Something New With Larabars? Possible Problems

[DaffodElle]

I used to eat Larabars all the time, especially when I was glutened... No problems with them. They were a staple from when I was feeling better.

As of a few weeks ago, I've been more and more suspicious that they are making me sick. I've been eating a lot of them while on vacation, and have been getting progressively sicker all week.

Does anyone know if something has recently changed? Their website lists new flavors with chocolate chips (they seem a lot like junk food to be a Larabar, but I tried one last week anyway). Did the company get bought out and change manufacturing processes? New suppliers? Contamination from the new choc chip products?

I'm planning to email the company, but I didn't know if someone already had and could save me the wait. Thanks!!

[DaffodElle]

Ok, just found more info on the site that the company was bought by General Mills in June 2008. But that was a while ago... I'll post if they tell me anything useful.

[Looking for answers]

I had the same issue. I've come to discover that I have an intolerance to nuts. They make my stomach cramp just like gluten and I've noticed less puffiness under my eyes after eliminating them. Have you tried eating plain nuts to see if you get the same reaction?

[DaffodElle]

Have you tried eating plain nuts to see if you get the same reaction?

Thanks for the reply. Sorry it has taken so long for me to reply, was without the internet for awhile!

Not plain nuts necessarily, as I can't find any that haven't been processed on the same equipment as wheat... however, I do eat peanut butter pretty regularly with no obvious problems.

That was what was weird about Larabars, I could tolerate the nuts in those just fine but not contaminated plain nuts. Now they bother me too...

It isn't a GI issue by itself, everything else is the real problem. (I don't usually have much in the way of GI sx with gluten... very mild D 1-2 days after the "problem" food. DH, fatigue, etc. are most prominent sx)

I did get an email back from the company assuring me that they use no gluten ingredients, etc., etc. They had a number to call, but I haven't had a chance to call yet.

BTW- has anyone ever found a safe source of non-contaminated nuts? I know there are a bunch of threads about it, but none seem very conclusive...

At least then I could try them alone and have more definitive evidence as to whether they are the problem!

Wow, this got long. Looking: thanks again for the reply!

[Takala]

I've noticed that I absolutely cannot tolerate the cashews they put into a lot of the flavors now, so I have to really read the labels.

Try going off of them and see what happens. Also, stick to one flavor until you get it figured out. Process of eliminating one ingredient, I bet.

[Skylark]

Someone here recommended Open Original Shared Link I don't eat a lot of nuts other than pistachios so I haven't ordered myself. Here's their gluten-free info. Open Original Shared Link

[heatherjane]

I would wonder too, what else you were eating while on vacation? Could something else have been the culprit? Also, Larabars are made with dates. Eating a lot of them in a short span of time could cause some bathroom issues, if you know what i mean.....

[txplowgirl]

They have a lot of sugar in them. Maybe you have a sugar sensitivity?

[chasbari]

OK, so I finally broke down and tried them and am hooked. I did have a problem with the cashew ones and was panicking at first because I didn't want to give up my new found rescue food (at last, something I don't have to prepare!) I got to thinking, I open the package by pulling it open along the package seams thus exposing the adhesive they use to seal these. I wondered to myself if the adhesives they use in this (and many other packaged foods) are ever checked out for gluten content. If it is in paste and other glue type products is it possible it would be in this as well? I know it all has to be safe for consumption but what if it could be a source of unintentional cross contamination? Probably not the case but it did get me wondering. I found if I stick with the coconut and cherry pie flavors I don't have the issues I had with the cashew bar, BTW. They are on sale at Raisin Rack locally until tomorrow.

[heatherjane]

OK, so I finally broke down and tried them and am hooked. I did have a problem with the cashew ones and was panicking at first because I didn't want to give up my new found rescue food (at last, something I don't have to prepare!) I got to thinking, I open the package by pulling it open along the package seams thus exposing the adhesive they use to seal these. I wondered to myself if the adhesives they use in this (and many other packaged foods) are ever checked out for gluten content. If it is in paste and other glue type products is it possible it would be in this as well? I know it all has to be safe for consumption but what if it could be a source of unintentional cross contamination? Probably not the case but it did get me wondering. I found if I stick with the coconut and cherry pie flavors I don't have the issues I had with the cashew bar, BTW. They are on sale at Raisin Rack locally until tomorrow.

I'm no chemist, but I would say you are reacting to something else rather than the adhesive. Maybe you just can't handle cashews.

[Skylark]

OK, so I finally broke down and tried them and am hooked. I did have a problem with the cashew ones and was panicking at first because I didn't want to give up my new found rescue food (at last, something I don't have to prepare!) I got to thinking, I open the package by pulling it open along the package seams thus exposing the adhesive they use to seal these. I wondered to myself if the adhesives they use in this (and many other packaged foods) are ever checked out for gluten content. If it is in paste and other glue type products is it possible it would be in this as well? I know it all has to be safe for consumption but what if it could be a source of unintentional cross contamination? Probably not the case but it did get me wondering. I found if I stick with the coconut and cherry pie flavors I don't have the issues I had with the cashew bar, BTW. They are on sale at Raisin Rack locally until tomorrow.

For starters, gluten in adhesives is an urban legend. What little starch or dextran is in them is derived from corn and potatoes. Starch-based adhesives are only used on paper products like envelopes and stickers anyway. They are not strong enough to seal something like a Larabar package.

Open Original Shared Link

You are probably somewhat sensitive to cashews. They are fairly allergenic.

[chasbari]

Like I said, it was probably not the adhesive but it did get me looking at the mechanics of how we interface with seemingly innocent things like packaging. I did eat more of the cashew bars without trouble. I could very well have been having a bad day in general and there was no cause and effect. That is what is so maddening about this. Trying to sort out the fact from the fiction in everyday life with celiac. One can easily become paranoid about everything. I am actually quite glad I finally broke down and tried them as I had been resistant to anything packaged for the longest time as I try to get better. As picky and paranoid as I have become I must confess I bought two full boxes of the things to have around for emergency treats. After a year and a half of the same old safe same old it is nice to have something that tastes different than the routine stuff I eat day in and day out. I found a non GMO antibiotic free non cured brat/sausage that I tried out yesterday as well.. nearly cried at the burst of flavor .. a little stiffness in the joints this morning from my RA but I will be continuing on with my field testing of said product and will note whether eating more of them makes it better or worse before I reach a conclusion.

[i-geek]

Someone here recommended Open Original Shared Link I don't eat a lot of nuts other than pistachios so I haven't ordered myself. Here's their gluten-free info. Open Original Shared Link

I've had really good luck with Nuts Online. I've received two orders of raw almonds as well as gluten-free raw/sprouted nut mixes and some other goodies (dried fruits, almond flour, bulk quinoa). Service is reliable and the products are high quality. I'm also highly sensitive to cross-contamination and haven't had problems with their foods.

[Takala]

Oh, wow, look at all the gluten free packaged nuts they have, I need to check this out as I am having trouble finding PLAIN, UN CROSS CONTAMINATED sunflower seeds. Whole Foods, if you read the bags now, they are produced in a facility with wheat and packaged in Texas - STUPID on their part.

I always thought I had a sunflower seed problem and it was the cross contamination. They were selling fresh clean ones out of North Dakota for awhile.

[DaffodElle]

I always thought I had a sunflower seed problem and it was the cross contamination.

You know, I often wonder how many things I've cut out due to that very problem... is it the ACTUAL food or a contamination thing??

You all have brought up some interesting points. I do want to add that I'm pretty sure I did react to my peanut butter last week now. AGAIN- is it the peanuts or CC? It is store brand, no gluten-free designation, so who knows what kind of equipment it is made with. Grrrrr. Feeling dumb for trusting it, but also feeling frustrated that it is SO hard to tell what the problems actually are.

Maybe it's time to break down and spend a bunch of money on nutsonline just to try them. I just hate to do that and then have problems and have to give/throw away more food (had an expensive chicken I just had to do that with, and three jars of PB in the pantry, along with everything else processed I've cleaned out lately. So I'm a little wary of that right now!)

As an aside and reply to an earlier post on this thread, I did eat some other possibly CC'ed things on vacation due to sharing a kitchen with my family, but I was pretty darn careful. And my reactions always correlated with the Larabars. And it certainly wasn't just a bathroom issue (sometimes I wish it was...).

Yes, I do have a little bit of a sugar issue, but it is with fructose. Larabars don't have added sugar (at least the old flavors), but do have quite a bit of fructose from the dates and such. The only time I have fructose trouble is right after I've been glutened though. Then I seem to be able to tolerate it just fine after a few days.

Huh, how do my posts always get this long? Thanks for reading and commenting I appreciate your input.