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

Very Confused About Whey And Dextrose Labeled On gluten-free Products

virginiagl

By virginiagl
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

virginiagl Apprentice
virginiagl
Posted

Went to Sprouts today looking for some gluten-free mac and cheese for my kiddo and some cookie mix too...and I was really confused by the claim on some of the boxes about being gluten free. Amy's gluten free mac and cheese has whey and or dextrose in it. Aren't these on the list of ingredients to avoid for people with gluten intolerance? There was a cookie mix too by another brand(don't remember the name now)that said gluten free on the box and it had whey in the ingredient list! It was even in the supposed gluten-free isle of Sprouts(beware they have lots of stuff that isn't gluten free in their supposedly gluten free isle. Some of that stuff says "made with wheat flour" right on the front of the box!

I left the store very annoyed.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Whey and dextrose are gluten free.

Unfortunately, every time your pick up a product you must read the label. Once you get the hang of it, it's really not all that difficult. But, it does take time and the learning curved is steep.

I can certainly understand your frustration. There is a lot of information on the "Baking and Product" Thread here. Take a look around. :)

virginiagl Apprentice
virginiagl
Posted
  • Author

Wow, my bad! I wonder how I got my signals crossed on that. I could have sworn those were no no's on the forbidden list. Well I did say I was confused lol and I am! This is so freakin hard.

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

whey is a by-product of making cheese, and dextrose is a sugar.

virginiagl Apprentice
virginiagl
Posted
  • Author

thank you for the clarification! What are dextrins? I think that might be where I got my signals crossed about dextrose. No telling why I thought whey was a wheat product. Actually...now that I am thinking about it more...maybe I was also on a lactose intolerance site because I have that too...and maybe that is where I saw whey and confused it in my mind. Sorry, I don't mean to put misinformation out there. I am still learning.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Wow, my bad! I wonder how I got my signals crossed on that. I could have sworn those were no no's on the forbidden list. Well I did say I was confused lol and I am! This is so freakin hard.

It IS freakin' hard!!! You got that right!

But, this is a great place to run your questions by and ask whatever you need too, or just vent some frustration. Because there is not one person here who has not been in your shoes. Your question will answers one that some one else has. ;)

When an item is labels "Gluten Free" or "No Gluten Ingredients", generally your only concern might be a disclaimer on that product that might say "processed in a facility that also processes wheat". That is a warning for you to make up your own mind. A few sensitive people with Celiac or gluten sensitivity, will react to the smallest bit of cross contamination. Many times it's a companies way of CYA statement (in a law suit environment). It is something that does not concern me.

skigirlchar Newbie
skigirlchar
Posted

You may have heard about avoidance of whey with a lot of people talking about going gluten-free/CF (or even stricter and going gluten-free/CF/SF - gluten free / casein free/ soy free).

Take it one day at a time. Yes, it's frustrating, but you will find it gets.......... not easier, but you start to learn what works.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

Went to Sprouts today looking for some gluten-free mac and cheese for my kiddo and some cookie mix too...and I was really confused by the claim on some of the boxes about being gluten free. Amy's gluten free mac and cheese has whey and or dextrose in it. Aren't these on the list of ingredients to avoid for people with gluten intolerance? There was a cookie mix too by another brand(don't remember the name now)that said gluten free on the box and it had whey in the ingredient list! It was even in the supposed gluten-free isle of Sprouts(beware they have lots of stuff that isn't gluten free in their supposedly gluten free isle. Some of that stuff says "made with wheat flour" right on the front of the box!

I left the store very annoyed.

Whey is gluten free. It is a dairy product. Many celiacs find they must avoid dairy. If you're one of those, then you shouldn't have it.

I don't know about dextrose. AFAIK, it can be made of many things. But if you are in the US, they would have to disclose it if it were made of wheat.

virginiagl Apprentice
virginiagl
Posted
  • Author

Yeah I was noticing that little disclaimer when I was trying to find peanut and soy free stuff for my son. I didn't buy the almond butter because of that little disclaimer. Going grocery shopping put me in a really terrible mood today. I'm so cranky and fed up with food companies!

pdquick Newbie
pdquick
Posted

The reason that some celiacs have to avoid dairy is usually because of lactose intolerance, but that's not an autoimmune issue. Whey is mostly protein. There may be some residual lactose in it, but probably not enough to cause a problem Virginiagl says she tolerated it just fine.

Squirrelflight Rookie
Squirrelflight
Posted

I tell you what stumped me for awhile was how maltodextrin is ok but dextrin is not.. the 'malt' in the name just raised red flags for me.. LOL

Nor-TX Enthusiast
Nor-TX
Posted

I am both gluten and dairy intolerant and boy oh boy is it difficult. Sprouts is a great store and there are lots of products that fit into my needs. They are as pricey as Whole Foods, but where I live they are closer than Whole Foods.

I find I get the same "glutened" feeling when I eat dairy or gluten. This is a hard road each day, but when the bloating, tiredness, and nausea goes, it feels great.

Nightingale8472 Rookie
Nightingale8472
Posted

Went to Sprouts today looking for some gluten-free mac and cheese for my kiddo and some cookie mix too...and I was really confused by the claim on some of the boxes about being gluten free. Amy's gluten free mac and cheese has whey and or dextrose in it. Aren't these on the list of ingredients to avoid for people with gluten intolerance? There was a cookie mix too by another brand(don't remember the name now)that said gluten free on the box and it had whey in the ingredient list! It was even in the supposed gluten-free isle of Sprouts(beware they have lots of stuff that isn't gluten free in their supposedly gluten free isle. Some of that stuff says "made with wheat flour" right on the front of the box!

I left the store very annoyed.

With Sprouts, they have an aisle that's MOSTLY gluten-free stuff, but you have to pay attention, because the aisle, at least in my local Sprouts, is more of a "special diet" aisle rather than strictly gluten-free. They keep Pamela's mixes right next to the vegan mixes with the whole wheat flour. It's the little green tags on the shelf, not the aisle itself that designates gluten-free. Also, things do get re-shelved in the wrong place in any store. Whole Foods, on the other hand, has a specific section that is totally gluten-free.

Personally, I feel the selection's a bit better at Sprouts, and I feel a bit more "normal" shopping there, because I'm not constantly checking a pre-printed list. I can just look for the little green tags as I go up and down the aisles. It's just less stressful.

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

maltodextrin can be made from corn or wheat. If it's made from corn, it's not a celiac problem. If it's made from wheat (more common outside the US) then it *could* be. I've read in several places that because maltodextrin is a "sugar alcohol" that even if it is derrived from wheat, it is fine for celiacs to eat.

However I myself had such a bad reaction to wheat based maltodextrin (used in sugar free candies and chocolates a lot) that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

dextrin is apparently most commonly made from tapioca, sweet potato and waxy maize in the US. It *may* be made from wheat in Europe, as well as from other sources, so be careful on imported foods, or if you're travelling outside the US.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

dextrin is apparently most commonly made from tapioca, sweet potato and waxy maize in the US. It *may* be made from wheat in Europe, as well as from other sources, so be careful on imported foods, or if you're travelling outside the US.

I would like to add, any ingredient containing wheat, must be listed according to FDA regulations, if imported into the US.

sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

I buy things that have the processed in a facility label because if I didn't I would buy pretty much nothing. Because so many people are sue happy, they have to put warnings on everything that make it confusing.

Cleaning out peanut butter machinery and switching it over is so difficult I just don't imagine them doing that very much.

Maltodextrin in the US is fine because if it's wheat it will be labeled.

Canadian Girl Apprentice
Canadian Girl
Posted

i'm confused about dextrin.. can we have it??? are the FDA regulation the same as in Canada? Also.. if something says "made in a facility that also produces wheat products" that means to avoid it completely too right???

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Am not sufficiently familiar with US labeling laws to answer about dextrin; think it's okay. Mostly Canada seems to follow USA. As far as "processed in a facility that also handles" (whatever your particular intolerance may be, including wheat), this is something that we all have to experiment with for ourselves. Some of us are much more sensitive to trace amounts of non-tolerated substances than others. For myself, I am pretty much okay with all shared facilities, but it is a very individual reaction. You have to find out what your own tolerance level is. Some people have to avoid all shared facilities altogether, some just avoid "processed on the same lines as" where they clean the lines between runs. Yes, you run the risk of cc (for you) in your experimentation, but it is good to know how strict you need to be about these things (and to find it out early).

Canadian Girl Apprentice
Canadian Girl
Posted

Am not sufficiently familiar with US labeling laws to answer about dextrin; think it's okay. Mostly Canada seems to follow USA. As far as "processed in a facility that also handles" (whatever your particular intolerance may be, including wheat), this is something that we all have to experiment with for ourselves. Some of us are much more sensitive to trace amounts of non-tolerated substances than others. For myself, I am pretty much okay with all shared facilities, but it is a very individual reaction. You have to find out what your own tolerance level is. Some people have to avoid all shared facilities altogether, some just avoid "processed on the same lines as" where they clean the lines between runs. Yes, you run the risk of cc (for you) in your experimentation, but it is good to know how strict you need to be about these things (and to find it out early).

ok that helps thx, however, if we eat things that are made in a shared facility but don't react, we could still be damaging our intestine just not feeling it, correct?? that's what i don't get.. i've been avoiding things that say made in shared facilities..

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

It is important to bear in mind that both in Canada and the USA, labeling of shared facilities/equipment is voluntary. Just because the label is silent does not mean that wheat is not present in the facility. If you are really that concerned, you must call the company, or limit your purchases to specialty companies such as Glutino.

Dextrin is very rarely made from wheat. In the US, it would have to be clearly labeled as wheat if it was. Canada does not require the disclosure of wheat, but many manufacturers (including Con Agra, General Mills, Kraft and Unilever) will always clearly disclose any gluten ingredient by naming the grain.

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 catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      @catnapt, Wheat germ has very little gluten in it. Gluten is the carbohydrate storage protein, what the flour is made from, the fluffy part. Just like with beans, there's the baby plant that will germinate ("germ"-inate) if sprouted, and the bean part is the carbohydrate storage protein. Wheat germ is the baby plant inside a kernel of wheat...
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Scott Adams's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      49

      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3. Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C. Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine. Weight...
    3. Florence Lillian
      - Florence Lillian replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      11

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

      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free. I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree...
    4. catnapt
      - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      highly unlikely NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean...
    5. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      21

      Insomnia help

      Thank you for your post, @nanny marley It is interesting what you say about 'It's OK not to sleep'. Worrying about sleeping only makes it much harder to sleep. One of my relatives is an insomniac and I am sure that is part of the problem. Whereas I once had a neighbour who, if she couldn't sleep, would simply get up again, make a cup of tea, read,...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,355
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Amy Immerman
    Newest Member
    Amy Immerman
    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
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @catnapt, Wheat germ has very little gluten in it.  Gluten is  the carbohydrate storage protein, what the flour is made from, the fluffy part.  Just like with beans, there's the baby plant that will germinate  ("germ"-inate) if sprouted, and the bean part is the carbohydrate storage protein.   Wheat germ is the baby plant inside a kernel of wheat, and bran is the protective covering of the kernel.   Little to no gluten there.   Large amounts of lectins are in wheat germ and can cause digestive upsets, but not enough Gluten to provoke antibody production in the small intestines. Luckily you still have time to do a proper gluten challenge (10 grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks) before your next appointment when you can be retested.    
    • knitty kitty
      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3.  Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C.  Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine.   Weight gain with a voracious appetite is something I experienced while malnourished.  It's symptomatic of Thiamine B1 deficiency.   Conversely, some people with thiamine deficiency lose their appetite altogether, and suffer from anorexia.  At different periods on my lifelong journey, I suffered this, too.   When the body doesn't have sufficient thiamine to turn food, especially carbohydrates, into energy (for growth and repair), the body rations what little thiamine it has available, and turns the carbs into fat, and stores it mostly in the abdomen.  Consuming a high carbohydrate diet requires additional thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  Simple carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, etc.) don't contain thiamine, so the body easily depletes its stores of Thiamine processing the carbs into fat.  The digestive system communicates with the brain to keep eating in order to consume more thiamine and other nutrients it's not absorbing.   One can have a subclinical thiamine insufficiency for years.  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so the symptoms can wax and wane mysteriously.  Symptoms of Thiamine insufficiency include stunted growth, chronic fatigue, and Gastrointestinal Beriberi (diarrhea, abdominal pain), heart attack, Alzheimer's, stroke, and cancer.   Thiamine improves bone turnover.  Thiamine insufficiency can also affect the thyroid.  The thyroid is important in bone metabolism.  The thyroid also influences hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, and menopause.  Vitamin D, at optimal levels, can act as a hormone and can influence the thyroid, as well as being important to bone health, and regulating the immune system.  Vitamin A is important to bone health, too, and is necessary for intestinal health, as well.   I don't do dairy because I react to Casein, the protein in dairy that resembles gluten and causes a reaction the same as if I'd been exposed to gluten, including high tTg IgA.  I found adding mineral water containing calcium and other minerals helpful in increasing my calcium intake.   Malabsorption of Celiac affects all the vitamins and minerals.  I do hope you'll talk to your doctor and dietician about supplementing all eight B vitamins and the four fat soluble vitamins because they all work together interconnectedly.  
    • Florence Lillian
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Florence Lillian · Posted

      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free.  I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree with me -  I just keep trying and have finally settled on Sports Research. I take NAKA Women's Multi full spectrum, and have not felt sick after taking 2 capsules per day -  it is a Canadian company. I buy both from Amazon. I wish you well in your searching, I know how discouraging it all is. Florence.  
    • catnapt
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By catnapt · Posted

      highly unlikely  NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean ground turkey but not much) I was off dairy for years but recently had to add back plain yogurt to meet calcium needs that I am not allowed to get from supplements (I have not had any problem with the yogurt)   I eat almost no processed foods. I don't eat out. almost everything I eat, I cook myself I am going to keep a food diary but to be honest, I already know that it's wheat products and also barley that are the problem, which is why I gradually stopped eating and buying them. When I was eating them, like back in early 2024, when I was in the middle of moving and ate out (always had bread or toast or rolls or a sub or pizza) I felt terrible but at that time was so busy and exhausted that I never stopped to think it was the food. Once I was in my new place, I continued to have bread from time to time and had such horrible joint pain that I was preparing for 2 total knee replacements as well as one hip! The surgery could not go forward as I was (and still am) actively losing calcium from my bones. That problem has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated   anyway over time I realized that I felt better when I stopped eating bread. Back at least 3 yrs ago I noticed that regular pasta made me sick so I switched to brown rice pasta and even though it costs a lot more, I really like it.   so gradually I just stopped buying and eating foods with gluten. I stopped getting raisin bran when I was constipated because it made me bloated and it didn't help the constipation any more (used to be a sure bet that it would in the past)   I made cookies and brownies using beans and rolled oats and dates and tahini and I LOVE them and have zero issues eating those I eat 1 or more cans of beans per day easily can eat a pound of broccoli - no problem! Brussels sprouts the same thing.   so yeh it's bread and related foods that are clearly the problem  there is zero doubt in my mind    
    • cristiana
      Insomnia help

      By cristiana · Posted

      Thank you for your post, @nanny marley It is interesting what you say about 'It's OK not to sleep'. Worrying about sleeping only makes it much harder to sleep.  One of my relatives is an insomniac and I am sure that is part of the problem.  Whereas I once had a neighbour who, if she couldn't sleep, would simply get up again, make a cup of tea, read, do a sudoku or some other small task, and then go back to bed when she felt sleepy again.  I can't think it did her any harm - she lived  well into her nineties. Last week I decided to try a Floradix Magnesium supplement which seems to be helping me to sleep better.  It is a liquid magnesium supplement, so easy to take.  It is gluten free (unlike the Floradix iron supplement).  Might be worth a try.        
×
×
  • 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.