Gluten Busters: Gluten-Free Product Alerts by Celiac.com

I have been having DH break outs periodically since Halloween and had started to suspect the peanut M&M's I was eating. I hadn't had problems with m&ms in the past so I didn't immediately go there. I quit eating them and the problem cleared up. This news seems to substantiate my suspicions. (Very Sad Face!)

I just called the Mars company and the representative insisted that the peanut M&M's were produced on a designated belt and there was no possibility of cross contamination. I can only take their word for it.

Dear posters:

All M&Ms are made actually in separate parts of the factories that make them.

I have a daughter who eats M&Ms (the plain ones) and has never had an issue despite her gluten allergy test came out in the 95 out of 100 range.

All peanut butter, peanut and almond M&Ms are made in one part of the factory. Plain chocolates are made in another and the pretzels ones are made entirely in another as well.

To make sure that kids with and without nut allergies can have their products, each of the categories are made in separate factories.

People please do your research more.

Oh to let this person know who was concerned about the MINT M&Ms:

The mint flavoring is more of an "alcohol-based" mint flavoring. Alcohol has a gluten in it. Hence the warning label.

earlier this year I had a gluten reaction to peanut m&ms that I had eaten before, but they are off my list after a 3 day sick

I just accidentally ate the new mint M&M's today around 3pm, I didn't think twice because in my mind had the thought "all M&M's are gluten-free except pretzel ones" and by 10pm I am having cramping, gurgling and other not so pleasant reactions... And I'm not even full-on celiac, only gluten sensitive/intolerant...and I normally don't have a reaction to things that "may be made on same lines as gluten products" like I can eat Hidden Valley Ranch without any issues, only things that directly contain gluten ingredients give me trouble normally...I'm confused but will steer clear of these from now on anyway....

Up in the middle of the night sick. The only thing suspect - the peanut M&Ms. I didn't read the label myself (trusted my husband who claimed I could eat them....). Went online tonight between potty breaks to look up the ingredient list. I found a disclaimer on the M&M site *lists all sorts of foods that people are allergic too, included was "wheat". Apparently the Mars company has this disclaimer there for a reason on their site? What I didn't find was 'an ingredient list'. Husband threw the bag away.... However, I found this blog, where others like you have had issues. Now I feel certain that there is something about the new peanut M&M that is making me sick. I didn't eat anything else that was "unknown". I'm not certain what ingredient is the culprit though - because the person above who's daughter apparently works for Mars company believes that they are not made in a part of the factory where the pretzels are, for example. Mystery.

I too am beginning to suspect that they are not aware of a hidden source. Several times now I've been sick in the morning and it's the only thing I ate that wasn't fruit, veg, or meat! I no longer trust peanut M&Ms.

I have been enjoying a "fun pack" a day of plain M&Ms all week and now have dermatitis herpetiformis all over my lips and am suffering from fatigue and diarrhea. I just noticed the individual packages (but not the main bag) say "may contain peanuts." I strongly suspect the bags contain cross contaminated gluten as well.

Ate a bunch of Peanut Butter M&M's and am now bloated, etc. In pain... there must be something I'm sensitive to in them.

Just went to the M&M Store in Las Vegas. My daughter chose mostly plain with a few mint and raspberry flavored candies. She hadn't eaten M&Ms in quite a while, but she had never had a reaction before. The day she began eating the M&Ms from Vegas she became very ill. We had already suspected the M&Ms of being contaminated but after reading the comments on this site I am now convinced they contained gluten. Mars just lost one more customer.

Those Mint M&M's are evil. I snacked on some yesterday and suffered for it today. I could swear I was OK eating these last year. I wonder if something changed in the production to make it drastically worse or if I've just gotten more sensitive to gluten.

I have recently been told that I am gluten intolerant but have not confirmed celiac disease. I have noticed as the rest on here that M&Ms bother me. Especially the mint ones. I will now stay away from them.

I really was just beginning to think that I developed an allergy to chocolate. I will try only plain or peanut ones and see how it goes.

Argh. I really thought the peanut M&Ms were free and clear but after downing a pack this afternoon have had stomach gurgling and gas all evening. One unhappy celiac in Southern California here.

I have had reactions to the Mint M&Ms too - but I don't think it has anything to do with gluten, as I am not gluten intolerant at all. I have no dietary restrictions or sensitivities whatsoever, and I can eat Peanut M&Ms as well as Peanut Butter ones and Pretzel ones. But the Mint ones... I think I've had them 3 times over the last couple years, and each time they've caused similar reactions. Basically gastrointestinal discomfort and the various annoying symptoms that go along with it, as others have mentioned on this forum. I think there must be something in the Mint ones specifically that is causing this. These are the ones in the light green bag and that are larger in size and shape, similar to the Peanut Butter ones (as opposed to the smaller mint ones that come out around Christmas time, which I haven't had a problem with). Maybe it's the color or the flavoring, though if the Christmas ones aren't bothering me, perhaps they're made differently??? I wonder how many other people have had this reaction and thought it was their gluten intolerance or celiac acting up. Just wanted you all to know that it may possibly be something else, or a combination.

Going back at least 12 years I discovered I could not tolerate peanut M&MS In fact I have not eaten them since because the side effect was extreme vomiting which occurred on two occasions and put me off them for life!. Single highhandedly I managed to cover the bathroom floor with 1 inch of sick wall to wall. I never knew it was possible to vomit so much and left me recovering for days. I can eat any type of peanuts no problem so can't be an allergy. I am curious about dyes and other additives that may cause this.

Distilled alcohol does not have gluten. The protein is too large to pass through the distillation process. Distilled alcohol may be cross contaminated if some of the mash is added back after distillation. Beer does contain gluten.

Hi I have been a celiac for 4 years now and ate the occasional peanut M&M's but was unaware of any reaction as then I had been suffering from DH which did not get diagnosed until 6 months ago. since then I have been itch free on Dapsone and enjoying life. last week I went to the cinema and the only item I could eat was peanut m&ms. I had the large bag, the following day I broke out into the most horrendous itch in both my feet lower legs and arms it was devastating and I became completely exhausted for days. the itch was that bad in my feet they became infected and I required antibiotic cream. After 4 days my skin began to calm down and is now just getting back to normal after 8 days feeling like this. I reflected back on my diet and there was no deviation from being gluten free, the only change was the m&ms which I had not eaten in ages. This blog has convinced me that my hunch was right.

I came on this page to see if anyone else had a DH flare up after eating M&M's. I ate them recently after Halloween and broke out with the blisters all over my hands. I waited a couple of days and did it again. Same thing. M&M's have hidden gluten!

I found this blog because I am a new celiac and made gluten-free peanut butter chocolate bars last night. I was out of chocolate chip, so used the M&M Mini's I had been eating off and on. This morning I noticed the gas-in-my chest reflux type symptoms I had twice before after consuming gluten. I looked on the M & M´s again, even though I had already googled them before and thought they were gluten-free, only to discover they have DEXTRIN, which on another website says to "avoid wheat dextrin". Whether or not it is wheat dextrin, I don´t know. Also I googled it again and found a lot of places are saying not to worry about dextrin. However, due to all the posts above and my clear reaction, it must have gluten?!?...I hate this feeling so I won't be eating M&M's, not for a long time, anyway!...

I just ate plain M&Ms today and have new DH flaring itching like crazy. I have not eaten anything else not from scratch. I´m shocked and disappointed. I only are them because I thought they were gluten-free. Apparently not. It's a fresh flare about 4 hours or less after consumption.