The Value Of Reading The Label Properly...

[Monklady123]

So, I was in the "natural foods" section of my grocery store which is where most of the specialty gluten-free stuff is. Along with all the organic and other "health food" type stuff. I'm going down the shelf and saw the cookies. Passed up a few because they weren't my favorite flavors ever before celiac (ginger snaps, peanut butter, etc.) Then I saw some that looked like oreos. Yummmmmm! In big letters it said "Wheat Free/Dairy Free". Great, says I. Bought them. Took them home. Ate three. Sigh. So of course when I went back to read the label -- after realizing that my reaction couldn't have been from the roast chicken (roasted by me) or salad (oil and vinegar dressing) -- I saw the words, in little print, "this is not a gluten-free food". The "not" was even underlined. oy... Now OF COURSE I know that "wheat-free" does NOT equal "gluten-free". -- Well, lesson learned. And my kids were happy because they got to finish the bag of cookies, where normally they are not allowed to touch my gluten-free stuff.

[kareng]

What in the World did they have in them? I try to read labels carefully, but sometimes my eyes glaze over after about the 3rd ingredient I can't pronounce.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I did something similar when I was first diagnosed. I picked up a bag of cornmeal, glanced at the ingredients and thought they were okay, then I went home and made some yummy cornbread that made me sicker than a dog. I don't recall what was in the cornmeal, but it wasn't gluten free despite the absence of the word "wheat".

[summerteeth]

Were they Newman's Own "Newman-os"? Before I understood reading labels, I bought these (and they did say "WHEAT FREE/DAIRY FREE" on the package) I brought them on a road trip to Florida and ate them before we even got on the highway... needless to say, worst vacation ever.

[StephanieGF]

I hate that, if they are going to go to the trouble of making it wheat free, make it gluten free too. There is a rice puff cereal that is like that, it is often sold in the gluten free section of stores, but it is just wheat free and has barely malt. What is really confusing is that the same brand makes two other rice puff cereals (that look almost exactly the same) that they label as both wheat free and gluten free.

Did these have barely in them?

[Monklady123]

Yes, the first ingredient was barley. And yes, they were those Newman's Own. BIG letters that said Wheat-Free/Dairy Free, which confused me since I was in the gluten-free area of the shelf. So I guess there are people who are allergic/intolerant to specifically wheat? That would certainly be easier to deal with than gluten. (still a pain, given what wheat is in, but still.... )