Gluten Free Vs No Wheat Containing Ingredients?

[GFathlete]

Hi,

I was comparing soup labels today and the some soups of the same brand will specifically say: CONTAINS WHEAT or CONTAINS SOY. After reading through a list of safe ingredients I assume it is safe if it does not also have the "CONTAINS WHEAT" disclaimer?

Also, what if the same manufacturer has another soups that specifically says: GLUTEN FREE

Is that the only safe one? Can I proceed with the one that is not of the CONTAINS WHEAT family?

What is the difference?

[sa1937]

It sure is a confusing world out there, isn't it? It if contains WHEAT, I'd definitely avoid it. Some people have a sensitivity to soy and avoid it like the plague, too. It's a judgment call on your part.

Progresso is very good at labeling and have quite a few soups that are labeled gluten-free. It's a brand I trust. Their chicken and beef broths are also labeled gluten-free (at least the last time I bought them). Today I bought the Food Lion brand of beef broth (their own line is My Essentials) and noticed for the first time that it says gluten-free on the label although it contains soy.

Any particular brand of soup you're thinking about?

[GFathlete]

Well not really, I guess I was asking generally. I noticed a few things when checking labels.

1) Many labels say "contain soy and milk" for example so I am assuming that if it DID contain wheat it would say so.

2) What is the difference between this labeling and "gluten-free"?

Are both labels safe?

[Lisa]

Well not really, I guess I was asking generally. I noticed a few things when checking labels.

1) Many labels say "contain soy and milk" for example so I am assuming that if it DID contain wheat it would say so.

2) What is the difference between this labeling and "gluten-free"?

Are both labels safe?

1) Yes, wheat in the US is one of the allergens that must be listed by law. The other glutens, barley, malt and malt are not required to be listed. Sometimes it's a judgment call or a call to the manufacturer. Barley, rye and malt are not used too much in the US, but you have to judge you product ( ie. hot chocolate mix might have malt).

2)Labeling in the US has not yet legislated a legal definition of "gluten free". As of yet, all labeling of "gluten free" is voluntary. We would like to hope that those who label their products as gluten free have tested as such. But that is expensive, and not required.

The current trend may be that products may contain a label stating "no gluten ingredients". I feel fine with that, but others may be more sensitive.

There is a list of companies who will clearly list all forms of gluten on their ingredient listing or allergen warning...Kraft is one, Unilever and more.

[ciamarie]

I'm not an expert, however if some of that brand specifically say 'gluten free' and others have no apparent gluten ingredients but do mention other allergens, I'd go with the ones that are labeled gluten-free and leave the others alone. At least until I had more experience or could research it. It's possible there are some spices, or similar flavorings that have some small amount of gluten from barley perhaps, so it won't list wheat but it's not gluten-free, and thus you need to avoid it.

Hope that makes sense?

[Skylark]

If it's Progresso you're talking about, I only eat the soups they are specifically marking gluten-free. I figure there must be something different about the soups without an obvious wheat ingredient that aren't marked gluten-free. I figure the same for any single brand that has some items marked gluten-free and some not. My guess is that it has to do with manufacturing cross-contamination.

The best gluten-free labels will say "certified gluten-free" and have the GFCO symbol. Open Original Shared Link The food is independently tested and monitored to be under 10 ppm gluten.

Beyond that, "gluten-free" can mean anything the company thinks won't end up in a lawsuit. The FDA has not passed any labeling laws.

[tarnalberry]

Just not saying "contains wheat" isn't enough. The labeling laws allow the wheat to either be declared separately (such as those "contains X" labels) or in the ingredient list (and not a "contains" label). In addition, wheat free and gluten free are not the same. Something may say "wheat free" or have no wheat ingredients on the label anywhere, but contain rye or barley, and are hence NOT gluten free. (A great example is Kellogs Rice Crispies (and most other brands). No wheat on the ingredient list. No "contains wheat" statement. But it has barley malt, which has gluten, and makes it NOT SAFE.)