Grrrrrrrr . . .

[VioletBlue]

So now there's soy flour in the Betty Crocker cake mixes? I know they weren't using soy flour when they first put them out, I would have seen it in the ingredient list and said no way. I saw the may contain trace mention but after trying one and not being bothered I moved on. But like a fool I stopped reading the ingredient list on their cake mixes because I knew they were gluten free.

So when did they slip the soy flour in there and WHY? It also explains why I can't handle the Bisquick either, the slop over on the production lines is probably pretty intense, and with the protein content in soy flour there's no way I could not react.

Thanks for nothing Betty Crocker. Really, nothing.

[ravenwoodglass]

Your not alone in your frustration with this. I'm in the same boat. Oh well back to Gluten Free Pantry. Glad in my local store they are about the same price.

[kareng]

I don't have a problem with soy (for now, anyway). It sure is a sneaky little devil. It is lurking in all sorts of places it doesn't belong (salsa? gum or candy?)

[Jestgar]

I just sent them a sad little letter about not being able to have a BC cake for my birthday anymore.

[jerseyangel]

I had no idea Well, thanks for the heads up....and yep, back to Gluten Free Pantry for me too.

[mushroom]

When Bisquick gluten free came out I did not get excited, because I needed to check what was in it first. When I found the following:

" Bisquick Open Original Shared Link Pancake And Baking Mix ingredients: rice flour, sugar, baking soda, modified potato starch, salt and Xanthan Gum. The package says it may contain soy ingredients."

I just scratched it from my possibles list, both for the soy and the potato

[VioletBlue]

That's the real frustrating thing for me, Betty Crocker is it in this town. The organic store went out of business back in February so the nearest brick and mortar with gluten-free mixes is now an hour away down a mountain road. That's why a mainstream product that was gluten-free was so wonderful to me; no more mail order in bulk off the net. Now it's back to 6 boxes at a time. Double grrrrr.

And yes, I sent them a lovely little email yesterday too. I can't wait to hear how they rationalize the ingredient change.

Your not alone in your frustration with this. I'm in the same boat. Oh well back to Gluten Free Pantry. Glad in my local store they are about the same price.

[Takala]

There needs to be MASSIVE COMPLAINING about this.

I am a scratch baker and there is no reason to put soy flour in ANYTHING, let alone gluten free processed foods. Somebody really has their heads up their bum on this one.

The last thing any of us need is to have somebody use one of these soy contaminated mixes, and then try to serve it to us as a safe gluten free item, when so many react to it. My spouse made me some for my birthday recently, and we couldn't figure out what it was that had me slightly feeling puny the next few days because I had eaten nothing unusual - but I don't think I read the label to double check, (he held up the box and said he had bought the Gluten Free mix we had had before) thinking cross contamination could be a problem - I do remember pulling the box out of the trash to look at it, the next day, and it had something like "may contain traces." It must have been quite a trace because I am not that sensitive.

So the next week I'm retesting myself on butter with homemade quickbread and having no problems.

What a pia. Yo, Bette Crocker, did you miss the memo that a lot of celiacs and gluten intolerant people can't do soy products ?

[mushroom]

There needs to be MASSIVE COMPLAINING about this.

I am a scratch baker and there is no reason to put soy flour in ANYTHING, let alone gluten free processed foods. Somebody really has their heads up their bum on this one.

The last thing any of us need is to have somebody use one of these soy contaminated mixes, and then try to serve it to us as a safe gluten free item, when so many react to it. My spouse made me some for my birthday recently, and we couldn't figure out what it was that had me slightly feeling puny the next few days because I had eaten nothing unusual - but I don't think I read the label to double check, (he held up the box and said he had bought the Gluten Free mix we had had before) thinking cross contamination could be a problem - I do remember pulling the box out of the trash to look at it, the next day, and it had something like "may contain traces." It must have been quite a trace because I am not that sensitive.

So the next week I'm retesting myself on butter with homemade quickbread and having no problems.

What a pia. Yo, Bette Crocker, did you miss the memo that a lot of celiacs and gluten intolerant people can't do soy products ?

Hey, Takala, I live with this all the time. Folks keep saying, "It's gluten free. Everything here is gluten free!!" I say to them, "That is just the first question. I assume (if you are at a gluten free expo. e,g.) it doesn't have gluten. What DOES it have in it?" They look at me like I'm nuts Some of them say, in response to soy, "I wouldn't put that muck in anything!", which I love, but then they do use potato starch Seems like everyone has to use potato starch, except Namaste, and Food for Life. So I bake from scratch too.

And any time I eat out and eat something that is "gluten free" in the baking line, I take my Lectin Lock along with me and take a couple of tabs if I dare partake of the product, because I know it will have soy or potato in it. PIA is right!!

[GFinDC]

Yep, soy and potato, so it's out for me too. I tried them a few times when they first came out but had to stop them. Most gluten-free products are out for that matter. I guess they all use potato because it is cheap. Soy and nightshade intolerance makes for a pretty short list of processed gluten-free foods that can be eaten.

[lovegrov]

Last I looked the mixes said GLUTEN free. I'm sorry for those who can't tolerate soy or potatoes, but nowhere do I see the mixes guaranteeing soy or nightshade free. Most celiacs I know tolerate soy just fine, and, yes, a product that is free of wheat, rye, barley, and oats but has soy is in fact gluten free. If a mainstream product had to avoid every intolerance or allergy I've seen among celiacs, it would be gluten, corn, soy, dairy, nightshade, nut, shellfish, MSG, artificial coloring, and legume free. And I'm sure I'm missing a few.

richard

[mbrookes]

I agree with lovegrov. They can't leave out everything that someone might be sensitive to. That leaves pretty much nothing. We just have to resign ourselves to reading labels every time and realize that we are (bottom line) responsible for ourselves.

[jerseyangel]

The point of the thread is that the ingredients changed--I doubt soy in the mix would have been a topic of conversation if they had included it originally. Those of us with additional sensitivities are very used to scanning ingredient lists for more than gluten--many mixes and prepared gluten-free foods have things that we can't have and that's fine.

I appreciate Violet letting us know about the change.

[Jestgar]

The point of the thread is that the ingredients changed--

Exactly. Why add in a major allergen if you have a formula that works without it?

[lovegrov]

Exactly. Why add in a major allergen if you have a formula that works without it?

Obviously I can't answer that for certain but I can guess. The soy flour night be cheaper than something else they were using. Or, the gluten-free mix might not have been selling well enough and a taste/texture test showed that those who tried it liked the soy flour recipe better.

My original post was reacting in part to this part of a post -- "The last thing any of us need is to have somebody use one of these soy contaminated mixes, and then try to serve it to us as a safe gluten free item, when so many react to it..."

The thing is that even if there IS soy contamination, the product is indeed safe as far as gluten is concerned. Hence my reaction that Betty Crocker isn't claiming it's soy free, only gluten free. From what I've seen, it's really just a very small percentage of people with celiac who also can't have soy.

richard

[VioletBlue]

The issue is obviously not yours, congratulations. For those of us, and there are quite a few here, with multiple allergies and intolerances it is a problem. Soy is one of the seven top allergens and many people, not just Celiacs are allergic to it. It is unfortunate that a company like Betty Crocker, in trying to service the Gluten Free community has gone about it with about the same level of sensitivity as you seem to posses. I had hoped for more from Betty Crocker.

Obviously I can't answer that for certain but I can guess. The soy flour night be cheaper than something else they were using. Or, the gluten-free mix might not have been selling well enough and a taste/texture test showed that those who tried it liked the soy flour recipe better.

My original post was reacting in part to this part of a post -- "The last thing any of us need is to have somebody use one of these soy contaminated mixes, and then try to serve it to us as a safe gluten free item, when so many react to it..."

The thing is that even if there IS soy contamination, the product is indeed safe as far as gluten is concerned. Hence my reaction that Betty Crocker isn't claiming it's soy free, only gluten free. From what I've seen, it's really just a very small percentage of people with celiac who also can't have soy.

richard

[VioletBlue]

This was the email response I recieved from Betty Crocker.

"Thank you for contacting General Mills. Your comments are important to us.

We are committed to making a difference in the lives of our consumers. Feedback such as yours is important to the nature of our business.

If you would like an adjustment for your purchase, please provide us with your mailing address.

We appreciate your loyalty and the time you took to contact us. Please be assured that we will share your thoughts with the appropriate individuals."

[mushroom]

"Dear Betty Crocker: You are indeed making a (negative) difference in the lives of your formerly loyal consumers. Please refund the money I paid for this now inedible product - here is my address. I hold little hope for the thoughts you share with the "appropriate" individuals."

[lovegrov]

The issue is obviously not yours, congratulations. For those of us, and there are quite a few here, with multiple allergies and intolerances it is a problem. Soy is one of the seven top allergens and many people, not just Celiacs are allergic to it. It is unfortunate that a company like Betty Crocker, in trying to service the Gluten Free community has gone about it with about the same level of sensitivity as you seem to posses. I had hoped for more from Betty Crocker.

I am sorry that you or others are allergic to soy. But in this case, BC set out to make a GLUTEN FREE product. The company did not promise a SOY FREE product. Somebody here posted an opinion suggesting that because of the soy, this product is not safe for people with celiac. This is most definitely not true -- it's safe for the majority of people with celiac or wheat allergies -- and that's what I reacted to. I also noted in response to a post asking why BC would use soy flour that BC may have added it to make the product more viable in the market and to keep the price down. I don't know if that's the reason, but it's certainly plausible.

If you can get BC to take the soy flour out, that's great. I don't care if doesn't have soy flour, except, of course, if taking soy flour out leads to the eventual failure of the product, making it unavailable to everybody, including those with no soy problems.

richard

[modiddly16]

My goodness. The tone in some of the responses on this thread are unpleasant. There's no need for rudeness or snide comments here! Everyone is trying to help everyone else out, so to assume people are purposely trying to offend you is silly. This is unfortunate for those celiacs who also can't have soy without a doubt but sadly there are a lot of things that are considered gluten free that many people cannot have. I for one, cannot tolerate Udi's and still have no idea why but I'm not ripping apart others who can eat that product or bashing their opinions about the product.

Ease up people....it's the holidays!

[kayo]

Thanks for the heads up. I can't tolerate soy either.

Why add in a major allergen if you have a formula that works without it?

To me this is the key point of this thread and something I ponder too.

These items have also been crossed off my list because ingredients have change to add one of the major 8 allergens (soy & milk):

1. Burt's Bees added soy to their products when they were bought by Clorox
   
2. Cool Whip recently added milk and cream to their recipe, previously it just had cassein but not lactose
   

[mushroom]

Somebody here posted an opinion suggesting that because of the soy, this product is not safe for people with celiac.

richard

Actually, I have been unable to find that claim in any of the posts, Richard. Only the disappointment that BC would add another major allergen (soy) to a product they have specifically produced to cater for those with an intolerance to a different major allergen (gluten/wheat), when many of those people are also intolerant of the new addition, thereby making it unsafe for THEM, not for all celiacs.

[Gemini]

Actually, I have been unable to find that claim in any of the posts, Richard. Only the disappointment that BC would add another major allergen (soy) to a product they have specifically produced to cater for those with an intolerance to a different major allergen (gluten/wheat), when many of those people are also intolerant of the new addition, thereby making it unsafe for THEM, not for all celiacs.

The last thing any of us need is to have somebody use one of these soy contaminated mixes, and then try to serve it to us as a safe gluten free item, when so many react to it.

This may have been the statement that Richard was referring to. It does imply that soy containing products are not safe for Celiacs. I know it is not easy to have more than one intolerance because I cannot have dairy on top of gluten. However, BC caters to the gluten free world with these products and cannot make everyone happy. There are other options out there for mixes and you can always make things from scratch and that would solve the problem. You cannot expect these companies to cater to every little allergen out there. I also think the number of soy sensitive people is far lower than those with gluten intolerance/sensitivity. The bottom line is money for these companies and soy flour may be cheaper than others, without sacrificing taste and texture.

[jerseyangel]

I daresay no one on this thread expects any company to cater to us--if a company wants to use soy or potato or anything else, more power to them. Again, the point of the original poster's message was that the ingredients had changed and again, I appreciate the heads up.

[GFinDC]

I am sorry that you or others are allergic to soy.

...

If you can get BC to take the soy flour out, that's great. I don't care if doesn't have soy flour, except, of course, if taking soy flour out leads to the eventual failure of the product, making it unavailable to everybody, including those with no soy problems.

richard

Ha ha! Richard is all like keep your hands off my BC! :D LOL!

I agree Richard. Better to have it available than not. I remember when I tried the yellow cake mix a few times before the change, it was a little dry and scratchy to eat. It could be the soy flour is to help with that issue. Soy flour is used as a dough conditioner often. It has some kind of beneficial affect for doughs, altho I don't know what exactly that affect is.

My goodness. The tone in some of the responses on this thread are unpleasant. There's no need for rudeness or snide comments here! Everyone is trying to help everyone else out, so to assume people are purposely trying to offend you is silly. This is unfortunate for those celiacs who also can't have soy without a doubt but sadly there are a lot of things that are considered gluten free that many people cannot have. I for one, cannot tolerate Udi's and still have no idea why but I'm not ripping apart others who can eat that product or bashing their opinions about the product.

Ease up people....it's the holidays!

Happy Holidaze! :D And I agree with you.

Thanks for the heads up. I can't tolerate soy either.

To me this is the key point of this thread and something I ponder too.

These items have also been crossed off my list because ingredients have change to add one of the major 8 allergens (soy & milk):

1. Burt's Bees added soy to their products when they were bought by Clorox
   
2. Cool Whip recently added milk and cream to their recipe, previously it just had cassein but not lactose
   

I do think it's odd when a company makes a product and markets it to people with food intolerance issues and then changes the recipe to add a top 8 food allergen. Just seems like a nonsensical thing to do. Kinda like the king going out in his shiny new invisible clothes. They just don't seem to get it.