"gluten Free" Foods

[Jack V]

Is it common for people to react to foods labeled gluten free? I seem to get an allergic reaction to these pepperoni sticks my mom often brings home (Labeled Gluten & Lactose free). I live in Canada so the enforced limit by Health Canada is 20 ppm. Another thing I'm curious about is if it's common for celiacs to react to, lets say a serving of a 20 ppm food, or would reacting to this be extraordinary?

Thanks,

Jack

[dilettantesteph]

Dr. Fasano gave a figure of around 5% of celiacs who react to gluten free foods. This was an oral communication to the head of my local support group. I don't have a source for it. I am one who does too.

[cassP]

Is it common for people to react to foods labeled gluten free? I seem to get an allergic reaction to these pepperoni sticks my mom often brings home (Labeled Gluten & Lactose free). I live in Canada so the enforced limit by Health Canada is 20 ppm. Another thing I'm curious about is if it's common for celiacs to react to, lets say a serving of a 20 ppm food, or would reacting to this be extraordinary?

Thanks,

Jack

concerning the pepperoni- i have had strange allergic reactions to my gluten-free turkey pepperoni (AND i have developed food allergies since going gluten free)... with the pepperoni- i am assuming we're reacting to any nitrates OR corn byproducts like caramel color and dextrose... or BHT or something weird.

my guess is (at least for me)- is that now- that we have gone gluten-free and are fine tuning our immune system- it may now be a little hyper and recognizing "enemies" or "fake enemies" more quickly.

its very strange- my allergic reactions since going gluten-free... and now im reacting to raw carrots WEIRD>

anyways- your gluten-free <20ppm question- YES it IS possible to react... some products ive been okay with.. and then when i ate those Blue Diamond Pecan Nut Thins- my DH on my forearm started itching... not bad- but enough to tell me i was reacting. i didnt get any stomach pain. but ive had stomach pain from other gluten-free substitutes.

[love2travel]

Is it common for people to react to foods labeled gluten free? I seem to get an allergic reaction to these pepperoni sticks my mom often brings home (Labeled Gluten & Lactose free). I live in Canada so the enforced limit by Health Canada is 20 ppm. Another thing I'm curious about is if it's common for celiacs to react to, lets say a serving of a 20 ppm food, or would reacting to this be extraordinary?

Thanks,

Jack

My dietitian and GI surgeon told me that here in Canada the limit is 10 ppm (unsure if that is a new thing?). I don't go by that, anyway - my limit is 0 ppm but of course I am aware that things can happen...

[psawyer]

I don't know where the 20 ppm or 10 ppm came from. The present law in Canada states that to be labeled "gluten-free," a product must not contain any ingredient derived in whole or in part from wheat, barley, rye or oats.

[Jack V]

concerning the pepperoni- i have had strange allergic reactions to my gluten-free turkey pepperoni (AND i have developed food allergies since going gluten free)... with the pepperoni- i am assuming we're reacting to any nitrates OR corn byproducts like caramel color and dextrose... or BHT or something weird.

my guess is (at least for me)- is that now- that we have gone gluten-free and are fine tuning our immune system- it may now be a little hyper and recognizing "enemies" or "fake enemies" more quickly.

its very strange- my allergic reactions since going gluten-free... and now im reacting to raw carrots WEIRD>

anyways- your gluten-free <20ppm question- YES it IS possible to react... some products ive been okay with.. and then when i ate those Blue Diamond Pecan Nut Thins- my DH on my forearm started itching... not bad- but enough to tell me i was reacting. i didnt get any stomach pain. but ive had stomach pain from other gluten-free substitutes.

Would this suggest that I need to revisit what I'm allergic to? (I'm assuming that psawyer is right, suggesting that the product has no gluten)

[psawyer]

Cross contamination is conceivable in a gluten-free product, but because of the nature, CC is inconsistent. If you consistently react to a particular gluten-free product, then I would look for an intolerance to an ingredient other than gluten.

[dilettantesteph]

You can test for intolerances of questionable ingredients by eating them in a form which is very unlikely to be contaminated. We were able to rule out food intolerances in this way. Some things I grew in my garden. Some I got at a Farmer's market from growers who I was able to question carefully about their growing practices. For soy you can get edaname in the pod and wash and shell it. For corn you can get corn on the cob, shuck and wash. It can be a long process. In my case, it seems to be contamination and not food intolerances. I am just sensitive to very low levels of gluten.

[cassP]

Would this suggest that I need to revisit what I'm allergic to? (I'm assuming that psawyer is right, suggesting that the product has no gluten)

concerning things like the pepperoni (especially when the company enforces a naturally gluten free food as also being "gluten free")-> i would assume- this is an additional food intolerance or a new food allergy- for sure. not cc.

but when it comes to grains and starches/gluten free substitutes... and even if they're labeled "gluten free"- they could still have gluten in them UNDER 20ppm... so, when it comes to "gluten-free" crackers and cereals and flours- it could be cc OR additional grain intolerance- with that- you're really gonna just have to go with trial and error.