Imaculate Brand- Cookies

[bny06]

I have been strictly gluten free for almost 2 years.... I was really really ill by the time they realized gluten was the problem.. . I was thrilled when I found one of my favorite pre-made cookie dough cookies are now in gluten free.. I have tried them THREE TIMES... (the chocolate chocolate chip ones).. and EVERY single time have a major GI flare hours later, that lasts for a good day at least... Are these really gluten free? Are they made in a factory that is contaminating them? Anyone else have any problems?

[dilettantesteph]

I looked at their website. They make mainly gluten containing cookies and they don't say anything about separate facilities for their gluten free items. You could call or e-mail them to check.

[bny06]

Thanks so much!!! I will do that.. you would think after eating them TWO times, I wouldn't try a third... but I had a weak moment and thought to myself, it says gluten free!!! maybe it was just a coincidence in the past!?! But just like the last two times horrible left upper quandrant pain and awful GI symptoms.. shakiness, felt steaming hot for a day or two.., couldn't eat for over a day anythign solid without pain, lower gi symptoms and horrible nausea..etc... I never eat out at all.. and rarely eat anything processed.. but man, I would love to indulge every once in a while!!! Do you get LUQ pain with gluten?? is that common do you know?? Thansk so much for your help!

[dilettantesteph]

Is that left upper quadrant pain? I hurt everywhere when glutened.

[Adalaide]

When I checked their site I was like zomg... crescent rolls. Not that I would buy a lot of them but the occasional treat would be nice. Next thing I knew I was emailing them. To my surprise I had an email back when I got up from my nap! I don't remember exactly what I asked word for word, but it was in essence about separate facilities, lines, batch testing and accuracy of batch testing. I would eat them, and I am the most super paranoid person I know. I also know my bodies response to gluten and have to say if I got sick after eating them I would know if it was in response to gluten or something else and would stop eating them. This is the response I got:

Thanks for writing. The gluten-free cookies are not manufactured in a separate facility, but the line on which they are manufactured is segregated from other production. gluten-free product is run first thing in the AM after an overnight sanitation and wash down procedure. Equipment is swab tested for gluten prior to running. And all dough is tested for gluten and diary before being released to our warehouse. The test is accurate to 1 PPM. The limit put in place by the Gluten Intolerance Group is 10 PPM, but we have never detected any wheat in our products.

[bny06]

WOW... thanks - adalaide- that does sound promising, but still so strange, that i have tried it THREE times and gotten sick for a good 24 hours after each time.. i kept thinking maybe it was a conicedence.. maybe i had a stomach bug etc... haha.. i really like the taste of those cookies!!! It's my typical reaction though - (however I am a weird case.. not diagnosed by blood or endoscopy, as I was gluten free for a bit before tested.... i was really sick and loosing TONS of weight... gluten free diet helped me so much.. and the IVIG fixed the problem.. unless I have an occassional flare).. I get that left upper quandrant pain that lasts for a good 2-3 days and everything I eat goes right through me for a good 24 hours.. I loose a bit of weight each time.. .. if it's not gluten in them, i wonder what it could be!????

dilettanstesteph- Yup, sorry, it is left upper quadrant.... and it's like I can't put any solids in my stomach for several days without bad pain.. its just right under my left lower ribs.. when I first got sick and was loosing weight, i started calorie loading, thinking I need to eat more... i ate more and more (TONS of gluten.. lots of fatty cookies I thought would help my situation).. I felt like i was starving to death, but eating more than a linebacker! i had horrible constant pain there for several months, when i stopped eating gluten it slowly went away and eventually resolved.. until i get flares..

thank yall so very much for your help!!!

[Adalaide]

If something made me sick a few times, I'd avoid it. I suppose it is possible it is something else bothering you. I suppose it is also possible that despite all their efforts it is gluten. At the end of the day, we can all only make these choices for ourselves. I personally go with the policy of if it makes me feel bad, I don't eat it, regardless of the reason it makes me feel bad.