Gluten-free?

[YankeeDB]

I bought some very tasty cashew brittle for a snack treat and despite its label of "gluten-free", it has rice malt in it. Hmmmmm! I know I've been reacting to something--could this be it? Got to ALWAYS read those labels. Whole foods are looking better and better.....

[seeking-wholeness]

YankeeDB, I think that the term "malted" simply means "sprouted," so rice malt would not automatically be bad for you. Of course, it could be cross-contaminated....

[YankeeDB]

I'm going by the list on this site that includes "rice malt (contains barley or koji)". https://www.celiac.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_...-33104374558.f1

[endrun]

Calcuim supplements can be especially bad transgressors, I had been taking a liquid one called Bluebonnet which label says "gluten-free" but had all sorts of celiac reactions on this.

[tarnalberry]

rice malt isn't always a problem - it depends on how it's made. if you're not certain how it's made, I'd call the company. and sometimes we'll not deal well with some foods for other reasons.

[mytummyhurts]

Would that be Mrs. Mays that you are talking about? I just bought some, the bag said wheat free, not gluten free, but I was wondering why as I didn't think any of the ingredients were bad. So is rice malt sometimes not gluten-free? I hope it is because I've eaten a lot!

[mytummyhurts]

If they are Mrs. Mays I feel better after I found this old post. I thought I had read they were gluten-free.

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[pixiegirl]

Yesterday I was in Whole Foods and I was looking to try some new power bars (or whatever you call them) I eat laurabars, envirokids but wanted to try some with nuts and fruit in them (I did find a bunch). However one of them and I can't remember which kind, said gluten free right on the front but the ingredients said:

oats (made gluten free)

I didn't buy them as I'm not sure what that means....

Susan

[lovegrov]

Actyually this list says IF barley is used in the rice malt not that it does contain it. Anyway, rice malt should be rice, not barley.

richard

[ShortStuff2309]

I'm so glad someone brought this up, as I forgot to mention it after I went shopping last week. I was about to buy some plain rice cereal, I think it was crispix or chex or one of those, and it said "Rice Malt" in the ingredients, so I immediately put it back. So Rice Malt is ok to have?

[KaitiUSA]

Some of it is ok. Like if it says gluten free on the container and has that ingredient then it won't be made from barley because barley has gluten.

However, for other products that are not labeled gluten free you need to call and ask about it.

It should be made of rice though.

[skbird]

I was concerned about the rice malt in Mrs. Mays when I first saw it - why doesn't it say gluten free on the bag, just wheat free? But their web site says gluten free and an email I got from the company said they are gluten free so those are ok...

I'm sorry you're having a reaction, I know that's not fun.

Stephanie

[debmidge]

We had the same question about Mrs. Mays - wheat free statement on bag. However, keep in mind that they are made (I recall) in China. Problem: Is Mrs. Mays really sure of what the rice malt is? Maybe the "Wheat Free" label is correct and that's why there's no "GLUTEN Free" statement on label because they just can't be sure.....I don't trust every company any more. What further concerns me is that when we first started buying Mrs. Mays it DID say GLUTEN FREE on label. Why did they change it? Husband ate the "Wheat Free" Mrs. Mays and had a gluten-type reaction and refused to eat it again.

[kvogt]

Barley contains an enzyme that is VERY good at breaking starches into sugars. That's why its used to make beers - even wheat beers. Malts are beyond just sprouting the grain. The malting process can be allowed to go on to make sugar to varying degrees depending upon the type of malt being made.

To make rice malt, a small amount of barley might be added to help the rice malt. As a percentage it will be very small. I imagine you would have to be very sensitive to get enough barley gluten to make you react... perhaps in the early stages of going gluten-free when you are extremely suceptable to gluten reaction...

[terri]

I have 4 bags of Mrs Mays. Two are small and say gluten free and wheat free, two are big and only say wheat free. When I went on her website, all were listed as gluten free and wheat free. Scott sells them at the gluten free mall and lists them as gluten free and wheat free. I believe them to be fine.