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

Wendy's Canada Food Allergy Poster

sleepingbeauty

By sleepingbeauty
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

sleepingbeauty Newbie
sleepingbeauty
Posted

The Wendy's I go to in Ottawa has a poster up and it has the allergens in their food products. I was sick of the baked potatoes and the kids wanted Wendy's, so I gave in. The grilled chicken without the bun was not listed as containing wheat. I got sick on my way out to the car. I called the regional manager and he admitted that the chicken breast does have wheat. These are the ingredients on the website:

Ultimate Chicken Grill Breast

Chicken breast, water, seasoning (sea salt, maltodextrin, natural flavours, yeast extract, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, gum Arabic, dextrose), modified corn starch, sodium phosphates. Rubbed with paprika and spice.

To my inexperienced eye there is nothing there that contains wheat, but the manager admitted there was wheat in the seasoning. I have asked him to take down the posters with the incorrect information down until they can be replaced but he was not interested in doing that.

As well, some of the salad dressings are listed as having no soy on the poster. Here is the ingredient list:

Creamy Red Jalape
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


heatherjane Contributor
heatherjane
Posted

Have you thought about talking to someone higher up in the Wendy's chain?

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

My very experienced eye does not see any wheat in the first ingredients list either.

Is it possible that the poster came from the US? The reason I ask is that the salad dressing you posted is considered soy-allergen free under US federal law. There is an exemption in the statute for "highly refined oils." So, in the US, that dressing would not be considered to contain the allergen soy.

ElseB Contributor
ElseB
Posted

I can't find the reference now, but I remember reading somewhere that yeast extract could contain gluten, and should only be considered safe if in a product labelled gluten free.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

With the exception of "brewer's yeast," yeast and products derived from it are gluten-free. That includes "yeast extract" and the essentially synonymous "autolyzed yeast." "Brewer's yeast" is questionable, as it has two meanings, one of which is the spent yeast from the process of brewing beer from barley.

Yeast extract is a concern if you are avoiding MSG, but that is a whole 'nother ball game. And since I mentioned MSG, let me mention once again that MSG is gluten-free.

sleepingbeauty Newbie
sleepingbeauty
Posted
  • Author

Have you thought about talking to someone higher up in the Wendy's chain?

I have called but they have not returned my call as of yet.

My very experienced eye does not see any wheat in the first ingredients list either.

Is it possible that the poster came from the US? The reason I ask is that the salad dressing you posted is considered soy-allergen free under US federal law. There is an exemption in the statute for "highly refined oils." So, in the US, that dressing would not be considered to contain the allergen soy.

The poster is Canadian. Seriously soya oil does not contain soy??? Well, I'm glad I am not american because, my body does not agree. As far as the wheat goes, I don't know if the ingredient list on the site is different from the ingredient list on the box, I am just going by what the manager said. It could have also been tongs or something.

Thanks for all the replies. I will see it through and let y'all know what was decided.

Connie

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

It could have also been tongs or something.

Cross-contamination is always a risk in a fast-food place like Wendy's.

I'm not aware of an exception for oils in Canadian label rules that is similar to the US one.

But in the US, oils are not considered allergen content, regardless of the source. Add to that the fact that (also US rules) restaurant meals are not required to disclose anything about their content. Whatever you do see is completely voluntary.

As far as I know, disclosure of allergen content for restaurant food is voluntary in Canada. CFIA is fairly firm on requiring that the statements not be misleading. "Misleading" is open to interpretation.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


heatherjane Contributor
heatherjane
Posted

I was going to say, too, that you may have gotten sick from cross-contamination. I went to a Wendy's not too long ago and they were handling everything with the same gloves: buns, meat, and condiments...order after order. And crumbs are everywhere in a place like that, especially when they're busy. For a moment I considered getting a bunless burger, but not after I saw how they were preparing the food. Even if I did ask them to change gloves, it would have been too risky in my opinion.

sleepingbeauty Newbie
sleepingbeauty
Posted
  • Author

Got a call back from Wendy's nutritionalist. Apparently there is no gluten in the grilled chicken breasts. So I guess it was cross contamination. As well, she claims the soya oil (highly refined) is not an allergen. I did not know this. Is anyone sensitive to soy but okay with soya oil?? I assumed that I had been having reactions to it but I could have been wrong.

Connie

granolagal Apprentice
granolagal
Posted

As far as I know, disclosure of allergen content for restaurant food is voluntary in Canada. CFIA is fairly firm on requiring that the statements not be misleading. "Misleading" is open to interpretation.

...for now!! New regulations passed by Health Canada will make listing of allergens mandatory on all labels, starting in August 2012. WOOOHOOO!!! :D

From Health Canada:

The Food and Drug Regulations require that most pre-packaged foods carry a label and that their ingredients appear in a list in decreasing order of proportion. However, some ingredients used in food products which were previously exempt from declaration in the list of ingredients, (e.g., components of margarine, seasoning and flour) will now be required to appear on food labels also.

Health Canada has worked with the medical community, consumer associations, and the food industry to enhance labelling requirements for priority allergens, gluten sources and sulphite in pre-packaged foods sold in Canada. Proposed new regulations will strengthen labelling requirements by requiring that the most common food and food ingredients which can cause life-threatening or severe allergic reactions are always identified by their common names so that consumers can easily recognize them on food labels.Canada's new food allergen labelling regulations will come into force on August 04, 2012.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

...for now!! New regulations passed by Health Canada will make listing of allergens mandatory on all labels, starting in August 2012. WOOOHOOO!!! :D

From Health Canada:

The Food and Drug Regulations require that most pre-packaged foods carry a label and that their ingredients appear in a list in decreasing order of proportion. However, some ingredients used in food products which were previously exempt from declaration in the list of ingredients, (e.g., components of margarine, seasoning and flour) will now be required to appear on food labels also.

Health Canada has worked with the medical community, consumer associations, and the food industry to enhance labelling requirements for priority allergens, gluten sources and sulphite in pre-packaged foods sold in Canada. Proposed new regulations will strengthen labelling requirements by requiring that the most common food and food ingredients which can cause life-threatening or severe allergic reactions are always identified by their common names so that consumers can easily recognize them on food labels.Canada's new food allergen labelling regulations will come into force on August 04, 2012.

That doesn't sound like it applies to restaraunt food - Just prepackaged.

Cheryl-C Enthusiast
Cheryl-C
Posted

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but anything labelled "Seasonings" freaks me out. :ph34r: I know spices can be only spices, but seasonings can be all kinds of things. I know they're supposed to disclose wheat (looking forward to full disclosures everywhere!) but you never know - especially when ingredients are (I'm assuming) shipped in from elsewhere.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but anything labelled "Seasonings" freaks me out. :ph34r: I know spices can be only spices, but seasonings can be all kinds of things. I know they're supposed to disclose wheat (looking forward to full disclosures everywhere!) but you never know - especially when ingredients are (I'm assuming) shipped in from elsewhere.

If it just said "seasonings," you would be correct. But in this case the contents of the seasonings are given in a parenthesized list after the word. So, in this case, we do know what is in them.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

My daughter was allergic to soy but outgrew the allergy. When she was allergic, the oil didn't bother her. But soy flour would make her sick to her stomach.

T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

Seriously soya oil does not contain soy??? Well, I'm glad I am not american because, my body does not agree.

If an oil is unrefined or cold-pressed, there is more of a likelihood of proteins having survived the process to remain in the final oil. With refined oils, however, the processing is supposed to eliminate enough of the protein to not be a problem. There's been more research done on this with peanut oil, but the results were pretty promising that refined oil is safe.

That said, anecdotally, people have still reported having issues with some refined oils made from their allergens. This might, however, be due to allergen cc, because if the oil is made from a food, then that food is necessarily present in the facility where it's being processed.

  • 3 weeks later...
Ellie84 Apprentice
Ellie84
Posted

Just wondering: maybe you're super-sensitive? There's maltodextrin in it, which should be safe for most celiacs because it's under the 20 ppm limit. However, some people are super-sensitive and can still react to it. Maltodextrin is a flavouring agent which is made from hydrolised starch. If made from wheat starch it can cause problems with a very small percentage of celiacs.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Ellie84, I know things may be different in Europe, but here in Canada I have never seen maltodextrin that was wheat derived. Corn is the usual source.

Ellie84 Apprentice
Ellie84
Posted

Ellie84, I know things may be different in Europe, but here in Canada I have never seen maltodextrin that was wheat derived. Corn is the usual source.

Ah, lucky for you then ^_^ I even have to double-check gluten-free products to check for "gluten-free" wheat starch and maltodextrin. Our Celiac Association NCV has received many complaints from people about gluten-free foods. Many people still have reactions to them/

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. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Paulaannefthimiou's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this...
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease. Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease. Though having the genes for Celiac...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining...
    4. SamAlvi
      - SamAlvi replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Thank you for the clarification and for taking the time to explain the terminology so clearly. I really appreciate your insight, especially the distinction between celiac disease and NCGS and how anemia can point more toward celiac. This was very helpful for me.
    5. Jsingh
      - Jsingh replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Son's legs shaking

      Hi, My 7 year daughter has complained of this in the past, which I thought were part of her glutening symptom, but more recently I have come to figure out it's part of her histamine overload symptom. This one symptom was part of her broader profile, which included irritability, extreme hunger, confusion, post-nasal drip. You might want to look up "histamine...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,868
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    LMGarrison
    Newest Member
    LMGarrison
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this category, and eliminating them is the best way to figure this out. Some people substitute gluten-free quinoa flakes for oats if they want a hot cereal substitute. If you are interested in summaries of scientific publications on the topic of oats and celiac disease, we have an entire category dedicated to it which is here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/oats-and-celiac-disease-are-they-gluten-free/   
    • knitty kitty
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease.   Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease.  Though having the genes for Celiac is not diagnostic in and of itself, taken with the antibody tests, the anemia and your reaction to gluten, it may be a confirmation you have Celiac disease.   Do discuss Gastrointestinal Beriberi with your doctors.  In Celiac disease, Gastrointestinal Beriberi is frequently overlooked by doctors.  The digestive system can be affected by localized Thiamine deficiency which causes symptoms consistent with yours.  Correction of nutritional deficiencies quickly is beneficial.  Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine, helps improve intestinal health.  All eight B vitamins, including Thiamine (Benfotiamine), should be supplemented because they all work together.   The B vitamins are needed in addition to iron to correct anemia.   Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • trents
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By trents · Posted

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining of the small bowel which generates specific kinds of antibodies. Some people are IGA deficient and such that the IGA antibody tests done for celiac disease will have skewed results and cannot be trusted. In that case, there are IGG tests that can be ordered though, they aren't quite as specific for celiac disease as the IGA tests. But the possibility of IGA deficiency is why a "total IGA" test should always be ordered along with the TTG-IGA. The other modality is an endoscopy (scoping of the upper GI track) with a biopsy of the small bowel lining. The aforementioned autoimmune response produces inflammation in the small bowel lining which, over time, damages the structure of the lining. The biopsy is sent to a lab and microscopically analyzed for signs of this damage. If the damage is severe enough, it can often be spotted during the scoping itself. The endoscopy/biopsy is used as confirmation when the antibody results are positive, since there is a small chance that elevated antibody test scores can be caused by things other than celiac disease, particularly when the antibody test numbers are not particularly high. If the antibody test numbers are 10x normal or higher, physicians will sometimes declare an official diagnosis of celiac disease without an endoscopy/biopsy, particularly in the U.K. Some practitioners use stool tests to detect celiac disease but this modality is not widely recognized in the medical community as valid. Both celiac testing modalities outlined above require that you have been consuming generous amounts of gluten for weeks/months ahead of time. Many people make the mistake of experimenting with the gluten free diet or even reducing their gluten intake prior to testing. By doing so, they invalidate the testing because antibodies stop being produced, disappear from the blood and the lining of the small bowel begins to heal. So, then they are stuck in no man's land, wondering if they have celiac disease or NCGS. To resume gluten consumption, i.e., to undertake a "gluten challenge" is out of the question because their reaction to gluten is so strong that it would endanger their health. The lining of the small bowel is the place where all of the nutrition in the food we consume is absorbed. This lining is made up of billions of microscopically tiny fingerlike projections that create a tremendous nutrient absorption surface area. The inflammation caused by celiac disease wears down these fingers and greatly reduces the surface area needed for nutrient absorption. Thus, people with celiac disease often develop iron deficiency anemia and a host of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is likely that many more people who have issues with gluten suffer from NCGS than from celiac disease. We actually know much more about the mechanism of celiac disease than we do about NCGS but some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease.
    • SamAlvi
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By SamAlvi · Posted

      Thank you for the clarification and for taking the time to explain the terminology so clearly. I really appreciate your insight, especially the distinction between celiac disease and NCGS and how anemia can point more toward celiac. This was very helpful for me.
    • Jsingh
      Son's legs shaking

      By Jsingh · Posted

      Hi,  My 7 year daughter has complained of this in the past, which I thought were part of her glutening symptom, but more recently I have come to figure out it's part of her histamine overload symptom. This one symptom was part of her broader profile, which included irritability, extreme hunger, confusion, post-nasal drip. You might want to look up "histamine intolerance". I wish I had known of this at the time of her diagnosis, life would have been much easier.  I hope you are able to figure out. 
×
×
  • 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.