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Trader Joe's Success?

kdonov2

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kdonov2 Contributor
kdonov2
Posted

I followed the Trader Joe's gluten free list today. They said that all of their hummuses were gluten free except for the white bean ones, so I bought one that said it was made on shared equipment with wheat because the manager told me that they clean the equipment in between products. I am not sure, but I think I got glutened anyway. My friend who works there said gluten free people follow this list all the time and never come back and complain, in attempt to get me to buy these shared equipment products. I wish I knew if my symptoms (very mild) are psychosomatic. Have any of you bought their products off the gluten free list that say they were made on shared lines (that do not add that they use good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients)? Did you have a reaction?

Thanks

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

The one I went to theother day,- I was looking at the hummus. He said it was his favorite. I said it's on shared equipment. He said of course you can't have that one then.

rosetapper23 Explorer
rosetapper23
Posted

I no longer buy gluten-free products at Trader Joe's--a lot of their products say, "No gluten-containing ingredients," or some such thing. However, there could still be contamination. Over the years, they've cut way back on gluten-free products and have even replaced some decent gluten-free products with ones that are gluten containing (such as replacing Jelly Belly candies with ones that look identical except that they contain wheat).

SarahJimMarcy Apprentice
SarahJimMarcy
Posted

I was at a loss with this, too. "It just depends on how sensitive she is," the manager kept saying when I told her my daughter has celiac. Well, really? I thought any gluten or possibility of gluten was too much. I left with nothing because I don't trust that the vendors do wash the equipment. Too much risk, I think.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I buy very little at Trader Joe's now because of the shared equipment. For us it is not just wheat but a variety of things. Even their tomato sauce is made on shared equipment. My mom does buy their hummus and I believe the regular one didn't have the shared equipment thing but the organic one did. It has been a while since I saw any at her house though. We buy the little cups of hummus at Costco. Says gluten-free right on the box! They also have large tubs if you want that kind.

kdonov2 Contributor
kdonov2
Posted
  • Author

Thanks. I should be more careful there. I often have silent symptoms, so I could be destroying my body and not even know it.

Maggie Mermaid Apprentice
Maggie Mermaid
Posted

We buy the little cups of hummus at Costco. Says gluten-free right on the box! They also have large tubs if you want that kind.

Where are the little cups of hummus located at Costco? I've bought the large tubs but didn't know about the little cups. Thanks in advance! :)

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Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

Where are the little cups of hummus located at Costco? I've bought the large tubs but didn't know about the little cups. Thanks in advance! :)

They keep moving the location. They are currently located where the large tubs are but they aren't always. Somemtimes they are on the end by the cheeses. Sometimes closer to the meats. I couldn't find them at at at the Everett Costco but perhaps I was looking in the wrong place.

Maggie Mermaid Apprentice
Maggie Mermaid
Posted

They keep moving the location. They are currently located where the large tubs are but they aren't always. Somemtimes they are on the end by the cheeses. Sometimes closer to the meats. I couldn't find them at at at the Everett Costco but perhaps I was looking in the wrong place.

Thanks! I am in Southern Calif. and will look in those areas of the store. That is one complaint I have about Costco is that they move stuff around and the aisles aren't labeled (at least the stores down here).

Maggie Mermaid Apprentice
Maggie Mermaid
Posted

They keep moving the location. They are currently located where the large tubs are but they aren't always. Somemtimes they are on the end by the cheeses. Sometimes closer to the meats. I couldn't find them at at at the Everett Costco but perhaps I was looking in the wrong place.

I found the small cups on an endcap, same refrigerated unit but opposite side of where the large tubs were located. Maybe the brand has to pay for product placement hence the moving around? It would make more sense to place the small versions with the large tubs since they're the same brand but that's just me.

Good luck finding them!

NorthernElf Enthusiast
NorthernElf
Posted

Definitely been "hit" by Trader Joe's products...heard so much about them but got sick, then realized the shared equipment thing - & learned the phrase "made without gluten ingredients"....really ! Too bad...was excited by some of their stuff.

melikamaui Explorer
melikamaui
Posted

I had a conversation with a TJ's employee yesterday. I was curious why some of their products say "made on shared equipment", some say "we employ good practices to lessen contamination" and some say nothing at all. There were some new sweet potato chips that my kids were dying to try. They are brand new and the bag has no warnings on it, but also no gluten ingredients. I didn't know what to do. The employee told me that they are "very strict" about printing on the labels so that if it doesn't say something than that is because it doesn't need to.

What do you think? :unsure:

  • 3 months later...
Coolclimates Collaborator
Coolclimates
Posted

I am getting very wary of TJ's too. I do not get sick if I get glutened but I still have damaged intestines, even after 1 1/2 years on a strict gluten-free diet. It makes me nervous to read about many of their products being shared on same lines and also the products seem really inconsistently labeled. Why do some say they are gluten-free and shared on the same line as gluten and others say gluten-free yet do not mention shared lines at all? And yet others do not say that they are gluten free yet they appear to not contain any gluten ingredients and aren't shared with Gluten ingredients?

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Glad this thread is around. TJ's opened up near me and I got a bag of potato chips. Should have been fine, but I got glutened. I was kinda bummed, but at least it was only tater chips. I also got a bag of granola which I haven't tried yet. Planning on taking it to the parents house for TG so's I have something to munch on while making gluten-free food for all.

Cathey Apprentice
Cathey
Posted

Call me anal but right now I'm not touching anything that is on shared equipment (too new). I've made my own humus, but Costco does have a brand that is G.F. and FYI Wise:)Potato Chips are gluten-free.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Call me anal but right now I'm not touching anything that is on shared equipment (too new). I've made my own humus, but Costco does have a brand that is G.F. and FYI Wise:)Potato Chips are gluten-free.

Lots of things are made on shared equipment, even things labelled gluten-free. They are not required to tell you its shared equipment in the US.

  • 2 weeks later...
Coolclimates Collaborator
Coolclimates
Posted

it really makes me wonder when they say "no gluten ingredients" versus "gluten free." I don't get sick if I get glutened, but I am very sensitive to it, nonetheless. The "no gluten ingredients" label basically makes it easier for the company to avoid a lawsuit.

pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

I have good luck with TJ's gluten-free stuff that is "no gluten ingredients" and made on lines NOT shared with wheat.

I have terrible luck, however, with all of their processed/flavored nuts (you know, all the yummy stuff) regardless of lines. Don't know if its gluten or something else but every time I feel terrible after I eat it... whereas I used to eat it before gluten-free and love it and feel great. Go figure.

I buy their plain nuts not processed on wheat shared equipment, and the little chocolate creme br

Coolclimates Collaborator
Coolclimates
Posted

thanks for the info about Costco, Cathey. But there is no Costco in my town!

bigbird16 Apprentice
bigbird16
Posted

Glad this thread is around. TJ's opened up near me and I got a bag of potato chips. Should have been fine, but I got glutened. I was kinda bummed, but at least it was only tater chips. I also got a bag of granola which I haven't tried yet. Planning on taking it to the parents house for TG so's I have something to munch on while making gluten-free food for all.

I tried that granola when I first saw it in my local TJ's. Made me happy to see gluten-free granola with no oats. Wow. I'm not a big fan of granola, and it was so good.

Coolclimates Collaborator
Coolclimates
Posted

I eat the TJ's granola often. I also eat their nuts, but only on packages where there is an allergen statement that doesn't mention wheat. I also eat their pasta and rice. But this whole "no gluten ingredients" thing is freaking me out. Despite not getting sick if I eat gluten, my body is extremely sensitive. All of my blood tests have had very elevated antibodies. So I ask super sensitive people if they can eat TJs products without getting sick. If they can, I figure that I can eat them, too. But it's such a conundrum.

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