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

Trader Joe's Gluten Free


GFshay

Recommended Posts

GFshay Apprentice

I just started my gluten-free diet and we had tacos using Trader Joe's corn shells and taco seasoning, both labeled with their little "Gluten Free" symbol in a cute little stamp of a "g" on the front. Then after the meal, my husband noticed that there was a bit more info on the nutrition label...

It says: "Our vendors follow good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients to avoid cross contact with allergens. Made on equipment shared with wheat, milk and soy."

The first sentence seems to contradict the second... isn't it a *bad* practice to make something on shared equipment?

Has anyone looked into this further? Could it mean that they share equipment, but we shouldn't worry because they clean it carefully?? I'm trying to be super careful as I start on this journey... help!!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



ChemistMama Contributor

I just started my gluten-free diet and we had tacos using Trader Joe's corn shells and taco seasoning, both labeled with their little "Gluten Free" symbol in a cute little stamp of a "g" on the front. Then after the meal, my husband noticed that there was a bit more info on the nutrition label...

It says: "Our vendors follow good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients to avoid cross contact with allergens. Made on equipment shared with wheat, milk and soy."

The first sentence seems to contradict the second... isn't it a *bad* practice to make something on shared equipment?

Has anyone looked into this further? Could it mean that they share equipment, but we shouldn't worry because they clean it carefully?? I'm trying to be super careful as I start on this journey... help!!

I think you need to read their labels more carefully...they now stamp everything with "no gluten ingredients', which is not the same as 'gluten free'. TJ's is always a hotly contested topic on these boards. Do a search and you'll see for yourself. In short, we like that TJs is up front with their labelling, but whether you eat said item is up to you. There are people who eat their items that have been made on shared equipement and do not get sick, and those who are very sensitive and do get sick.

In your case, since you're just starting out on your gluten-free journey, I'd stay away from those items for the next 6 months or so, so if you do get accidentally glutened you can more easily figure out what made you sick. I've been gluten-free for almost 2 years and I don't react to TJ's products at all.

psawyer Proficient

It is not so much TJ that is the question, it is "shared equipment."

Unless your home is 100% gluten-free, it is a "shared facility," and if you have only one set of dishes/pots/cutlery, they are "shared equipment."

"Good manufacturing practices" refers to thorough cleaning, among other things.

Disclosure of shared facilities or equipment is completely voluntary. If you see the statement, you know, but the absence of such a statement does not mean the factory does not process gluten.

If you react to a product, don't use it.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,704
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Doreen Brace
    Newest Member
    Doreen Brace
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Gigi2025
      Hi Christiana, Many thanks for your response.  Interestingly, I too cannot eat wheat in France without feeling effects (much less than in the US, but won't indulge nonetheless).  I also understand children are screened for celiac in Italy prior to starting their education. Wise idea as it seems my grandson has the beginning symptoms (several celiacs in his dad's family), but parents continue to think he's just being difficult.  Argh.  There's a test I took that diagnosed gluten sensitivity in 2014 via Entero Labs, and am planning on having done again.  Truth be told, I'm hoping it's the bromine/additives/preservatives as I miss breads and pastas terribly when home here in the states!  Be well and here's to our guts healing ❤️
    • Wends
      Lol that’s so true! Hope you get clarity, it’s tough when there’s doubt. There’s so much known about celiac disease with all the scientific research that’s been done so far yet practically and clinically there’s also so much unknown, still. Out of curiosity what’s her dairy consumption like? Even compared to early years to now? Has that changed? Calcium is dependent in the mechanism of antigen presenting cells in the gut. High calcium foods with gluten grains can initiate inflammation greater.  This is why breakfast cereals and milk combo long term can be a ticking time bomb for genetically susceptible celiacs (not a scientific statement by any means but my current personal opinion based on reasoning at present). Milk and wheat are the top culprits for food sensitivity. Especially in childhood. There are also patient cases of antibodies normalising in celiac children who had milk protein intolerance/ delayed type allergy. Some asymptomatic. There were a couple of cases of suspected celiacs that turned out to have milk protein intolerance that normalised antibodies on a gluten containing diet. Then there were others that only normalised antibodies once gluten and milk was eliminated. Milk kept the antibodies positive. Celiac disease is complicated to say the least.
    • deanna1ynne
      And thank you for your encouragement. I am glad that her body is doing a good job fighting it. I also just want clarity for her moving forwards. She was only 6 for the last round of testing and she's 10 now, so I'm also hoping that makes a difference. It was weird during her last round of testing though, because right before her biopsy, we'd upped her gluten intake by giving her biscuits made from straight up vital wheat gluten, and her labs actually normalized slightly (lower ttg and her ema went negative). Bodies just do weird things sometimes! lol
    • deanna1ynne
      The first negative biopsy in 2021 just said "no pathological change" for all the samples, and the second one in 2022 said "Duodenal mucosa with mild reactive change (focal foveolar metaplasia) and preserved villous architecture." So I think Marsh score 0 in both cases, though it's not actually written in the pathology reports. I'm really hoping to get a clear positive result this time, just for her sake.  
    • Wends
      Hopefully the biopsy gives a conclusive and correct diagnosis for your daughter. Im in the UK and have been in the situation a few years ago of trying to rule celiac in or out after inconclusive results. Many symptoms pointing to it including the classic symptoms and weight loss and folate and iron deficiency. You have to play a waiting game. I also had the label of IBS and likely food allergy. Genetic test showed low risk for celiac but not no risk. It sounds like the Gastroenterologist is on it and hopefully will diagnose what it is correctly. Food hypersensitivity (allergy) can also cause similar symptoms and inflammation as well as mimicking IBS. Milk / dairy and wheat (cereal grains) being the biggest culprits. The “oesophagitis” and “gastritis” you mentioned can be caused by another gastrointestinal disorder called “eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders”. These are named depending on which part of the gastrointestinal tract is affected. For example eosinophilic oesophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and more rare eosinophilic colitis. They are antigen (allergen) driven. When the blood test measuring anti-ttg antibodies is positive in absence of a positive ema test - which is more specific to celiac, this can also suggest food hypersensitivity (allergy). Usually delayed type allergy similar to celiac but not autoimmune if that makes sense. In this case the ttg antibodies are transient. Which happens. I’ve first hand experience. For info, evidence of villous atrophy too can be caused by food hypersensitivity. Not just by celiac disease. In Egid disorders the six food elimination diet, under a dietitian and gastroenterologist care, is the dietary protocol to figure out the culprit or culprits. Sometimes only two food elimination diet is used at first. The number one culprit is milk protein / dairy. Followed by wheat, eggs, soy, fish and seafood, and nuts. Most are only reactive to one food group or two. Most are only reactive to milk. Hope this is a helpful reply.
×
×
  • 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.