Costco Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast?

[Michelle1234]

I have bought lots of gluten free items from Costco with no problems. On a recent trip I found their Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast labeled Gluten Free. It has alot of ingredients and I normally don't buy anything that complicated but decided to give it a try because it was new. I have never been so sick. My husband who does not have a gluten problem had no problem, even finishing my plate for me after I ran to the rest room. My intestines were in knots. I tried my usual digestive enzymes (Gluten Ease & Digest Spectrum) with not much result when usually they are fabulous about helping with cross contamination. Next I took some probiotics (pearls Elite), again no improvement. Eventually I took a product called CeliacAid which calmed things down enough for me to function. I have never had such a violent and painful reaction. I can only think that this product somehow has alot of gluten in it, maybe lines not cleaned when they switched to a gluten free recipe. I'm still trying to contact Costco to let them know but thought I'd put a warning on the board to help someone else avoid this product.

[RonSchon]

Thanks for the information.

I've given up on most things with ingredients.

I'm about 95% fresh, whole foods, and about 50% local - Eggs, Chicken, Grass Fed beef.

Sam's and Costco are now just the gas station where I pick up toilet paper...

:D :D :D :D

[rosetapper23]

Is there any chance that you're sensitive to soy? If I were to have such a bad reaction to a processed product, that would be my first suspicion. Also, is it possible that special gums or unusual ingredients may have been used that would bother your gut?

If none of the above apply, thank you for alerting the rest of us of the potential danger.

[Michelle1234]

Thanks for the thoughts. I am not reactive to soy. However the thought did cross my mind that maybe it was something I ate earlier in the day. I went to the Denver Celiac Gluten Free fair which is always a dicey proposition for me because I do react badly to fake sugars. I also tend to try not to buy thing with complicated ingredients list that contain chemical sounding words or words I don't know. However at the fair it is so crowded that it is hard to query each vendor as to what is in their product. I generally try to not sample too much, as many of the products are loaded with sugar and chemicals. But I did try a few new things and as usual most were not very good but they were items I had seen in the store and wondered about. At least I saved myself some $s there. They gave you a goody bag with products to take home so I tried a few of those. I was home by noon and tried the chicken for dinner so at least 5 hrs had passed.

The reason I'm so suspicious of this product is that I think it used to be marketed with out the Gluten Free label. I'm wondering if they didn't just change the ingredient list a bit, slap on a gluten free label and not do anything about washing the lines or testing the end product. I have never in all my 5+ years of being gluten free had this reaction to anything. It literally felt like there was a riot going on in my gut and the weird thing was it started after just a few bites. Normally if I get a cross contamination reaction it is 20 min. after I eat and you can practically set your watch by it.

[Jestgar]

So even though you went to a fair, and may have eaten something you know you react to, you felt it was necessary to dis a product, and even named names?

[jerseyangel]

I went to the Denver Celiac Gluten Free fair which is always a dicey proposition for me because I do react badly to fake sugars. I also tend to try not to buy thing with complicated ingredients list that contain chemical sounding words or words I don't know. However at the fair it is so crowded that it is hard to query each vendor as to what is in their product. I generally try to not sample too much, as many of the products are loaded with sugar and chemicals. But I did try a few new things and as usual most were not very good but they were items I had seen in the store and wondered about. At least I saved myself some $s there. They gave you a goody bag with products to take home so I tried a few of those.

I'm sorry you got so sick, but you really can't be sure it was the chicken that did it. It could very well have been any one of the other things you tried for the first time that same day.

It's not fair to call out a company like that under the circumstances.

[Jestgar]

I have never in all my 5+ years of being gluten free had this reaction to anything. It literally felt like there was a riot going on in my gut and the weird thing was it started after just a few bites. Normally if I get a cross contamination reaction it is 20 min. after I eat and you can practically set your watch by it.

Sorry. I just read this and realized you've been at this for a while. I guess your post is due to the severity of the reaction, not your newness and leaping to conclusions.

Hope it wasn't the Costco, but it really does seem unfair to both assume it was, and call them on it publicly.

[kareng]

not do anything about washing the lines or testing the end product. I

I'm sorry you feel bad but....

Companies are always washing the lines. If they didn't, your hub would be sick, too from food poisioning.

There is no law that says they must test before labelling gluten-free in the US.

It had a lot of ingredients, perhaps there is one in there that bothers you? Or one in the samples you tried? You just haven't found it yet? For example, Aspartme (sp?) gives me very gluten like symptoms.

[bartfull]

OR...if your husband gets sick in the next day or two, you'll know he caught the "bug" from you. You say this is the worst and quickest reaction you've ever had to gluten. Maybe it's just a coincidence that the "bug" (if that's what it is) hit you while you were eating?

[rosetapper23]

The supporting element that this episode may NOT be due to gluten contamination is that the supplements you took afterwards did little or nothing to help the situation when they've helped in the past when you've been glutened. This leads me to believe that it was something else that bothered your system. I know what you mean about those samplings at gluten-free fairs! OMG! I've had a pretty upset tummy almost every time, so now I'm very selective and rarely try anything new. They oftentimes put so many questionable chemicals and odd ingredients into these newfangled (and oftentimes processed) products, I end up getting sick from everything BUT gluten.

I know, too, how outraged one can feel upon becoming ill from a product....but I must agree with the others that you may not have been sickened by gluten contamination in the chicken. Perhaps you can edit your subject line to indicate that you're uncertain about the product rather than outright steer people away from it. Then maybe someone will be willing to respond one way or the other if he/she has ever eaten it and had a problem. It's important to support companies that are willing to provide gluten-free options for us--if we point fingers at them every time we feel ill, they may stop trying to accommodate us. However, let's wait and see if anyone else can weigh in on their experiences with this product--it could be that the company needs to be contacted for an explanation.

I'm very sorry you became ill!

[Michelle1234]

Everyone is welcome to buy this product and see if they react. It is by Full Circle. The title is All Natural, Fully Cooked, Hand Rolled Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast containing Rib Meat Filled with Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese and Rice Pilaf Stuffing. All Natural Gluten Free. (Sounds tempting doesn't it?) I did send an e-mail to Costco to see if they had others reporting a reaction.

Please post if you don't react to it as I'm sure it is wonderful for all of us if more companies offer products. If you do let Costco know as I did.

I've had a couple of really great months with absolutely perfectly formed bowl movements and no emergencies. Best I've ever been since going gluten free over 5 yrs ago. So getting a painful, gaseous, bathroom emergency reaction with my intestines dancing around in painful knots made me really mad. I had gotten used to being out and about and not having to worry about finding a bathroom. The CeliacAid seemed to get things calmed down enough that I could walk my dogs last night but I'm not back to normal yet.

Products I absolutely love at Costco include:

Labeled Gluten Free Butter Chicken (excellent Indian chicken with sauce)

Labeled Gluten Free Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala (hotter than the Butter chicken so if you don't like spicy this is not the product for you but you'll be fine with the Butter Chicken)

Labeled Gluten Free Quick'N Eat Angus Choice Beef Patties (great fully cooked hamburger patty for when your lazy)

Harry's Organic Tapioca Pudding (I don't think this is labeled gluten free but we've had it many times with no reaction)

Stuffed Grape Leaves (I can't remember the brand name but I believe they are labelled gluten free - stuffed with rice and veggies)

Sliced turkey (probably labeled Gluten Free)

Their shredded chicken and shredded beef. Both labeled gluten free.

Smoked pulled pork labeled gluten free (I don't have all the products at home right now so don't know all the brand names)

Slice cheese variety pack

Rotisserie chicken

Wholly Guacamole

Mexican shredded cheese

Almonds and Pecans (raw nut bags)

Maple syrup

Kirkland vanilla ice cream

Organic frozen vegetables

Organic salad pack

Probably part of my disappointment is that I've had such good results with trying Costco labeled gluten free products. It is my go to location for prepared meat products.

[Darissa]

We really enjoyed this chicken from costco. We have eaten it twice now with no gluten effects. My daughter and I are very sensitive to cross contact, but we did not get sick. We have no food intolerances except gluten from Celiac. I normally don't buy such processed food, but have been down to to surgery, and my husband has been doing all the cooking.

We like this chicken, especially the brocoli, cheese and rice filling.

It is "Full Circle Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast" in the Refrigerated section at Costco.