Blue Bell Ice Cream-Definitely Not Gluten Free

[chelsya2011]

I was diagnosed with celiac the first time last year. I was on the gluten free diet for a while, but didn't feel like it was helping and that it was too much, so I stopped it. Then I got very sick again, so four months ago, I went back on the diet. I've been doing great, except when I get glutened. That's just miserable! I almost always end up vomiting. I read on blue bell's website that their ice cream is gluten free, so I got some. Boy, do I wish I had done some more research! I ate half a pint yesterday and woke up vomiting today; and it's thanksgiving! I took half a phenigran (which usually puts me to sleep, blah) and I'm hoping some caffeine will keep me from falling asleep so I can get some cooking done! Bottom line, blue bell ice cream is NOT gluten free! I won't make that mistake again. Braum's ice cream, only!

[kareng]

Many flavors of ice cream of any brand are gluten-free. You feel sick, I'm sorry. It could be something else. Or you could be sooo sensitive that the minor chance of cc got you. If that is the case, you should not eat any brand unless you can find one that makes no flavors with gluten ( cookie dough, Oreo, etc).

Coming on a public forum and stating that a company is lying, as you seem to be doing, is never a good idea.

Many people have difficulties with milk products. Maybe there is another ingredient in the ice cream that disagrees with you? Maybe something else you ate?

[psawyer]

I'm sorry to hear that you were sick.

But that doesn't prove that gluten caused it. And even if it was gluten, a single incident does not prove that the ice cream was the source. Please refrain from making unsubstantiated claims.

[kareng]

If you are getting " glutened" often, maybe there is some other food you are sensitive to? Most of us do not get glutened very often. In the US and Canada, wheat is clearly labelled on food products.

[maximoo]

Some flavors of Bluebells contain wheat some do not. So it depends on what flavor you had. It clearly says on the ingredient list if it contains wheat such as Dutch Chocolate which was my DD's absolute favorite. We eat Breyer's Haagen Daz, publix brand--all plain chocolate or with chocolate chips. Ice cream in and of itself is gluten free but it depends what is added. You NEED to read the ingredients on everything you put in your mouth.

Good luck!

[WhenDee]

I thought I was getting mystery glutenings all the time, too. But it turns out I have secondary food sensitivities to foods I was suddenly eating a lot more of. Sometimes these mimic gluten in my body's response.

A recent gluten convert should not be eating dairy anyway, or Should at least be limiting it. Either way, I think you should look into other things before you bad mouth a good company. BB never bothered me where gluten was concerned, but I checked every single flavor.

[lovegrov]

As everybody else said, did you actually read the ingredients and make sure the flavor you got was gluten-free? Most of their flavors are indeed gluten-free, but not all.

richard

[chelsya2011]

First of all, I was not bad mouthing the company. I simply stated that they said their ice cream was gluten free, and I ended up severely sick.. The flavor I ate was on their list of gluten free. Maybe there is something else that I have sensitivity to that I'm not aware of. I came on this forum for a little support, didn't think I would get criticized. I see people complain about companies all the time because their site stated that they were gluten free, and they got sick. Sorry if I offended anyone. I never said that blue bell was lying, I said that I did not think that was gluten free. That was the only thing I'd eaten all day that could have possibly contained gluten, and I have no problems with diary. I eat yogurt and drink milk without ever getting sick. As I said before, I've had ice cream from other brands and didn't get sick. Not sure if I'll be back on this forum again. I was looking for help and I feel attacked.

[chelsya2011]

And, yes, I did read the label. But after researching it, I found that a lot of people came to the conclusion that they can't eat blue bell ice cream because it wasn't gluten free. I guess I should have worded the title differently, but I had been throwing up the next morning and that was all that I had eaten that could have done it. I'm suspecting cross contamination because not all of the flavors are gluten free. I have found another forum on this site that said the exact same thing I said, and the author of that post wasn't attacked!

[jerseyangel]

First of all, I was not bad mouthing the company. I simply stated that they said their ice cream was gluten free, and I ended up severely sick.. The flavor I ate was on their list of gluten free. Maybe there is something else that I have sensitivity to that I'm not aware of. I came on this forum for a little support, didn't think I would get criticized. I see people complain about companies all the time because their site stated that they were gluten free, and they got sick. Sorry if I offended anyone. I never said that blue bell was lying, I said that I did not think that was gluten free. That was the only thing I'd eaten all day that could have possibly contained gluten, and I have no problems with diary. I eat yogurt and drink milk without ever getting sick. As I said before, I've had ice cream from other brands and didn't get sick. Not sure if I'll be back on this forum again. I was looking for help and I feel attacked.

Chelsya, Please don't feel that you were attacked, as that was not the intention behind some of the answers you received. Blue Bell has a list of gluten free products, because they do add wheat to their chocolate ice cream and offer flavors that include baked things like cookies and brownies. Those, of course, do not appear on the gluten-free list.

What most likely happened here is that your ice cream was cross contaminated--possibly run first after running a flavor with gluten. Even after thorough washing, some will still react to the minute amount of reside that can remain on the equipment. It's happened to me--not often but if you get, say, one of the first few cartons run after a gluten one....

Whole Foods actually carries a brand of organic ice cream called Organicville. They only make vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and chocolate chip mint. No cross contamination worries if that concerns you. I think their chocolate is the best ice cream I've ever had.

Reconsider coming back here--it's really the best resource you will find on all things Celiac

[Celtic Queen]

I'm so sorry you feel attacked. Please don't leave the board because there are really a lot of smart people here with useful info.

I don't know about Blue Bell ice cream, but I've been gluten free about the same time as you - 4 months. And I'm still having some crazy reactions. A couple of weeks ago I got violently ill after eating skittles and drinking a coke zero. Both of which are totally gluten-free. (And yes, I know that's the world's worst breakfast )

It could have been cross contamination. I don't know for sure. But I've had 2 or 3 crazy incidents like that where my body just goes bonkers. I think it might be my system trying to adapt and heal. Maybe that's what happened to you.

Now, everyone can attack me for my bad breakfast habits