will find natural flavorings, brown rice syrup, vitamin E and so on... I suggest that you do your own comparison. I have learned that we are all somewhat different in our journey and our own reactions. I'm happy to see that a product works well for you, but for others, it can mean getting sick, so it's best not for me not to list the ingredients that I react to as I have in the past.

[psawyer]

Malt vinegar is not "hidden" gluten in my view. It is gluten that will be clearly evident, because it will be labeled as "malt vinegar" and there is no doubt that it contains gluten.

As Richard said, there is a lot of incorrect or outdated information out there. Just because you read it on the internet doesn't mean it is correct.

[ann72601]

  psawyer said:

Malt vinegar is not "hidden" gluten in my view. It is gluten that will be clearly evident, because it will be labeled as "malt vinegar" and there is no doubt that it contains gluten.

As Richard said, there is a lot of incorrect or outdated information out there. Just because you read it on the internet doesn't mean it is correct.

If you read my original post, that is what I am asking.

[ann72601]

  psawyer said:

Malt vinegar is not "hidden" gluten in my view. It is gluten that will be clearly evident, because it will be labeled as "malt vinegar" and there is no doubt that it contains gluten.

As Richard said, there is a lot of incorrect or outdated information out there. Just because you read it on the internet doesn't mean it is correct.

I found malt vinegar in the 2009 Clan Thompson Pocket Guide to Foods that are safe. My sources are not Internet, but books that I have bought through this site as well as ones through Celiac sites such as Clan Thompson. I am new to this journey and I asked for guidance on choosing the right publications. When I bought three books, I noticed that they differed. I also printed out this websites safe and unsafe list, which appears to agree with the Matison & Matison Grocery Shopping Guide 2009 edition.

Now, I posted the question to get help and not encourage debate.

[JNBunnie1]

  ann72601 said:

I found malt vinegar in the 2009 Clan Thompson Pocket Guide to Foods that are safe. My sources are not Internet, but books that I have bought through this site as well as ones through Celiac sites such as Clan Thompson. I am new to this journey and I asked for guidance on choosing the right publications. When I bought three books, I noticed that they differed. I also printed out this websites safe and unsafe list, which appears to agree with the Matison & Matison Grocery Shopping Guide 2009 edition.

Now, I posted the question to get help and not encourage debate.

I think the answer is there is no definite answer. These books are made by humans, and humans are fallible. I can tell you brown rice syrup has always been safe for me, it's made from- brown rice. 'Malt' anything is not, it's almost always made from barley.

Basically, there is no perfect master list. Your best bet with any questions is to call the manufacturer and/or ask here if anyone uses it safely.