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

The Tale Of The Moldy Cookies

modiddly16

Recommended Posts

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

There is a product out there on the market that I very much enjoy, so I'm not going to post the company name on here because I don't want to completely blame them for my bad experience. I stopped by my local grocery store and picked up a bag of these delicious cookies (mind you at $8.99 a bag, they better be delicious), the expiration date said good through Feb. 2011...which you always have to check because some stores are better about watching this than others.

So yesterday, I remember that I bought the cookies...I open the fully sealed bag and take a bite...then I inhale, and smell what can only be described as how a nail salon chemical smells. I look down again at the cookie and notice gree fuzz...all over the cookie.

I immediately lost my cookies (pun intended), as my gag reflex gets out of control if something smells 1/4 as bad as this did. I had my finacee look at the rest of the bag and all of them were covered in the fuzz.

While I'm aware that I should look before I eat (sometimes with cookies my inner fat girl comes out :ph34r: ) but has anyone had this happen?

I emailed the company letting them know and was going to return them to the store in hopes that I'd get my money back, which I doubt.

I just wasn't sure if this was something others have experianced, or if I'll ever be able to eat a cookie again. blech. :blink:

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


shopgirl Contributor
shopgirl
Posted

Oh, that's awful.

I used to drink bottled Starbucks Mochas every day and once took a huge mouthful without sniffing first

GFreeMO Proficient
GFreeMO
Posted

Agh..yuck.Hopefully the get back to you soon with a refund and gift cards for your trouble!

GlutenGladi8or Apprentice
GlutenGladi8or
Posted

If the manufacturer is an up-and-up company you'll get your money back. If not, go to the retailer. Just make sure that you have the box that they were sold in, and the respective code dating (as they will need that to process your refund).

SO many things could have led to this:

- Is the item all natural or organic? Without a preservative, they have a tendency to have shorter shelf lives.

- Are the cookies sold at a shelf stable temperature? If so, high heat in the store can make items go bad.

- The retailer could have let this item sit in the back of the store at a high temperature.

Let us know if the manufacturer gets back with you and their actions to rectify the situation.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I have had moldy Ener-G bread that was not expired and still sealed.

Takala Enthusiast
Takala
Posted

There is a popular snack bar that is gluten free that I eat all the time, but .... now I always open it up carefully and LOOK at it first before that initial bite.

You can recover. But you may have just developed a new .... habit. :ph34r:

MelindaLee Contributor
MelindaLee
Posted

I had a simlar experience with some crackers. It was the first time I had bought them so I didn't know what the taste was supposed to be. The best I can describe is it smelled like they used algae in the crackers! :P The company was wonderful and actually sent me a new box of crackers, plus a whole box of gluten-free foods...many of which I hadn't tried before. (Though I still have yet to try the crackers that weren't good. :blink: )

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted
  • Author

I returned them to the store and they refunded me my money and were really apologetic. I told them that I obviously didn't blame them but when something is $8.99 you can't just waste that type of money, especailly on cookies! I emailed the company the day it happened and have heard nothing back from them yet, which is really disappointing. I know that companies are busy and sometimes it takes a day or so to respond to someone but a week? I don't love that. I work in customer service and responsiveness is a high priority!

GlutenGladi8or Apprentice
GlutenGladi8or
Posted

I work in customer service and responsiveness is a high priority!

Give them one more phone call next week and see if they respond. In your message, let them know that you personally make responsiveness a priority in your life and you hope that they do the same. In your message, let them know:

- The retailer

- Date of purchase

- Date of consumption

- Code date on box (you may need to hold it up to the light and read the stamp sideways)

Hopefully, they will clean up their own backyard. If not, let the board know about the manufacturer after the first of the year.

Here's why I take this so seriously. ONE bad gluten free product interaction can cast a terrible shadow on ALL gluten-free products. And, I think we are all in agreement on this board to move forward with the Gluten Free agenda.

Good luck!

Nor-TX Enthusiast
Nor-TX
Posted

I have had this happen twice with Daiya cheese purchased at Whole Foods. The first time I opened the package the cheese was all green even though the "best buy" date was a long way off. The package was not split or opened in any way. It took me weeks to purchase the next bag - it was fine. Again I bought a bg and once more when I opened it the center was green. I now puchase it at Sprouts and it has been good, although last week the bag I bought had a rip I noticed when I was putting it in the fridge. I packaged it into another bag. I am not rough or neglectful with my groceries so I don't know what happened. I didn't return the Whole Foods bags because it is an hour drive to get there. I didn't return the Sprouts bag because I can't be sure when the rip happened. I don't think I will buy the Daiya cheese again or at least for a long time - it's too expensive to be so much work and quite frankly, it really isn't that good.

  • 2 weeks later...
modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted
  • Author

So now I'm mad. The company hasn't responded to two e-mails about the situation. That's just poor customer service and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'll be purchasing their product again!

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

So now I'm mad. The company hasn't responded to two e-mails about the situation. That's just poor customer service and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'll be purchasing their product again!

What is the name of the product?

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted
  • Author

They were Aleia's Almond Horn Cookies.

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted
  • Author

I just sent them another email letting them know how disappointed I was in their lack of response and that I couldn't justify supporting their product if they couldn't bother responding to those loyal to them. I imagine I came across as a B word.

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted
  • Author

well now I feel bad.

I am very sorry for the delay in my reply. I just checked our spam folder online and found your first email. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience you may have been caused and thank you so much for taking the time to email us. I would like to also thank you for purchasing our cookies. I am very sorry you did not have the opportunity to open a bag of our gluten free almond horn cookies and enjoy the extraordinary aroma of the recipe. We are committed to delivering quality, delicious, safe, all natural, gluten free products to the people that need them.

As a young company, that is growing by leaps and bounds, I can say, we have experienced some growing pains. We have been assessing all packaging possibilities with our lab and they have educated us on many different potential ways our packaging could occasionally become flawed and how our products can become compromised in transport. The lot number you gave me indicates that the cookies were produced and shipped in July. With the extremely high humidity we had this summer it is very possible the reason for the mold is a weather related problem.

I can assure you our gluten free bakery facility follows HACCP and good manufacturing practices and the inner bag that we use is FDA approved. Thank you for including the lot number and enjoy by date. This information is especially important to us. We do have a quality control manager who oversees the quality standards of our raw materials all the way through to the finished product. I have notified him of your lot number incident.

For being so kind to write to us, we would like to send you some cookies. Please give me your address and I will ship them to you. I apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced; we will do everything possible to eliminate similar problems in the future. We really do appreciate your feedback, and look forward to hearing from you again.

Kindest Regards,

Linda

Linda Allain

VP Customer Relations

Aleia's Gluten Free Foods

4 Pin Oak DriveBranford, CT. 06405P: 203.488.5556

F: 203.488.0923aleias@sbcglobal.netFollow us: Open Original Shared Link

shopgirl Contributor
shopgirl
Posted

It's great that they got back to you but what a goofy email. :lol:

Give the free cookies they send you the once over before you eat them.

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

Really enjoyed this thread with all the ups and downs of yaack, now I'm mad, NOW I'm mad, K now I feel bad. You made me laugh Mo!!!!

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted
  • Author

well I was pretty mad!!! but after her response and her offer for free cookies I felt badly for coming across as a jerk :(

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

well I was pretty mad!!! but after her response and her offer for free cookies I felt badly for coming across as a jerk :(

Let us know if you get the cookies and how they are.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,330
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    klkarius
    Newest Member
    klkarius
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • 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.