Food Recalls - Is Anything Safe?

[ElseB]

I just found out that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued recent recalls for 2 products I've been eating - King Soba noodles, and Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas (though I wasn't getting sick from them). In the case of the noodles, they were supposedly made in a dedicated factory. Is nothing safe? I feel like I can't even trust products that are labelled gluten free and made in gluten free facilities. How are we supposed to know what is safe????

[kareng]

What was the recall on the FFL tortillas? I use them a lot!

[ravenwoodglass]

What was the recall on the FFL tortillas? I use them a lot!

Here are two links to the recall info.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[reina]

I just found out that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued recent recalls for 2 products I've been eating - King Soba noodles, and Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas (though I wasn't getting sick from them). In the case of the noodles, they were supposedly made in a dedicated factory. Is nothing safe? I feel like I can't even trust products that are labelled gluten free and made in gluten free facilities. How are we supposed to know what is safe????

My daughter got so sick from the Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas. She was away at school and couldn't figure out why she was getting sick. I finally called the company and asked if there was a possibility that there was some sort of contamination even though they say they are gluten free. Customer service said yes that they are made on shared machinery. When I questioned her further she lied by saying that the package said it was made on shatred machinery,which it didn't. I told her the only thing it said was gluten free, which is not true. This product should not say gluten free, if anything it should say no added gluten and that is made on shared machinery. We will never buy another product made by Food For Life.

[DougE]

I just learned about this recall myself. I loved the brown rice tortillas. I am one of those hidden Celiacs...I have no symptoms. Kind of scary ain't it?

[psawyer]

Even with so-called gluten-free facilities, contamination can occur due to ingredients arriving already contaminated from somewhere else in the supply chain.

[Skylark]

I don't trust FFL at all. They really don't seem to care about customers' health. They were labeling spelt breads as "wheat alternative" until the FDA investigated. There was this thread about their corn tortillas a while back too.

As far as processed products in general, I feel safest eating foods were the company is testing their raw materials. As far as baked goods, according to their websites Kinnikinnick, Glutino, Udi's, and Bob's Red Mill are testing by ELISA and being very careful about cross-contamination issues in flours they purchase. I think the Whole Foods dedicated gluten-free bakery is too, but I haven't looked at their website in a while. I'm sure there are other good companies and maybe someone else can add to my "safe" list.

[GFinDC]

I wrote a message to FFL asking them about the recall in Canada. Last time I wrote them it was several weeks before they responded. I think I am with Skylark on this one. They are on my soon to be non-edible list depending on thier response.

[T.H.]

As far as processed products in general, I feel safest eating foods were the company is testing their raw materials. As far as baked goods, according to their websites Kinnikinnick, Glutino, Udi's, and Bob's Red Mill are testing by ELISA and being very careful about cross-contamination issues in flours they purchase. I think the Whole Foods dedicated gluten-free bakery is too, but I haven't looked at their website in a while. I'm sure there are other good companies and maybe someone else can add to my "safe" list.

Enjoy Life Foods test coming in based on a rating system (if the grains are not milled in a gluten-free facility, they are tested), and test every batch that comes out.

Gluten Free Pantry is part of Glutino. They have the same testing practices.

Pamela's tests every batch coming out (5ppm gluten or less), but not everything going in. Their flour mixes are in a gluten-free facility, but their cookies and such are just on a gluten-free line in another facility.

[Skylark]

That's good to know about Pamela's! I love that brownie mix.